Saya belajar daripada guru di perpustakaan.

I learn from the teacher at the library.

Breakdown of Saya belajar daripada guru di perpustakaan.

• saya: I
• di: at
• belajar: to learn
• guru: the teacher
• perpustakaan: the library
• daripada: from

Questions & Answers about Saya belajar daripada guru di perpustakaan.

What does belajar mean exactly, and how do you know the tense (past, present, future) in this sentence?

Belajar means to learn / to study.

Malay verbs do not change form for tense. Belajar can mean:

• I learn / I study (present)
• I learned / I studied (past)
• I will learn / I will study (future)

The tense is usually understood from:

• Time words:
  
  • tadi (earlier), semalam (yesterday) → past
  • sekarang (now), hari ini (today) → present
  • nanti, esok (tomorrow) → future

Examples:

• Saya belajar daripada guru di perpustakaan tadi.
  I studied from the teacher at the library earlier.
• Esok saya belajar daripada guru di perpustakaan.
  Tomorrow I will study from the teacher at the library.

Without time words, context decides the tense.

What is the difference between daripada and dari? Why is daripada used here?

Both dari and daripada can be translated as from, but they are used in different situations.

Dari is mostly for:

• Places:
  
  • Saya datang dari London. – I come from London.
• Time:
  
  • Kelas dari pukul dua sampai pukul tiga. – Class is from 2 to 3.

Daripada is mostly for:

• People as the source of something (learning, getting, receiving):
  
  • Saya belajar daripada guru. – I learn from (a) teacher.
  • Saya dapat hadiah daripada kawan. – I got a present from a friend.
• Abstract sources or comparisons:
  
  • Lebih baik belajar daripada menonton TV. – Better to study than watch TV.

In Saya belajar daripada guru di perpustakaan, the source of learning is a person (guru), so daripada is the natural choice.

Can I say Saya belajar dengan guru di perpustakaan instead? What is the difference between daripada and dengan here?

Yes, you can say Saya belajar dengan guru di perpustakaan, and it is very natural.

• Daripada guru focuses on the source of knowledge:
  
  • I learn from the teacher (the teacher is the source).
• Dengan guru focuses on being together / doing something with someone:
  
  • I study with the teacher (the teacher is there, doing the activity together with me).

In practice:

• daripada guru → emphasizes receiving knowledge from the teacher
• dengan guru → emphasizes studying together / being taught, often in a classroom or tutoring situation

In many everyday contexts, both are acceptable and people won’t feel a big difference, but the nuance is as above.

Does guru mean the teacher, a teacher, or my teacher here?

Malay does not mark definite vs. indefinite the same way English does. Guru by itself can be understood as:

• a teacher
• the teacher
• my teacher

The exact meaning comes from context. If earlier you were talking about your teacher, listeners will understand it as my teacher.

If you want to be explicit:

• guru saya – my teacher
• seorang guru – a teacher (one teacher, non-specific)
• guru itu – that teacher / the teacher (already known or pointed out)

Examples:

• Saya belajar daripada guru saya di perpustakaan.
  I study from my teacher at the library.
• Saya belajar daripada seorang guru di perpustakaan.
  I study from a teacher at the library. (unspecified which teacher)

Is there any article like a or the before perpustakaan (library) in Malay?

No. Malay does not use articles like a, an, or the.

Perpustakaan alone can mean a library or the library, depending on context.

If you want to be more specific:

• di perpustakaan sekolah – at the school library
• di perpustakaan itu – at that library / the (mentioned) library
• di sebuah perpustakaan – at a library (one library, non-specific; sebuah is a classifier)

Why do we use di before perpustakaan? When do we use di?

Di is a preposition meaning at / in / on (location).

Use di before place words:

• di perpustakaan – at the library
• di sekolah – at school
• di rumah – at home
• di pejabat – at the office

It marks the location of the action. In this sentence, belajar (to study) happens at the library, so we use di perpustakaan.

Can I change the word order and say Saya belajar di perpustakaan daripada guru? Is that still correct?

Yes, Saya belajar di perpustakaan daripada guru is grammatically correct.

Both:

• Saya belajar daripada guru di perpustakaan.
• Saya belajar di perpustakaan daripada guru.

are acceptable.

Nuance:

• daripada guru di perpustakaan can be heard as a single phrase: the teacher who is at the library.
• di perpustakaan daripada guru sounds a bit more like:
  I study at the library, (and this is) from a teacher.

In normal conversation, both are fine; most speakers won’t feel a strong difference.

Can the subject Saya be dropped, like in some Asian languages, to just say Belajar daripada guru di perpustakaan?

Yes, Saya can be omitted if the subject is clear from context.

• (Saya) belajar daripada guru di perpustakaan.
  If the situation already makes it obvious that you are talking about yourself, people will understand Saya is implied.

However:

• In complete, clear sentences (especially for learners, in writing, or in formal situations), it’s better to include Saya.
• Dropping the subject is more common in casual spoken Malay when context is very clear.

Is Saya formal or casual? What about other words for I like aku?

Saya is:

• Neutral and polite
• Safe in almost all situations: with strangers, teachers, bosses, etc.

Other common I / me forms:

• Aku – informal, used with close friends, family, children, or in very casual settings.
• Gua / wa (in some areas) – very slangy, used in certain dialects or groups.

So:

• To a teacher: Saya belajar daripada guru di perpustakaan.
• To a close friend, informally (if that style fits your relationship):
  Aku belajar daripada guru di perpustakaan.

As a learner, using Saya is the safest default.

What is the difference between belajar and ajar? They look related.

They are related but not the same:

• Belajar = to learn / to study (what the student does)
  
  • Saya belajar Bahasa Melayu. – I learn Malay.
• Ajar = to teach (what the teacher does)
  
  • Guru ajar saya Bahasa Melayu. – The teacher teaches me Malay.

You can see both in one sentence:

• Saya belajar Bahasa Melayu daripada guru yang mengajar saya di perpustakaan.
  I learn Malay from the teacher who teaches me at the library.

How would I say I am currently studying from the teacher at the library? Do I need an extra word for am ... -ing?

Malay often doesn’t need a separate word for am ... -ing; context usually shows it.

However, to make the ongoing action explicit, you can use sedang:

• Saya sedang belajar daripada guru di perpustakaan.
  I am studying from the teacher at the library (right now / currently).

Without sedang, Saya belajar... can mean:

• I study (habitually), or
• I am studying (right now), depending on context.

Sedang simply makes the right now / in progress meaning clearer.

Can daripada also mean than in comparisons? How do I know which meaning is used?

Yes, daripada is also used for than in comparisons.

Examples:

• Saya lebih tinggi daripada adik saya.
  I am taller than my younger sibling.
• Belajar lebih baik daripada bermain telefon.
  Studying is better than playing with the phone.

How to tell the meaning:

• If the structure is adjective + daripada + noun/pronoun, it usually means than (comparison).
• If the structure is verb (like belajar, dapat, menerima) + daripada + person/source, it usually means from.

In Saya belajar daripada guru di perpustakaan, the pattern is belajar + daripada + guru → clearly learn from the teacher, not a comparison.