Learn Hardcore Malay: Selepas seminar, saya tulis kertas kerja pendek tentang kajian itu di bilik belajar. - After the seminar, I wrote a short paper about that study in the study room.

We understand it’s past because of the time expression Selepas seminar (After the seminar). That phrase anchors the action as something that happened after a specific event that is understood as completed.

If you really wanted to emphasise the past, you could add sudah or telah:

Selepas seminar, saya sudah menulis kertas kerja…
Selepas seminar, saya telah menulis kertas kerja…

But in everyday Malay, the original sentence is perfectly natural for past time.

What’s the difference between tulis and menulis? Why is tulis used here?

Both are related to writing, but:

tulis is the root (base) verb.
menulis is the meN--prefixed form, often used in more standard, formal, or careful speech/writing.

In practice:

Saya tulis kertas kerja pendek… – very common in speech and informal writing; also acceptable in many formal contexts.
Saya menulis kertas kerja pendek… – sounds a bit more formal or “complete”, especially in writing.

So you could say:

Selepas seminar, saya menulis kertas kerja pendek tentang kajian itu di bilik belajar.

Both are grammatically fine; choice depends on style and register.

Why is Selepas seminar at the beginning? Can I put it at the end instead?

Yes, you can move the time phrase. Both are correct:

Selepas seminar, saya tulis kertas kerja pendek…
Saya tulis kertas kerja pendek… selepas seminar.

Placing Selepas seminar at the start is very natural and common in Malay. It sets the time frame first, like saying “After the seminar, …” in English.

If you put it at the end, it still means the same thing; the difference is just emphasis and flow, not grammar.

Do I need a word for “the” in Selepas seminar? Should it be Selepas seminar itu?

Malay has no separate word for English “a/the”. Often, a bare noun like seminar can mean:

a seminar
the seminar
seminars in general

Context decides which is meant.

If you specifically mean that particular seminar (already known in the conversation), you can say:

Selepas seminar itu, saya tulis… – After that seminar, I wrote…

Adding itu makes the seminar clearly definite and specific. Without itu, it’s still often understood as the seminar if there is clear context.

What exactly does kertas kerja pendek mean? Is it like an essay, a report, or a research paper?

Literally:

kertas – paper
kerja – work
kertas kerja – a working paper, paper (often academic or for a seminar/meeting)
pendek – short

So kertas kerja pendek is best understood as a short paper or short working paper, often in an academic or professional context.

Compare with some related terms:

esei – essay
karangan – composition (often for school, more general)
laporan – report
tesis – thesis

So in this sentence, the idea is closer to “a short academic / seminar paper” than a casual essay.

Why is pendek after kertas kerja? Can I say pendek kertas kerja instead?

In Malay, descriptive adjectives usually come after the noun:

kertas kerja pendek – short paper
buku tebal – thick book
kereta baru – new car

So pendek kertas kerja is wrong as a noun phrase.

The correct order is always:

noun(s) + adjective(s)
kertas kerja + pendek

What does tentang mean here, and how is it different from mengenai?

Tentang means about / regarding / on the topic of.

kertas kerja pendek tentang kajian itu
= a short paper about that study

Tentang and mengenai are very close in meaning and often interchangeable:

kertas kerja tentang kajian itu
kertas kerja mengenai kajian itu

Differences (general tendencies):

tentang – very common, neutral, used in both spoken and written Malay.
mengenai – slightly more formal, seen a lot in written or official Malay.

In this sentence, either is fine; tentang is natural and neutral.

What is the nuance of kajian itu? Why add itu after kajian?

kajian means study / research / survey / analysis.
itu is a demonstrative meaning that.

So:

kajian – a study / the study (context-dependent)
kajian itu – that study / the study we’ve been talking about

Adding itu makes it clear you are referring to a specific, previously known study.

If you just said:

kertas kerja pendek tentang kajian di bilik belajar

it would sound like “a short paper about (some) study in the study room” – more vague, and also slightly confusing because of the extra di bilik belajar. Keeping itu makes the reference clear.

Is kajian the same as penyelidikan?

They overlap but aren’t identical:

kajian – study, research, survey, examination of something. Often broader and can include non-scientific “study” (e.g. kajian pasaran = market study).
penyelidikan – research in a more technical or scientific sense, often associated with R&D, labs, universities.

In many academic contexts, kajian is perfectly normal:

kajian kes – case study
kajian literatur – literature review

You could say:

kertas kerja pendek tentang penyelidikan itu…

but kajian itu is already very natural, especially if it’s a particular study that was presented in the seminar.

What does bilik belajar mean exactly? Is it a classroom?

bilik – room
belajar – to study / to learn

So bilik belajar is literally a study room or room for studying.

It is not necessarily a classroom. It might be:

a study room at home
a quiet study room in a library or dorm
a room set aside for revision

If you wanted to say classroom, you’d more commonly use bilik darjah or kelas (depending on the context).

Why is the preposition di used in di bilik belajar? Could I use pada instead?

Di is the normal preposition for location: in, at, on (a place).

di bilik belajar – in/at the study room
di rumah – at home
di universiti – at the university

Pada is used more for:

time (e.g. pada hari Isnin – on Monday)
more abstract “at/on” relationships

Using pada bilik belajar for physical location would sound ungrammatical or very odd. So di bilik belajar is the correct choice here.

Can I drop saya and just say Selepas seminar, tulis kertas kerja pendek…?

In standard Malay, you normally keep the subject pronoun:

Selepas seminar, saya tulis kertas kerja pendek…

Dropping saya like that:

Selepas seminar, tulis kertas kerja pendek…

sounds incomplete or impersonal, as if you’re giving an instruction (“After the seminar, write a short paper…”).

In some very casual spoken contexts, people do drop pronouns when context is crystal clear, but for correct, learner-friendly Malay, keep saya here.

Is the comma after seminar necessary in Selepas seminar, saya tulis…?

In writing, it is recommended to put a comma after an initial time or place phrase:

Selepas seminar, saya tulis kertas kerja pendek…
Di bilik belajar, saya selalu ulang kaji.

It marks a natural pause and makes the sentence clearer.

In informal writing (texts, chats), people sometimes omit it, but in proper written Malay, the comma is good style.

Could I say Selepas seminar, aku tulis kertas kerja pendek… instead of saya?

Yes, but it changes the formality and relationship:

saya – polite, neutral, used with strangers, in formal settings, with seniors.
aku – informal/intimate, used with close friends, family, or people of equal/lower status when closeness is established.

So:

With a lecturer/boss: use saya.
With a close friend: aku is fine if that’s how you normally talk.

The rest of the sentence is unaffected; just be careful about social context when choosing saya vs aku.