Kita merancang perjalanan ke pantai esok.

We plan a trip to the beach tomorrow.

Breakdown of Kita merancang perjalanan ke pantai esok.

• kita: we
• ke: to
• perjalanan: the trip
• esok: tomorrow
• pantai: the beach
• merancang: to plan

Questions & Answers about Kita merancang perjalanan ke pantai esok.

What is the difference between kita and kami, and why do we use kita in this sentence?

Malay has two words for we:

• kita = inclusive we (you + me + possibly others)
• kami = exclusive we (me + others, but not you)

In Kita merancang perjalanan ke pantai esok, the speaker is including the listener in the plan:

• Meaning: We (including you) are planning a trip to the beach tomorrow.

If the speaker wanted to say that we (but not you) are planning the trip, they would say:

• Kami merancang perjalanan ke pantai esok.
  → We (but not you) are planning a trip to the beach tomorrow.

There’s no word like am/are/will in the sentence. How do tenses work here?

Malay verbs don’t change form for tense the way English verbs do. There is no conjugation like plan / planned / will plan.

• merancang can mean:
  • plan / are planning / will plan

Time is usually shown by time words, not by changing the verb:

• esok = tomorrow (future)
• tadi = earlier, just now (past)
• sedang = in the middle of (doing) (progressive)
• sudah / telah = already (completed action)

So:

• Kita merancang perjalanan ke pantai esok.
  Literally: We plan a trip to the beach tomorrow.
  Naturally in English: We are planning / We will plan a trip to the beach tomorrow.

The word esok is what tells you it’s about the future.

What are merancang and perjalanan built from? Are they related?

Yes, both come from the root rancang (plan).

• rancang = root: plan (verb or noun, depending on context)
• merancang = meN- + rancang
  → verb: to plan / to be planning
• perjalanan = peN- + jalan + -an
  
  • jalan = road; to walk/go
  • perjalanan = journey, trip, travel (noun)

So the structure is something like:

• merancang perjalanan
  = to plan a trip / to plan a journey

You can see rancang as the idea of planning and jalan as the idea of movement/go, combined in perjalanan to mean a journey/travel.

Is merancang perjalanan redundant, like saying “planning a plan”? Could you just say merancang ke pantai?

It’s not redundant; it’s normal and natural.

• merancang = to plan (verb)
• perjalanan = a trip/journey (noun)

So merancang perjalanan = plan a trip/journey.
This is parallel to English: plan a trip, not plan to the beach.

You cannot normally say:

• ✗ merancang ke pantai

merancang needs an object like:

• merancang perjalanan ke pantai = plan a trip to the beach
• merancang percutian ke pantai = plan a vacation to the beach
• merancang aktiviti = plan an activity

Why do we use ke before pantai? What’s the difference between ke and di?

ke and di are basic prepositions:

• ke = to / towards (movement to a place)
• di = at / in / on (location, no movement)

In the sentence:

• perjalanan ke pantai
  = a trip to the beach (movement towards the beach)

If you used di, the meaning changes:

• perjalanan di pantai
  = a trip (that happens) at the beach (location of the trip, not direction)

So for going/travelling to somewhere, use ke:

• ke pantai = to the beach
• ke sekolah = to school
• ke rumah nenek = to grandma’s house

Can esok be placed somewhere else in the sentence? Does the position change the meaning?

Yes, esok is flexible, and the meaning stays the same. You can say:

1. Kita merancang perjalanan ke pantai esok.
2. Esok kita merancang perjalanan ke pantai.
3. Kita esok merancang perjalanan ke pantai. (possible but less natural)

Sentences 1 and 2 are the most natural. The difference is mostly emphasis:

• At the end (… esok): sounds like you’re adding tomorrow as extra information.
• At the beginning (Esok …): puts stronger emphasis on tomorrow.

All still mean: We are planning a trip to the beach tomorrow.

Should it be perjalanan kita to say “our trip”? Why is it just perjalanan?

Malay often leaves out possessive pronouns (my, our, their) when the context is clear.

• perjalanan = a/the trip
• perjalanan kita = our trip

In Kita merancang perjalanan ke pantai esok, it’s already clear from kita (we) that the trip belongs to the group including the speaker (and likely the listener), so perjalanan alone sounds natural.

You would add kita if you needed to contrast or stress possession:

• Kita merancang perjalanan kita sendiri.
  = We are planning our own trip.
• Ini bukan perjalanan mereka, ini perjalanan kita.
  = This is not their trip, this is our trip.

How would this sentence sound in casual spoken Malay?

In everyday conversation, people often mix Malay with English loanwords and simplify structures. Some common casual versions:

• Kita plan pergi pantai esok.
• Kita tengah plan nak pergi pantai esok.
• Esok kita plan pergi pantai.

Notes:

• plan is borrowed from English and very common.
• pergi = go
• nak = from hendak, meaning want to / going to (informal)
• tengah = in the middle of (doing), like sedang

Meaning is very close to: We’re planning to go to the beach tomorrow.

What’s the difference between esok and besok?

Both esok and besok can mean tomorrow, but usage depends on region and style.

• In Malaysia:

  • esok is standard and most common in both speech and writing.
  • besok may be heard but is less standard.

• In Indonesia:

  • besok is the usual word for tomorrow.
  • esok exists but is less common in everyday speech.

For Malay as used in Malaysia (which this sentence matches), esok is the natural choice.

How would I say “We are going to the beach tomorrow” instead of “We are planning a trip to the beach tomorrow”?

To focus on going rather than planning, you can say:

• Kita akan pergi ke pantai esok.
  = We will go to the beach tomorrow.

More options:

• Esok kita pergi ke pantai.
  (very common spoken style; future meaning comes from esok)
• Kita nak pergi ke pantai esok. (informal)
  = We’re going / We want to go to the beach tomorrow.

Compare:

• Kita merancang perjalanan ke pantai esok.
  = We are planning a trip to the beach tomorrow. (focus on planning)
• Kita akan pergi ke pantai esok.
  = We will go to the beach tomorrow. (focus on the actual trip/going)