Learn Hardcore Malay: Muzik terlalu kuat boleh merosakkan telinga.

As “music that is too loud” – where terlalu kuat describes muzik.
As “music is too loud”
- the rest – but in practice it’s read as a noun phrase:
  - Muzik terlalu kuat = music that is too loud
  - boleh merosakkan telinga = can damage (the) ears

Malay does not need a verb like “to be” (is/are) here. An adjective phrase (terlalu kuat) can directly follow the noun (muzik) to describe it.

Why is there no word for “the” or “a” in Muzik terlalu kuat boleh merosakkan telinga?

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

Muzik can mean music, the music, or a kind of music, depending on context.
Telinga can mean ear, the ear, or ears / people’s ears in general.

So the sentence can be understood as “Too loud music can damage (the / your / one’s) ears” without needing extra words for “the” or “a”.

What does terlalu mean, and how is it different from sangat?

Both are intensifiers, but they’re not the same:

sangat kuat = very loud (strong, but neutral)
terlalu kuat = too loud (excessive, implies a problem)

So terlalu carries the idea of “too much / overly”, while sangat is “very” without necessarily being “too much.”

Where does terlalu go in relation to the adjective kuat? Can I say kuat terlalu?

No, you cannot say kuat terlalu here.

The usual pattern is:

terlalu
- adjective

So you say:

terlalu kuat = too loud
terlalu panas = too hot
terlalu mahal = too expensive

Putting terlalu after the adjective is ungrammatical in standard Malay in this kind of sentence.

What exactly does boleh mean here, and how is it different from akan or dapat?

Boleh means “can / may / is able to” and often expresses possibility:

Muzik terlalu kuat boleh merosakkan telinga.
= Too loud music can damage (your) ears. (It is possible; it tends to do that.)

Comparison:

akan = will / is going to (future, more definite)
- Muzik terlalu kuat akan merosakkan telinga.
  = Too loud music will damage (your) ears. (sounds stronger / more certain)
dapat = can / manage to (focus on ability, often in doing something once or successfully)
- Not so natural in this sentence; boleh is the usual choice.

So boleh is best here because we are talking about general possibility or tendency.

What is the root of merosakkan, and what do the prefixes/suffixes mean?

The root word is rosak, which means damaged / broken / spoiled.

Merosakkan is formed like this:

me- (prefix) + rosak (root) + -kan (suffix)
→ merosakkan

Function:

rosak = to be damaged / in a damaged state
- Telinga itu rosak. = That ear is damaged.
merosakkan = to damage something (make it damaged)
- Muzik terlalu kuat boleh merosakkan telinga.
  = Too loud music can damage ears.

So me-…-kan here makes the verb transitive: it takes an object (telinga).

Is merosakkan always spelled with -kan? I sometimes see merosak.

In standard Malay, merosakkan is the more complete and careful form when you have an explicit object:

merosakkan telinga = damage ears
merosakkan kereta = damage the car

You might see or hear merosak in informal speech, but:

In writing (especially formal), merosakkan is preferred.
In exams or formal learning, use merosakkan when you have an object.

Why does telinga look singular when the English meaning is plural (ears)?

Malay often uses a bare singular noun to refer to things in general, which can be translated as plural in English.

telinga by itself can mean:
- an ear, the ear, or ears in general / people’s ears.

If you really want to emphasize plurality, you can say:

telinga-telinga (reduplication)
dua telinga (two ears)
telinga kamu / telinga anda (your ears)

But in this generic warning, telinga alone is natural and correct.

How does Malay express “your ears” here? Is telinga understood as “your ears”?

Yes, in context, telinga is easily understood as “your ears” or “one’s ears”.

If you want to be explicit:

Muzik terlalu kuat boleh merosakkan telinga kamu. (informal you)
Muzik terlalu kuat boleh merosakkan telinga anda. (polite / formal you)

But in general statements like health or safety warnings, Malay often keeps it simple and general: just telinga.

What is the difference between kuat and bising when talking about sound?

Both relate to sound, but they focus on different things:

kuat = loud / strong (volume, intensity)
- muzik kuat = loud music
bising = noisy (annoying noise, disturbance)
- muzik bising = noisy music (disturbing, maybe chaotic)

In this sentence, terlalu kuat focuses on the volume being too high, which is what damages ears.
You could say muzik yang terlalu kuat dan bising if you want both ideas: too loud and noisy.

Can I add yang and say Muzik yang terlalu kuat boleh merosakkan telinga? Is that different?

Yes, you can say:

Muzik yang terlalu kuat boleh merosakkan telinga.

This is also correct. The difference is subtle:

Muzik terlalu kuat boleh …
— very natural; terlalu kuat directly describes muzik.
Muzik yang terlalu kuat boleh …
— slightly more explicit / formal: “music which is too loud”.

In everyday speech, the version without yang is perfectly fine.

How is tense expressed here? How do I know if it is can damage, could damage, or will damage?

Malay verbs do not change form for tense. Merosakkan stays the same for past, present, and future.

The time/tense meaning comes from:

context
time words (semalam, nanti, esok, etc.)
modal words like akan (will) or sudah (already)

In:

Muzik terlalu kuat boleh merosakkan telinga.

the most natural reading is a general statement:
Too loud music can damage ears (in general, as a fact).

How do I pronounce muzik and telinga?

Approximate pronunciation:

muzik: MOO-zeek
- mu like moo
- zik like English zeek (final k may be unreleased / cut short)
telinga: tuh-LING-uh
- te = tuh
- ling like English ling
- ga = guh / ga, short and clear

Stress is usually on the second or penultimate syllable: mu-ZIK, te-LI-nga.