Learn Hardcore Malay: Saya hadkan masa permainan video supaya saya sempat mengulang kaji pelajaran. - I limit my video game time so that I have time to revise my lessons.

had = a noun meaning (limit / boundary / maximum).
- Example: had laju (speed limit).
hadkan = verb formed from had
- suffix -kan, meaning (to set a limit on something).
  - Example: Saya hadkan masa permainan video (I limit my video game time).
kurangkan = (to reduce / to lessen), focusing on making the amount smaller, not necessarily setting a strict limit.

So hadkan suggests you impose a clear limit, while kurangkan is more like (I cut down / I reduce).

Could I say Saya menghadkan instead of Saya hadkan? Is one more correct?

Yes, Saya menghadkan is also correct.

menghadkan = full verb with meN- prefix + root had
- -kan.
hadkan = a shorter form commonly used in everyday speech and also understood in writing.

Formality:

More formal / textbook: Saya menghadkan masa permainan video...
Neutral / common: Saya hadkan masa permainan video...

Both are grammatically acceptable.

Why do we say masa permainan video and not something like masa bermain permainan video?

Masa permainan video literally means (time of video games), which in context is understood as (video game time).

You could say:

masa bermain permainan video (time spent playing video games)
masa main game (colloquial: game-playing time)

Differences:

masa permainan video — short, a bit more neutral/formal, noun phrase (time of video games).
masa bermain permainan video — more explicit that this is time spent playing, but longer.
masa main game — informal speech.

All are understandable, but the original is natural and concise for standard Malay.

Is masa necessary? Could I say Saya hadkan permainan video?

You could say Saya hadkan permainan video, but the meaning shifts slightly.

Saya hadkan masa permainan video = I limit the amount of time I spend on video games.
Saya hadkan permainan video = I limit the video games themselves (for example, limit the number of games, the occasions you play, or access to them).

Adding masa makes it very clear that what is being limited is time, not the games as objects.

What does supaya mean here? Is it the same as (so that)?

Yes. Supaya means (so that / in order that).

Function:

It introduces a purpose or desired result.

In the sentence:

Saya hadkan masa permainan video supaya saya sempat mengulang kaji pelajaran.
(I limit my video game time so that I still have time to revise my studies.)

Supaya is similar to:

English (so that, in order that). It indicates the reason or purpose behind limiting the game time.

What is the difference between supaya, agar, and untuk?

All three can relate to purpose, but they are used slightly differently.

supaya
- (so that / in order that)
- Used before a clause with a subject and verb.
- supaya saya sempat mengulang kaji (so that I have time to revise).
agar
- Very close in meaning to supaya, often a bit more formal.
- agar saya sempat mengulang kaji (so that I have time to revise).
- You could replace supaya with agar here without changing the meaning much.
untuk
- (for / to / in order to)
- Usually followed by a verb in its base form or a noun phrase.
- untuk mengulang kaji pelajaran (to revise my studies).
- You would normally say:
  - Saya hadkan masa permainan video untuk mengulang kaji pelajaran.

So:

supaya / agar + subject + verb
untuk + verb (base form) or noun

What does sempat mean, and why is it used here?

Sempat roughly means (to manage to do something, to have the time/opportunity to do something).

In this sentence:

supaya saya sempat mengulang kaji pelajaran
(so that I manage to revise my studies / so that I still have time to revise)

Nuance:

Without sempat, supaya saya mengulang kaji pelajaran sounds like (so that I revise my studies), more like a straightforward purpose.
With sempat, it adds the idea of limited time and successfully fitting revision into your schedule.

It carries the sense (so that I still get the chance / have enough time to revise).

Can sempat be used on its own, without another verb after it?

In this kind of sentence, sempat normally needs another verb or verb phrase after it.

Correct:

Saya sempat mengulang kaji. (I managed to revise.)
Saya sempat makan sebelum kelas. (I had time to eat before class.)

Using sempat alone:

You might hear Tak sempat! (No time! / Didn’t manage to!) in casual speech as a short response.
But in full sentences describing an action, sempat is followed by a verb phrase.

What does mengulang kaji mean? How is it different from belajar?

Mengulang kaji is a set phrase meaning (to revise / to review one’s lessons).

ulang = (again / repeat).
kaji = (to study, to examine, to analyze).
mengulang kaji = (to go over your lessons again; to revise).

Belajar means (to study / to learn) in a general sense:

Saya belajar. (I study / I am studying.)
Saya mengulang kaji pelajaran. (I am revising my lessons.)

So:

belajar = doing the learning.
mengulang kaji = revising what you have already learned, often for exams.

Why is it mengulang kaji (two words) and not mengulangkaji (one word)?

In most modern standard Malay usage, mengulang kaji is written as two words because:

mengulang and kaji are each meaningful:
- mengulang (to repeat).
- kaji (to study/analyze).
Together they form a verbal phrase: mengulang
- kaji.

You may see mengulangkaji as one word in some texts, but the more common and recommended form in contemporary Malay is mengulang kaji as two words.

What does pelajaran mean here? Is it the same as pembelajaran or subjek?

Pelajaran here means (lessons / studies / schoolwork).

pelajaran:
- General word for what you learn at school.
- mengulang kaji pelajaran = (to revise one’s lessons/studies).

Compare:

pembelajaran = (the process of learning; learning, as a concept).
- More abstract, often used in education theory or formal writing.
- Example: proses pembelajaran (learning process).
subjek / mata pelajaran = (subject).
- Example: mata pelajaran Matematik (the subject Mathematics).

So in this sentence, pelajaran is best understood as (my schoolwork / my studies).

Why is saya repeated in supaya saya sempat? Could we say supaya sempat mengulang kaji pelajaran?

You could say supaya sempat mengulang kaji pelajaran, and people would understand you. The subject saya is implied from the previous clause.

However, repeating saya:

supaya saya sempat mengulang kaji pelajaran makes the sentence clearer and more natural in standard Malay, especially in writing.

Style-wise:

With saya repeated: clearer, slightly more formal or neutral.
Without saya: possible in casual speech, but can sound a little incomplete in careful written Malay.

How would this sentence change if I wanted to talk about the past or the future, since there is no tense marker?

Malay does not mark tense with verb changes like English. Time is shown with context or time words.

For example, you can add:

Past:

Semalam saya hadkan masa permainan video supaya saya sempat mengulang kaji pelajaran.
- (Yesterday I limited my video game time so that I managed to revise my studies.)

Future:

Malam ini saya akan hadkan masa permainan video supaya saya sempat mengulang kaji pelajaran.
- (Tonight I will limit my video game time so that I have time to revise my studies.)

Present / general habit:

As originally given, without any time word, it can mean (I limit my video game time so that I have time to revise) as a general habit.

Is permainan video the usual way to say (video games)? Can I just say game?

Permainan video is the more formal or standard Malay term for (video games).

In everyday speech, many people say:

game (pronounced like English, or slightly localised).
main game (to play games).

So:

Formal/neutral: permainan video.
Informal: game.

Your sentence with colloquial style might be:

Saya hadkan masa main game supaya saya sempat mengulang kaji pelajaran.

But the original version is good and correct for standard written Malay.