Learn Hardcore Malay: Saya percaya setiap orang patut boleh berkongsi pandangan jujur selagi perbincangan kekal sopan. - I believe everyone should be able to share honest views as long as the discussion remains polite.

setiap orang = each person / every person
- Emphasises individuals, one by one.
- Feels a bit more careful or precise.
semua orang = all people / everyone (as a group)
- Emphasises the group as a whole.

In this sentence:

Saya percaya setiap orang patut boleh berkongsi pandangan jujur...

Using setiap orang suggests: each individual person should have this right, which fits well with the idea of personal freedom of expression.

You can say:

Saya percaya semua orang patut boleh berkongsi pandangan jujur...

This is also correct and natural. The meaning is very close; the difference is only a small nuance, and most everyday speakers would treat them as interchangeable here.

Why do we have both patut and boleh together? What’s the difference between them, and can I drop one?

patut and boleh are both modal words, but they express different ideas:

patut = should / ought to
- Expresses obligation, moral expectation, or what is proper.
boleh = can / may / be allowed to
- Expresses ability or permission.

In:

setiap orang patut boleh berkongsi pandangan jujur

the combined sense is:

patut → they should (morally/ideally)
boleh → be able / be allowed to

So it’s like saying:
“Every person should be able to share honest views.”

If you change it:

patut berkongsi
- “should share”
- Focuses on a duty/obligation to actually share.
boleh berkongsi
- “can/may share”
- Focuses on possibility or permission, not on whether they should.
patut boleh berkongsi (original)
- “should be able to share”
- Focuses on the right or freedom to do it.

All three are grammatically correct, but they express slightly different ideas. The original is good if you’re talking about freedom of expression.

Why is the order patut boleh and not boleh patut?

Malay normally puts the stronger / more external modal first, then the inner one.

Here:

patut = outer judgment (what should be the case).
boleh = inner ability/permission (what someone can do).

So the natural order is:

patut boleh = “should be able to / ought to be allowed to”

boleh patut is not natural Malay; it sounds wrong to native speakers.

Other examples of common orders:

mesti boleh (must be able to)
harus boleh (should be able to)

But not boleh mesti or boleh harus.

What exactly does berkongsi mean, and why not just kongsi?

Root: kongsi = share (as a verb or a noun, depending on context).

The verb used in standard Malay is typically berkongsi:

ber-
- kongsi → berkongsi
Means to share intransitively (no direct object marker needed).

In your sentence:

berkongsi pandangan jujur = to share honest views

Some points:

berkongsi is the normal, neutral form in standard Malay.
You might hear casual kongsi used as a verb in conversation:
- Boleh kongsi tak? = “Can (you) share (it)?” (informal)
In writing or more formal speech, berkongsi is preferred.

So berkongsi pandangan is the “textbook” form and sounds well‑formed and natural.

What is pandangan here, and how is it different from pendapat or opini?

All three can translate as opinion, but with slightly different flavours:

pandangan
- Literally view / sight / perspective.
- Common for opinions, especially when thinking of “points of view.”
- Very natural in this sentence.
pendapat
- More like opinion / view / standpoint.
- Slightly more formal or neutral; common in discussions, essays, etc.
opini
- Borrowed from “opinion”.
- Used, but less common in everyday speech; more in media or academic contexts.

You could also say:

berkongsi pendapat jujur – also correct and natural.
berkongsi opini jujur – understandable, but sounds more formal or media-like.

pandangan jujur is a very natural collocation in Malay.

Why is it pandangan jujur and not pandangan yang jujur? When do I need yang?

jujur is an adjective (“honest”), and in Malay:

You can put an adjective directly after a noun:
- pandangan jujur = “honest views”
- orang baik = “good person”
You can also insert yang:
- pandangan yang jujur
- orang yang baik

In many simple cases, yang is optional and both forms are grammatical. The difference:

Without yang (pandangan jujur)
- Smooth, compact phrase = “honest views”.
- Feels more like a fixed description.
With yang (pandangan yang jujur)
- Slightly more emphasis: “views that are honest”.
- Useful when the adjective (or clause) is longer or you want focus:
  - pandangan yang benar-benar jujur dan ikhlas
  - Here yang helps the sentence flow.

In your sentence, pandangan jujur and pandangan yang jujur are both correct. The version without yang is simpler and more natural in this short phrase.

