Learn Hardcore Malay: Pagi ini, saya sempat minum air sebelum mesyuarat bermula. - This morning, I had time to drink water before the meeting began.

Saya minum air = I drank water / I drink water (a neutral statement of fact).
Saya sempat minum air = I *managed to drink some water / I had time to drink some water* before something else happened.

So in Pagi ini, saya sempat minum air sebelum mesyuarat bermula, the nuance is that time was tight, but you still managed to drink some water before the meeting started.

Where can sempat go in the sentence? Is saya sempat minum the only correct order?

The typical and most natural placement is: subject + sempat + verb phrase.

So these are natural:

Saya sempat minum air.
Pagi ini saya sempat minum air sebelum mesyuarat bermula.
Pagi ini, sebelum mesyuarat bermula, saya sempat minum air.

Putting sempat after the verb (saya minum sempat air) is wrong.
Treat sempat like an auxiliary/modal verb (similar to “manage to”) that comes before the main verb.

Does minum air literally mean “drink water”? Could it also mean “have a drink” in general?

Literally, minum air = drink water.

However, in many casual contexts, minum air can loosely mean have something to drink, and the actual drink might be:

plain water
tea, coffee, cordial, etc.

If you want to be clear that it is water, context or extra words help:

minum air masak / air kosong – drink plain water
minum kopi – drink coffee
minum teh – drink tea

In your sentence, most listeners will picture plain water unless you specify otherwise.

Does air in Malay always mean “water”? It looks like the English word air.

Yes, in Malay, air almost always means “water” (or “liquid” in some extended uses).

Examples:

air panas – hot water
air sejuk – cold water
air sungai – river water

It does not mean “air” as in the gas we breathe. For that, Malay usually uses udara.

So don’t connect Malay air with English “air”; they are unrelated in meaning.

How is past tense shown here? There’s no word like “did” or “have” in the sentence.

Malay usually doesn’t change the verb form for tense. Instead, time is indicated by:

Time expressions: pagi ini (this morning), semalam (yesterday), tadi (earlier), etc.
Context

In Pagi ini, saya sempat minum air sebelum mesyuarat bermula, the time phrase pagi ini plus the nature of the events make it clear you’re talking about earlier this morning, so we translate it as past:

This morning, I managed to drink some water before the meeting started.

If you really want to stress “already happened,” you could add tadi or sudah, but it’s not necessary:

Pagi tadi, saya sempat minum air…
Pagi ini, saya sudah sempat minum air…

What’s the difference between pagi ini and pagi tadi?

Both refer to this morning, but with a different nuance:

Pagi ini – literally “this morning”, more neutral and can be used while the morning is still ongoing.
Pagi tadi – “earlier this morning”, emphasises that it’s earlier in the same morning, often slightly more in the past.

In conversation:

If it’s still morning and you’re talking about something from earlier, pagi tadi is very common.
Pagi ini is still correct and commonly used, especially in writing.

Your sentence is natural, but in casual speech many would also say:

Pagi tadi, saya sempat minum air sebelum mesyuarat bermula.

Why is there a comma after Pagi ini? Can I leave it out?

Pagi ini is a time phrase moved to the front of the sentence for emphasis. In writing, it’s common to separate such an introductory phrase with a comma:

Pagi ini, saya sempat minum air…

You can omit the comma in informal writing, and in speech there is just a small pause:

Pagi ini saya sempat minum air…

Both are acceptable; the comma just makes the structure clearer.

Why is it sebelum mesyuarat bermula and not sebelum mesyuarat mula?

Both mula and bermula come from the root mula (begin).

mula – often used as a verb “to start”, and also in set phrases like mula-mula (at first).
bermula – intransitive form, “to begin/start (by itself)”, often used in more formal or written contexts.

In the phrase mesyuarat bermula:

mesyuarat (meeting) is the subject
bermula describes the meeting beginning

This is a very standard, natural phrase.
Sebelum mesyuarat mula is sometimes heard, but sebelum mesyuarat bermula sounds more formal and “correct,” especially in writing.

What does mesyuarat mean exactly? Is it the same as meeting in English?

Yes, mesyuarat corresponds quite closely to “meeting” (usually a formal or semi-formal meeting).

Examples:

mesyuarat syarikat – company meeting
mesyuarat agung tahunan – annual general meeting (AGM)

There is also perjumpaan, which can mean gathering / meetup / get-together, often less formal or more social.

In the context of work or school, mesyuarat is the normal word for a scheduled meeting.

Can I leave out saya and just say Pagi ini, sempat minum air sebelum mesyuarat bermula?

Yes, in casual spoken Malay, it’s common to drop the pronoun when it’s clear from context who is speaking.

Pagi ini, sempat minum air sebelum mesyuarat bermula.

Listeners will usually understand that you are the one who managed to drink water, especially if you’re talking about your own schedule.

However:

In formal writing (emails, reports, exams), it’s safer to keep the pronoun: saya sempat…
In conversation, dropping it is natural, especially among friends or colleagues.

Can I change the order and say Sebelum mesyuarat bermula, saya sempat minum air? Is that still natural?

Yes, that word order is perfectly natural and often used:

Sebelum mesyuarat bermula, saya sempat minum air.

Both versions are fine:

Pagi ini, saya sempat minum air sebelum mesyuarat bermula.
Pagi ini, sebelum mesyuarat bermula, saya sempat minum air.
Sebelum mesyuarat bermula, saya sempat minum air pagi ini.

Malay allows quite flexible word order for time and “before/after” phrases; you just need to keep the core clause (saya sempat minum air) intact.

Is this sentence formal, informal, or neutral? Where could I use it?

The sentence is neutral and suitable in almost any context:

Talking to colleagues: Pagi ini, saya sempat minum air sebelum mesyuarat bermula.
Writing a simple email or message describing your morning.
Everyday conversation.

It uses saya, which is a polite, neutral “I”. If you switched to very casual aku, the tone would become more informal and intimate:

Pagi ini, aku sempat minum air sebelum mesyuarat bermula. (to close friends/peers)