Learn Hardcore Malay: Kami menonton persembahan tarian klasik di dewan bandar minggu lalu. - We watched a classical dance performance in the town hall last week.

kami = we (not including the listener) → “we” but you are not part of the group
kita = we (including the listener) → “we” and you are part of the group

So:

Kami menonton… = We watched… (but you did not watch with us)
Kita menonton… = We watched… (and you also watched with us)

In this sentence, kami correctly shows the listener was not part of the group that went to watch the performance.

What exactly does menonton mean, and how is it different from melihat or menyaksikan?

All three involve “seeing”, but they are used differently:

menonton = to watch something like:
- TV, movies, performances, shows, games
  Examples: menonton TV, menonton filem, menonton persembahan tarian
melihat = to see / to look at (more general, can be accidental or intentional)
- melihat kereta di jalan (see a car on the road)
- melihat gambar (look at a picture)
menyaksikan = to witness / to watch (more formal or dramatic)
- menyaksikan upacara (witness a ceremony)
- menyaksikan kemalangan (witness an accident)

In this sentence, menonton is natural because it’s a performance you intentionally go to watch, just like a movie or show.

What is the difference between tari / menari / tarian and why do we say persembahan tarian klasik?

These are related words:

tari = the root meaning dance (less common standalone in everyday speech)
menari = to dance (verb)
- Mereka menari di atas pentas. = They are dancing on the stage.
tarian = a dance / dancing (noun)
- tarian tradisional, tarian moden, tarian klasik

In the sentence:

persembahan = performance / show
persembahan tarian klasik = a classical dance performance

So the structure is literally:
persembahan (performance) + tarian (dance) + klasik (classical)

You could say only tarian klasik to mean classical dance, but persembahan tarian klasik makes it clear you are watching a performance (a show/event), not just talking about the dance style in general.

What does persembahan add to the meaning? Could I just say Kami menonton tarian klasik…?

You can say:

Kami menonton tarian klasik di dewan bandar minggu lalu.

This would still be understood as We watched classical dance at the town hall last week.

However, persembahan makes it clearer that it was a staged performance/show, like a concert or event:

persembahan tarian klasik = a classical dance performance
without persembahan, it sounds more like you watched “classical dance” in general, which is still fine but a bit less explicit about it being an organized show.

So persembahan is not grammatically required in this sentence, but it adds clarity and sounds very natural.

Why is the word order tarian klasik and not klasik tarian when it means classical dance?

In Malay, the usual pattern is:

Noun + Adjective

So:

tarian klasik = dance (noun) + classical (adjective)
rumah besar = big house
baju merah = red shirt

So tarian klasik directly corresponds to “dance classical” in literal word order, but it means classical dance.

Putting the adjective first (klasik tarian) is not correct in standard Malay.

How do we know this sentence is in the past tense if the verb menonton doesn’t change?

Malay verbs usually do not change form for tense. Instead, tense is shown by:

Time expressions
- minggu lalu = last week
- minggu lepas (very common in Malaysia) = last week
- semalam = yesterday
Optional aspect markers like sudah, telah, akan, sedang:
- Kami sudah menonton… = We have already watched…
- Kami akan menonton… = We will watch…
- Kami sedang menonton… = We are watching…

In this sentence, minggu lalu clearly shows it happened in the past, so menonton stays in its base form.

Can minggu lalu go at the beginning of the sentence instead of the end?

Yes. Both are correct:

Kami menonton persembahan tarian klasik di dewan bandar minggu lalu.
Minggu lalu kami menonton persembahan tarian klasik di dewan bandar.

Putting minggu lalu at the beginning simply emphasizes the time a bit more, but the meaning is the same. Time expressions are quite flexible in position in Malay.

How is minggu lalu different from minggu lepas? Which one should I use?

Both generally mean last week:

minggu lalu – correct and understood everywhere; a bit more neutral/formal.
minggu lepas – very common in Malaysian everyday speech; also correct.

In everyday conversation in Malaysia, you’ll often hear:

minggu lepas
In writing or more formal contexts, you’ll see:
minggu lalu

They are interchangeable in most situations.

What does dewan bandar mean exactly? Is it the same as city hall or just any hall in town?

Breakdown:

dewan = hall (a large room or building for events, meetings, performances)
bandar = town / city

So dewan bandar can be understood as the town hall or city hall-type building used for events.

You may also see:

dewan bandaraya – specifically city hall (for a city-level council)
dewan orang ramai / dewan serbaguna – community hall / multipurpose hall
balai raya – village/town community hall (common in some areas)

In this sentence, dewan bandar is a general way to say the town hall where public events or performances are held.

Why do we use di before dewan bandar? Is it like “in” or “at”?

di is a preposition that marks location. It usually translates to in, on, or at, depending on context.

di rumah = at home / in the house
di sekolah = at school
di dewan bandar = at the town hall

In this sentence, di dewan bandar is best translated as at the town hall. The exact English preposition depends on what sounds natural in English, but Malay keeps di for location.

Could we say pada minggu lalu instead of just minggu lalu? When do we use pada?

pada is used mainly for:

Time expressions
- pada hari Isnin = on Monday
- pada pukul 8 malam = at 8 p.m.
Certain abstract objects
- percaya pada Tuhan = believe in God
- marah pada saya = angry at me

You can say pada minggu lalu, and it is grammatically correct, but in everyday speech people normally just say minggu lalu without pada.

In this sentence, the most natural options are:

minggu lalu
minggu lepas

Adding pada here would sound a bit more formal or slightly stiff in everyday conversation.

Where does menonton come from? Is tonton a word by itself?

Yes. The base verb is tonton, which means to watch (casual form).
Malay often uses the prefix meN- to form active verbs:

tonton → menonton (to watch)
baca → membaca (to read)
dengar → mendengar (to listen)

In many everyday situations, tonton and menonton can overlap in meaning, but menonton is the standard, more formal verb form. In proper sentences like this one, menonton is the expected form.

Can the subject kami be dropped? For example, can I just say: Menonton persembahan tarian klasik di dewan bandar minggu lalu.?

You can drop pronouns in Malay when they are understood from context, especially in casual speech or when continuing a story.

However, in a standalone sentence like this, dropping kami makes it sound incomplete and less natural because we don’t know who watched.

So:

Kami menonton… → clear and natural
Menonton persembahan… → could appear as a sentence fragment, or part of a longer sentence.

In normal, complete sentences, it’s better to keep kami unless the context is very clear and it’s part of ongoing conversation or narrative.