How does selagi work here? How is it different from asalkan, jika, or sementara?

selagi in this sentence means as long as (for the condition that):

selagi perbincangan kekal sopan
“as long as the discussion remains polite”

Comparison:

selagi
- Emphasises a condition lasting over time.
- “For as long as / as long as it continues to be the case that…”
asalkan
- Also “as long as / provided that”, but more condition-focused.
- Often sounds slightly more like a requirement or deal:
  - Awak boleh bercakap bebas asalkan sopan.
jika / kalau
- “if”.
- Neutral conditional, not specifically about duration.
- Jika perbincangan sopan = “If the discussion is polite.”
sementara
- “while / whereas”.
- Often about two events happening at the same time, not a condition.

So selagi fits well because the politeness is a continuing condition over the duration of the discussion.

What does perbincangan mean exactly, and how is it formed from the root bincang?

Root verb: bincang = discuss.

From that we get:

bincang (verb): to discuss
- Mari kita bincang hal ini. – “Let’s discuss this matter.”
perbincangan (noun): discussion / a discussion / the act of discussing
- Perbincangan itu sangat menarik. – “The discussion was very interesting.”

Formation:

per- + bincang + -an → perbincangan
- This per-…-an pattern often makes a noun from a verb:
  - ajar → pengajaran (teaching)
  - bantu → bantuan (assistance)

In your sentence:

selagi perbincangan kekal sopan

perbincangan is a noun: the discussion (in general, or this discussion).

Why is there no adalah in perbincangan kekal sopan? Can I say perbincangan adalah sopan?

Malay often doesn’t need a verb like “to be” (is/are) between a noun and an adjective.

Patterns:

Noun + Adjective
- perbincangan sopan = “(the) discussion (is) polite”
- dia pandai = “he/she is smart”
With a verb like kekal:
- kekal = remain / stay
- perbincangan kekal sopan = “the discussion remains polite”

adalah is usually used:

Before a noun phrase, not a simple adjective:
- Dia adalah guru. – “He/She is a teacher.”
Or in more formal/written style.

So:

perbincangan adalah sopan – grammatical, but sounds more formal and slightly awkward in this context.
perbincangan kekal sopan – natural and matches the English “remains polite”.

What exactly does kekal add to the meaning? Could I just say selagi perbincangan sopan?

kekal means to remain / to stay / to keep being.

kekal sopan = “remain polite / stay polite”

So:

selagi perbincangan kekal sopan

emphasises that the discussion continues to be polite over time.

You could say:

selagi perbincangan sopan

This is understandable and not wrong, but it sounds a bit less smooth/natural. Without kekal, selagi is followed directly by “the discussion (is) polite”, which is okay, but adding kekal clearly marks the idea of remaining polite throughout.

So kekal strengthens the sense of ongoing condition, which fits very nicely with selagi (“as long as”).

Why is it Saya percaya and not Saya percaya bahawa? When do we use bahawa?

bahawa = that (introducing a clause), similar to English “that” in “I believe that…”.

Saya percaya setiap orang patut boleh berkongsi…
Saya percaya bahawa setiap orang patut boleh berkongsi…

Both are grammatically correct.

Differences:

Without bahawa
- More natural in everyday speech.
- Malay often omits bahawa when the meaning is clear.
With bahawa
- Slightly more formal or emphatic.
- Common in formal writing, speeches, or careful explanations.

So in casual or neutral conversation, Saya percaya setiap orang… is perfectly fine and common.

Is saya always the right word for “I”? What about aku?

Both mean I, but they differ in formality and social context:

saya
- Polite, neutral, safe in almost any situation.
- Used with strangers, in formal settings, with older people, in writing.
- Works perfectly in your sentence.
aku
- Informal, intimate, or casual.
- Used with close friends, family, or in some song lyrics, poetry, and online chats.
- If you changed it:
  - Aku percaya setiap orang… → more casual/intimate tone.

In most learner contexts, saya is the safer default. You only switch to aku when you’re sure the relationship and situation is informal.

How is tense expressed in this sentence? Why is there no word for “will” or “do”?

Malay generally doesn’t mark tense (past/present/future) the way English does. Verbs usually stay in a base form, and time is understood from context or from time words.

In:

Saya percaya setiap orang patut boleh berkongsi pandangan jujur selagi perbincangan kekal sopan.

There’s no explicit tense marker, so it can mean:

“I believe everyone should be able to share honest views…” (general statement)
It could apply to now, always in general, or future situations, depending on context.

If you need to be explicit, you add time markers:

Saya akan percaya… – I will believe…
Dulu saya percaya… – I used to / previously believed…
Sekarang saya percaya… – I now believe…

But in general philosophical or principle statements (like this one), Malay just uses the base forms, and listeners infer the time frame.