Learn Hardcore Malay: Sebelum tidur, saya letak berus gigi dan ubat gigi di sebelah singki. - Before sleeping, I put the toothbrush and toothpaste beside the sink.

Sebelum tidur, saya letak…
Literally: Before sleeping, I put…
Here tidur works like a gerund (“sleeping”). This is very natural and common in Malay.
Sebelum saya tidur, saya letak…
Literally: Before I sleep, I put…
This is also correct and slightly more explicit/formal.

In everyday speech, “Sebelum tidur” is very common and sounds natural, just like English “Before bed” or “Before sleeping” without repeating the subject.

What exactly is letak? Why isn’t it meletakkan here?

Letak is the root verb meaning “to put / to place.”

Malay often uses:

Root verbs (like letak) in everyday, especially informal or neutral, speech.
- Saya letak berus gigi… = I put the toothbrush…
meN- + root forms (like meletakkan) in more formal language, writing, or when you want to sound more “proper”.
- Saya meletakkan berus gigi… = also I put the toothbrush… but feels more formal/written.

So:

Your sentence with saya letak is completely correct and natural in spoken and neutral Malay.
Saya meletakkan berus gigi dan ubat gigi di sebelah singki is grammatically correct and more formal.

Is there any difference in meaning between “saya letak” and “saya meletakkan”?

The core meaning (“I put / I place”) is the same. The difference is mainly:

Register (formality)
- Saya letak… → very common in speech, neutral, slightly informal.
- Saya meletakkan… → more formal, typical of written Malay, official speech, news, essays.
Style / emphasis
In some contexts, meletakkan can sound a bit more deliberate or careful, but in this sentence it’s mostly just a formality difference.

For everyday conversation, saya letak is perfectly fine.

What does berus gigi literally mean, and why is gigi (tooth) after berus (brush)?

Berus gigi literally means “tooth brush”, i.e. brush (for) teeth.

Malay usually puts the main noun first and the describing noun after, the opposite of English:

berus gigi = brush (for) teeth → toothbrush
ubat gigi = medicine (for) teeth → toothpaste
baju tidur = clothes (for) sleeping → pyjamas
kasut sukan = shoes (for) sports → sports shoes

So berus gigi is the natural order in Malay: “brush (of) teeth.”

What does ubat gigi literally mean, and are there other ways to say “toothpaste”?

Literally:

ubat = medicine, remedy
gigi = tooth/teeth
ubat gigi = medicine for teeth → toothpaste

Other possible terms:

pes gigi = “tooth paste” (more technical; you’ll see it in product labels or formal contexts)
But in everyday speech in Malaysia, ubat gigi is by far the most common for “toothpaste.”

How do I say “my toothbrush” or “the toothbrushes” in Malay? There’s no plural marker in berus gigi.

Malay usually doesn’t mark plural with an -s like English. Context tells you whether it’s singular or plural.

To be specific:

my toothbrush
- berus gigi saya
  (Literally: toothbrush I)
the toothbrush (if you need to be specific)
- berus gigi itu = that toothbrush / the toothbrush
- berus gigi tersebut = that particular toothbrush (more formal)
toothbrushes (plural, general)
- Often still just berus gigi (context shows it’s plural)
- If you really want to show plural: berus-berus gigi, or beberapa berus gigi (several toothbrushes), or semua berus gigi (all the toothbrushes).

In your sentence, berus gigi dan ubat gigi can mean “the toothbrush and toothpaste” without needing articles.

What does di sebelah singki mean exactly? Is it the same as “next to the sink”?

Yes, di sebelah singki means “beside the sink / next to the sink.”

Breakdown:

di = at / in / on (location preposition)
sebelah = side / by the side
singki = sink

So together: di sebelah singki = at the side (of the) sink → “beside the sink.”

Similar expressions:

di tepi singki → also “beside the sink / at the edge of the sink”
di atas singki → “on the sink” (on top of it, on its surface)

In your sentence, di sebelah singki is natural for “beside the sink.”

Is sebelah always “next to”? I’ve also seen it mean “one side / half.”

Sebelah has a few related meanings, all built around the idea of “side” or “one part”:

Next to / beside (location)
- Rumah saya sebelah sekolah. = My house is next to the school.
- Saya duduk di sebelah dia. = I sit beside him/her.
One side / one half
- sebelah tangan = one hand
- sebelah kiri = left side
- sebelah kanan = right side
(In some contexts) “the other party / the other side”
- pihak sebelah sana = the other side / the other party

In di sebelah singki, it’s clearly the “next to / beside” meaning.

What is singki? Is that just the English word “sink” in Malay spelling?

Yes. Singki is a loanword from English “sink”, adapted to Malay spelling and pronunciation.

Pronounced roughly: “sing-kee”
Used for sinks in bathrooms, kitchens, etc.

You may also see sink written sometimes, but singki is the standard Malay spelling in dictionaries and formal writing.

Is the overall sentence formal or informal? Could I change saya or letak to sound more casual?

The sentence:

Sebelum tidur, saya letak berus gigi dan ubat gigi di sebelah singki.

sounds neutral and perfectly fine in everyday conversation. It’s neither very formal nor very slangy.

To adjust the tone:

More formal:
- Sebelum saya tidur, saya meletakkan berus gigi dan ubat gigi di sebelah singki.
More casual (familiar):
- Change pronoun saya → aku (with friends/family):
  - Sebelum tidur, aku letak berus gigi dan ubat gigi di sebelah singki.

In Malaysia, saya is safe and polite in almost all situations, so your original sentence is very usable as-is.