Learn Hardcore Malay: Selepas ujian, guru menulis gred di tepi markah kami. - After the test, the teacher writes a grade beside our scores.

Selepas ujian = after the test / after the exam
Lepas is a more informal/colloquial version of selepas.
- You’ll hear: Lepas ujian, guru… in casual speech.
Sesudah also means “after”, and is slightly more formal / written than lepas, roughly similar to selepas in formality.

All three (selepas, lepas, sesudah) can usually be used in the same way in this kind of sentence.

Is “ujian” the same as “exam”? How is it different from “peperiksaan”?

Ujian means “test” or “exam”, depending on context:

ujian kecil = quiz / small test
ujian alone can be any kind of test (school test, lab test, blood test, etc.)

Peperiksaan is more specifically “examination”, often larger or more official:

peperiksaan akhir tahun = end-of-year examination
peperiksaan SPM = the official SPM exam

In everyday school context, people often use ujian for regular tests and peperiksaan for bigger or formal exams, but there is overlap.

In your sentence, Selepas ujian is natural and understood as “After the test/exam.”

Why is the sentence “Selepas ujian, guru menulis…” and not “Guru menulis… selepas ujian”? Is the word order fixed?

The word order is not fixed; both are grammatical:

Selepas ujian, guru menulis gred…
Guru menulis gred… selepas ujian.

Malay often puts time expressions at the beginning for emphasis or clarity, just like English:

Yesterday, the teacher wrote… vs The teacher wrote… yesterday.

So Selepas ujian at the start just emphasizes the time (“After the test…”). Moving it to the end changes the emphasis slightly but not the basic meaning.

Why is there no word for “the” before “guru” or “ujian”? How do I know it’s “the teacher” and not “a teacher”?

Malay does not use articles like “a” or “the”. Nouns are “bare,” and the context tells you whether the meaning is definite or indefinite.

guru can mean “a teacher” or “the teacher”
ujian can mean “a test” or “the test”

In this sentence:

Selepas ujian is naturally understood as “after the test” because it refers to a specific test that the speaker and listener know about.
guru is understood as “the teacher” (the one who gave/marked the test) because of context.

If you really need to highlight “a certain teacher,” you might add more information:

Seorang guru (literally “one teacher,” often read as “a teacher”)
Guru itu (“that/that particular teacher”).

What is the difference between “menulis” and “tulis”? Why use “menulis” here?

The root verb is tulis = “to write.”

Malay often adds the meN- prefix to create an active verb:

menulis = “to write” (used as the main verb in a normal sentence)
tulis (bare root) is used:
- in commands: Tulis nama kamu. = Write your name.
- in verb combinations: nak tulis, suka tulis
- in some informal speech, especially after certain particles

In a full sentence with a clear subject, the meN- form is standard:

Guru menulis gred… = The teacher writes/wrote the grade…

Using menulis here is grammatically correct and neutral. Guru tulis gred… would sound more informal and is common in casual speech.

How can I tell from “menulis” whether it means “writes,” “is writing,” or “wrote”? There’s no tense marker.

Malay verbs don’t change form for tense. Menulis on its own can mean:

writes (present simple)
is writing / was writing (progressive)
wrote (past)

The tense is decided by context and time words:

Selepas ujian, guru menulis gred…
Context = a completed event in the past → natural English: “After the test, the teacher wrote the grade…”

If you need to be explicit, you can add words:

sedang menulis = is writing
telah / sudah menulis = has written / wrote (completed)
akan menulis = will write

What is the difference between “gred” and “markah”? They both look like “grade / mark.”

They refer to different aspects of assessment:

markah = score / numerical mark
- e.g. Markah Ali 85. = Ali’s score is 85.
gred = letter grade or grade category
- e.g. Gred A, B, C, D etc.

In the sentence:

markah kami = our scores (numbers)
gred = the grade (e.g. A, B, C) that the teacher writes beside that score.

So:
Guru menulis gred di tepi markah kami.
= The teacher wrote the grade next to our scores.

What does “di tepi” mean literally, and is it the same as “di sebelah” or “di samping”?

Di tepi literally means “at the side / by the side / next to.”

In this context:

menulis gred di tepi markah kami = wrote the grade beside/next to our marks.

Similar expressions:

di sebelah = next to / beside
di samping = at the side / beside (often slightly more formal or abstract: “besides that / in addition to that” in some contexts)

In a simple physical layout (on paper), di tepi and di sebelah are usually interchangeable:

Guru menulis gred di tepi markah kami.
Guru menulis gred di sebelah markah kami.

Both sound natural. Di tepi is very common for “at the side (of something).”

Why is it “markah kami” and not “markah kita”? What’s the difference between “kami” and “kita”?

Both kami and kita mean “we / us”, but:

kami = we ( excluding the person spoken to )
kita = we ( including the person spoken to )

So:

markah kami = our marks (our group’s marks, not including you – the listener)
markah kita = our marks (including both speaker and listener in the group)

In a typical classroom situation:

The teacher talking to another teacher about students’ marks: markah kami (students’ marks) vs teachers.
Students talking among themselves, referring to their group but not including the person they’re speaking to, would naturally use kami.

If the speaker is including the listener as part of the same group of students, markah kita would be used.

Does “markah kami” mean “our mark” or “our marks”? Where is the plural?

Malay often does not mark plural explicitly. Markah kami can mean:

our mark (one mark shared, which is unusual in this context)
our marks (each person’s mark, more natural here)

The plural is understood from context. If you really want to emphasize plurality, you can use repetition:

markah-markah kami = our marks (clearly plural)

But in everyday speech, markah kami is enough and is the most natural.

Is “guru” a specific person like “Mr/Mrs so-and-so,” or just “teacher” in general? How is it different from “cikgu”?

Guru means “teacher” in a general or slightly more formal sense. It is also used as a profession name:

Dia seorang guru. = He/She is a teacher.

Cikgu is:

Often used as a vocative (what students call their teacher):
- Cikgu, saya tak faham. = Teacher, I don’t understand.
Also used informally to refer to a teacher.

In your sentence:

guru = the teacher (general reference, neutral/formal)
You could say Cikgu menulis gred… if the context is more informal, especially if students are talking about “our teacher” they call Cikgu.

Is the comma after “Selepas ujian,” required in Malay?

When a time phrase or other adverbial is placed at the beginning, it is common and stylistically preferred to use a comma:

Selepas ujian, guru menulis gred…

However, in less formal writing, you may sometimes see it without a comma:

Selepas ujian guru menulis gred…

Using the comma is recommended in standard written Malay because it clearly separates the introductory phrase from the main clause.

Is the whole sentence formal or informal? Would it sound natural in everyday conversation?

The sentence is in neutral, standard Malay:

Vocabulary: selepas, ujian, guru, menulis, gred, di tepi, markah kami
Structure: clear, standard word order.

It’s suitable for:

Writing (essays, textbooks, exam questions)
Formal or semi-formal speech (teachers, narrations)

In casual conversation, it might be slightly adjusted, for example:

Lepas ujian, cikgu tulis gred kat tepi markah kita.
- lepas (informal)
- cikgu (colloquial for guru)
- tulis (bare root in casual speech)
- kat (colloquial for di)

Your original sentence is perfectly natural in a neutral or written context.