Learn Hardcore Malay: Saya suka belajar sejarah di bilik belajar. - I like studying history in the study room.

saya is neutral and polite; you can use it in almost any situation (with strangers, teachers, colleagues, in writing).
aku is informal and used with close friends, family, or people younger than you.

You can say Aku suka belajar sejarah di bilik belajar, but it sounds more casual. For a textbook-style sentence or speaking politely, saya is the better choice.

Does suka mean “like” as in “enjoy,” or “like” as in “similar to”?

In this sentence, suka means to like / to enjoy doing something.
Saya suka belajar sejarah = I like/enjoy studying history.

For like = similar to, Malay usually uses seperti, macam, or bagai, for example:

Dia bercakap seperti guru. = He/She speaks like a teacher.

So suka is about preference, not similarity.

Is belajar “to study” or “to learn”? How is it different from mengajar?

belajar means to study / to learn (from the student’s perspective).
mengajar means to teach (from the teacher’s perspective).

Examples:

Saya belajar sejarah. = I study/learn history.
Cikgu itu mengajar sejarah. = That teacher teaches history.

So in Saya suka belajar sejarah, you are the learner, not the teacher.

Could I say mempelajari sejarah instead of belajar sejarah? Is there a difference?

Yes, you can say Saya suka mempelajari sejarah, and it is grammatically correct.
mempelajari is a more formal, often slightly more “serious” way of saying to study / to learn (a subject in depth).

Rough nuance:

belajar sejarah – common, neutral: to study history (general).
mempelajari sejarah – more formal/academic: to study/examine history (in detail).

In everyday speech, belajar sejarah is more common and natural.

How can I tell the tense? How do I know this means “I like to study” (present) and not past or future?

Malay verbs do not change form for tense. suka always looks the same.
The tense is understood from context or from extra words like:

semalam (yesterday)
tadi (earlier)
akan (will)
sedang (in the middle of doing)

Your sentence is a general statement of preference, so the natural English translation is present: I like to study history in the study room. If you wanted future, you could say Saya akan belajar sejarah…, but suka itself does not change.

Can I drop saya and just say Suka belajar sejarah di bilik belajar?

You can drop saya in casual spoken Malay if it’s very clear from context who you are talking about, for example answering a question:

Apa yang kamu suka buat? (What do you like to do?)
Suka belajar sejarah di bilik belajar.

However, as a full, clear sentence—especially in writing or formal contexts—it’s better to keep saya:
Saya suka belajar sejarah di bilik belajar.

What exactly does sejarah mean? Is it always the school subject “History”?

sejarah means history in a broad sense:

the school subject History
historical events and the past of something (sejarah negara = history of the country)

If you mean a personal story or tale (not “History” as a discipline), Malay usually uses cerita, kisah, or riwayat, not sejarah.
In this sentence, belajar sejarah clearly means studying History as a school/academic subject.

Why is it di bilik belajar and not di belajar bilik? How does the word order work in the noun phrase?

In Malay, the general pattern is:
Head noun + describing word/phrase after it.

Here:

bilik = room (head noun)
belajar = study/studying (describing what kind of room)

So bilik belajar = study room / room for studying.
If you said belajar bilik, it would sound wrong and not follow Malay noun phrase structure.

What is the difference between bilik belajar and bilik darjah or kelas?

bilik belajar = study room (any room used for studying — could be in a house, library, etc.).
bilik darjah = classroom (more specifically, the classroom at school).
kelas can mean class (the group of students or the lesson) and sometimes also “classroom” in casual speech.

In your sentence, bilik belajar sounds like a dedicated study room, for example at home or in a library, not necessarily a school classroom.

When should I use di versus ke? Why is it di bilik belajar and not ke bilik belajar?

di means at / in / on (location).
ke means to / towards (movement).

Saya belajar di bilik belajar. = I study in/at the study room.
Saya pergi ke bilik belajar. = I go to the study room.

In your sentence, you are talking about where the studying happens (location), so di bilik belajar is correct.

Can I say di dalam bilik belajar instead of di bilik belajar? Is there any difference?

Yes, di dalam bilik belajar is also correct.

di bilik belajar = in/at the study room (normal, most common).
di dalam bilik belajar = literally inside the study room, slightly more explicit.

Most of the time, di bilik belajar is enough and sounds more natural unless you really want to emphasize “inside”.

Does bilik need a plural marker to mean “room(s)”? How do I say “study rooms” in Malay?

In Malay, nouns usually don’t change form for plural. bilik can mean room or rooms, depending on context.
To make it clearly plural, you can:

Add a number: tiga bilik belajar (three study rooms).
Repeat the noun (more common with some words): bilik-bilik belajar (study rooms) – this is grammatical but sounds a bit formal/written.

In your sentence, bilik belajar is naturally understood as a single study room.

Is there any difference between “I like to study history” and “I like studying history” in Malay?

In Malay, there is no difference here; both English versions map to the same structure:
Saya suka belajar sejarah.

Malay doesn’t change the verb form (to study vs studying) after suka. You just use the base verb:

Saya suka makan. = I like to eat / I like eating.
Saya suka membaca. = I like to read / I like reading.