Learn Hardcore Malay: Guru menerangkan formula matematik di papan putih. - The teacher explains the math formula on the whiteboard.

The teacher *explains the maths formula on the whiteboard.* (habitual/present)
The teacher *is explaining the maths formula on the whiteboard.* (present continuous)
The teacher *explained the maths formula on the whiteboard.* (past)
The teacher *will explain the maths formula on the whiteboard.* (future, if the context implies future)

To make the time clearer, Malay adds time words:

tadi – just now
semalam – yesterday
esok – tomorrow
akan – will (future marker)
sedang – in the middle of doing (progressive)

Examples:

Guru sedang menerangkan formula matematik.
→ The teacher is explaining the maths formula (right now).
Guru tadi menerangkan formula matematik.
→ The teacher explained the maths formula just now.

Why is there no word for a or the before guru or formula?

Malay normally does not use articles like a / an / the. Nouns can be interpreted as definite or indefinite depending on context.

So guru can mean:

a teacher
the teacher

Similarly, formula matematik can mean a maths formula or the maths formula.

If needed, Malay can specify:

seorang guru – a teacher (one teacher, human classifier)
guru itu – that teacher / the teacher (already known)
formula matematik itu – that maths formula / the (specific) maths formula

In your sentence, it is natural to translate:
Guru menerangkan formula matematik di papan putih.
as The teacher is explaining the maths formula on the whiteboard.
but a is also possible depending on context.

Why isn’t formula marked as plural if the teacher explains several formulas?

Malay usually does not mark plural on the noun unless it needs to be emphasized. Context normally tells you whether it is singular or plural.

So formula matematik can mean:

a maths formula
the maths formula
maths formulas (if context shows there are many)

To make plural explicit, Malay can:

reduplicate the noun: formula-formula matematik – maths formulas
or use a number/quantifier: beberapa formula matematik – several maths formulas

But in everyday speech and writing, the simple formula matematik is very common even when plural is meant.

Why is the order formula matematik and papan putih, not matematik formula or putih papan?

In Malay, the typical noun phrase order is:

Head noun + describing word(s)

So:

formula matematik
- formula = head noun
- matematik = describes what kind of formula
  → maths formula
papan putih
- papan = board
- putih = white (adjective)
  → literally board white → whiteboard

This is the opposite of English adjective order (adjective + noun).

Some common patterns:

buku merah – red book (book red)
kereta baru – new car (car new)
pekerja kilang – factory worker (worker factory)

So papan putih is a normal noun + adjective order, and formula matematik is a noun + noun (like formula of mathematics).

What exactly does di papan putih mean, and how is di used here?

di is a preposition that means at/on/in depending on context.

di papan putih = on the whiteboard

Here, di is a separate word (a preposition) followed by a noun phrase (papan putih).

Important: di (separate word) is different from the prefix di- which attaches to verbs to form the passive voice (e.g. diterangkan = is/was explained).

Other examples of di as a preposition:

di sekolah – at school
di rumah – at home / in the house
di meja – on the table

Could I use something other than di here, like pada or atas?

In this sentence, di papan putih is the most natural choice.

di – general preposition for location (at/in/on), very common and neutral.
atas – literally on top of, more physical; often used with di as di atas.
pada – more abstract or formal; often used with time, pronouns, or some idiomatic uses.

You could say:

Guru menerangkan formula matematik di atas papan putih.
→ also grammatical; slightly more explicit: on top of the whiteboard (often used in writing).

Pada papan putih is possible but sounds less natural here; pada tends to be more formal or used with more abstract objects (e.g. pada masa itu – at that time).

Does guru mean specifically a male teacher or female teacher, or is it gender-neutral?

Guru is gender-neutral. It simply means teacher. Malay normally does not mark gender.

If you need to specify gender, you add another word:

guru lelaki – male teacher
guru perempuan – female teacher

But in most situations, guru alone is enough.

What is the difference between guru and cikgu?

Both relate to teacher, but they differ in usage and tone:

guru
- more formal and general
- used in writing, in job titles, in news, etc.
- e.g. guru matematik – maths teacher
cikgu
- more informal and used mainly for addressing a school teacher directly
- similar to saying Teacher or Sir/Miss to a teacher
- e.g. a student may say: Cikgu, saya tak faham. – Teacher, I don’t understand.

In your sentence, Guru menerangkan… sounds like a neutral description in narration or a textbook.

Is formula the only word for formula here? What about rumus?

Both formula and rumus can be used, but there are nuances:

formula matematik
- formula is a loanword (from English/Latin)
- widely understood, common in modern contexts and teaching
- sounds neutral and slightly more international
rumus matematik
- rumus is a native/older Malay word
- also used in mathematics and science
- might sound a bit more technical or traditional, depending on context

Both sentences are acceptable:

Guru menerangkan formula matematik di papan putih.
Guru menerangkan rumus matematik di papan putih.

In many school contexts, rumus matematik is quite common.

Is papan putih a fixed word for whiteboard, or could it be written as one word?

Papan putih is the standard way and is usually written as two words:

papan = board
putih = white

Malay often keeps compounds like this as separate words, except for certain very lexicalized forms. In everyday usage, papan putih is widely understood as whiteboard.

Some dictionaries or texts might list papan putih as a compound noun meaning whiteboard, but it still appears as two words in normal writing.

How is menerangkan pronounced, especially the ng sound?

menerangkan is syllabified roughly as:

me-ne-rang-kan

Pronunciation tips:

me- → like meh (short e)
-ne- → like nuh / neh (short e)
-rang- →
- ra as in rah
- ng is a single sound /ŋ/ (as in English sing), not n
  - g separately
-kan → kahn (short a, final n)

So ng in -rang- is one nasal sound, produced at the back of the mouth, like English ng in sing, but followed by k in kan.

Can I make this sentence passive, like “The maths formula is explained by the teacher on the whiteboard”?

Yes. A common passive form is:

Formula matematik diterangkan oleh guru di papan putih.

Breakdown:

Formula matematik – maths formula (now the subject)
diterangkan – passive verb: di- + terang + -kan → is/was explained
oleh guru – by the teacher
di papan putih – on the whiteboard

You can also drop oleh in many contexts:

Formula matematik diterangkan guru di papan putih.

Both are grammatical, though oleh makes the agent (the teacher) more explicit.