Guru menjelaskan keputusan ujian di dalam kelas.

The teacher explains the test results in the classroom.

Breakdown of Guru menjelaskan keputusan ujian di dalam kelas.

• di: in
• kelas: the class
• dalam: inside
• guru: the teacher
• menjelaskan: to explain
• ujian: the test
• keputusan: the result

Questions & Answers about Guru menjelaskan keputusan ujian di dalam kelas.

What is the difference between guru and seorang guru? Why is there no a or the?

Malay does not use articles like a/an or the.

• guru on its own can mean a teacher or the teacher, depending on context.
• seorang guru literally means one teacher / a teacher and is used when you want to emphasize one person or introduce a new, unspecified teacher.

In this sentence, Guru menjelaskan keputusan ujian di dalam kelas, the context decides whether we understand it as:

• The teacher explained the exam results in class, or
• A teacher explained the exam results in class.

Both are possible; Malay leaves that part to context instead of grammar.

What does the prefix men- in menjelaskan do? What is the base word?

The base word is jelas, which means clear.

When you add meN- … -kan to jelas, you get menjelaskan:

• jelas = clear (adjective)
• menjelaskan = to make something clear → to explain

So men- (actually meN- with nasal assimilation) plus -kan usually makes:

• a transitive verb (it needs an object)
• with a causative meaning (cause something to become X)

Here:

• Guru (subject)
• menjelaskan (verb)
• keputusan ujian (object: what is being explained)

Can menjelaskan be used without an object, like Guru menjelaskan on its own?

Normally, menjelaskan needs an object, because it means to explain something / make something clear.

• Guru menjelaskan keputusan ujian. ✅ (complete: explains what? → exam results)

If you say only Guru menjelaskan, listeners will expect you to add what is being explained. In casual speech it might occur if the object is very clear from context, but grammatically it feels incomplete.

If you really want a more general The teacher explained, Malay would usually still mention what:

• Guru menjelaskan apa yang berlaku.
  (The teacher explained what happened.)

What is the difference between menjelaskan and menerangkan? Can I say Guru menerangkan keputusan ujian?

Yes, you can say Guru menerangkan keputusan ujian, and it is natural.

Both:

• menjelaskan
• menerangkan

generally mean to explain / to clarify.

Subtle nuances (not strict rules):

• menjelaskan – often sounds like making something clearer, clarifying details.
• menerangkan – comes from terang (bright, clear), also used for to explain, sometimes feels more like giving an explanation / giving information.

In everyday usage, they overlap a lot, and many speakers will treat them as near‑synonyms in this kind of sentence:

• Guru menjelaskan keputusan ujian.
• Guru menerangkan keputusan ujian.

Both are acceptable.

Why is the word order Guru menjelaskan keputusan ujian, and not Guru keputusan ujian menjelaskan?

Malay basic word order is S–V–O (Subject–Verb–Object), similar to English.

• Guru = Subject (The teacher)
• menjelaskan = Verb (explains / explained)
• keputusan ujian = Object (the exam results)

So:

• Guru menjelaskan keputusan ujian. ✅ (correct S–V–O)
• Guru keputusan ujian menjelaskan. ❌ (wrong / very unnatural in standard Malay)

Changing the order like that is not how standard Malay works; you generally keep S–V–O.

What exactly does keputusan ujian mean? Is it more like results or decisions?

keputusan comes from the root putus (cut, break off, decide). It can mean:

• decision (e.g. keputusan mahkamah = court decision)
• result / outcome (especially for tests, exams, matches)

ujian = test / exam.

In the context of school:

• keputusan ujian = test results / exam results.

So in this sentence, keputusan ujian is best understood as the exam results, not the exam decisions.

What is the difference between ujian and peperiksaan?

Both relate to tests, but there is a nuance:

• ujian

  • general test / quiz / assessment
  • can be small, informal or formal
  • e.g. ujian bulanan (monthly test)

• peperiksaan

  • usually examination, often bigger or more formal
  • e.g. peperiksaan akhir tahun (end‑of‑year exam)
  • often used for national or school‑wide exams

In keputusan ujian, it could be any kind of test results. If it was a big formal exam, keputusan peperiksaan would also be very natural.

What does di dalam kelas mean exactly? Is it just in class?

Literally:

• di = at / in / on (preposition of location)
• dalam = inside
• kelas = class / classroom

So di dalam kelas = inside the classroom or in the classroom.

In natural English, we usually translate the whole sentence as:

• The teacher explained the exam results in class / in the classroom.

Can I say just di kelas or dalam kelas instead of di dalam kelas? Are there differences?

Yes, you will hear all of these:

1. di dalam kelas

   • literally inside the classroom
   • slightly more explicit that it is inside the room

2. di kelas

   • very common in both Malay and Indonesian
   • usually understood as in class / in the classroom
   • a bit shorter and more casual

3. dalam kelas

   • inside the class / in the classroom
   • less common without di, but can appear, especially in some styles

In everyday usage:

• Guru menjelaskan keputusan ujian di dalam kelas.
• Guru menjelaskan keputusan ujian di kelas.

Both are acceptable and natural. The meaning is practically the same in this context.

Is di here a preposition or the passive prefix di-? How can I tell?

Here, di is a preposition meaning at / in / on.

You can tell because:

• It is followed by a noun phrase of location: dalam kelas.
• There is already an active verb menjelaskan in the sentence.

If di- were a passive prefix on a verb, it would attach directly to a verb root, like:

• Keputusan ujian dijelaskan guru di dalam kelas.
  (The exam results were explained by the teacher in class.)

In that passive sentence, dijelaskan = di- (passive) + jelas + -kan.

Why is there no word for the before kelas? How do I say in the class vs in a class?

Malay generally does not use articles like a / an / the.

• kelas can be a class or the class.
• di dalam kelas can mean in a class or in the class / in the classroom.

If you really want to make it more specific, you can add other information:

• di dalam kelas itu = in that class / in that classroom
• di dalam kelas 5 Amanah = in 5 Amanah class

But in most cases, simple kelas is enough, and context tells you whether it is a or the.

How do we know if this sentence is past, present, or future? There is no tense marker.

Malay verbs do not change form for tense (past, present, future). menjelaskan always looks the same.

The time reference comes from context or additional words:

• Guru menjelaskan keputusan ujian di dalam kelas.
  Could be:
  • The teacher explains the exam results in class. (habitual / present)
  • The teacher explained the exam results in class. (past)

If you want to make it explicit, you can add time words:

• Tadi guru menjelaskan keputusan ujian di dalam kelas.
  (Just now the teacher explained the exam results in class.)
• Esok guru akan menjelaskan keputusan ujian di dalam kelas.
  (Tomorrow the teacher will explain the exam results in class.)

So tense is not in the verb form, but in context or added adverbs like tadi, semalam, esok, akan, etc.

Could the sentence be made passive, like The exam results were explained by the teacher in class? How would that look in Malay?

Yes, you can make a passive version. One natural way:

• Keputusan ujian dijelaskan oleh guru di dalam kelas.

Breakdown:

• Keputusan ujian = The exam results (now the subject)
• dijelaskan = were explained (passive: di-
  • jelas
    • -kan)
• oleh guru = by the teacher
• di dalam kelas = in class / in the classroom

Another (more colloquial) pattern without oleh:

• Keputusan ujian dijelaskan guru di dalam kelas.

Both are grammatical passive constructions, with a slightly more formal feel than the original active sentence.