Learn Hardcore Malay: Cadar katil baru ini sangat lembut.

In Malay, when one noun describes another (like bed sheet, coffee cup, chicken soup), the main noun usually comes first and the describing noun comes after it.

cadar katil = literally sheet bed → sheet for the bed
kopi susu = coffee milk → coffee with milk
sup ayam = soup chicken → chicken soup

So cadar is the main noun (sheet), and katil specifies what kind of sheet (a sheet for the bed).
Katil cadar would sound wrong; it would be like saying bed sheet in the sense of “a bed that belongs to a sheet”.

Why do baru and lembut come after the nouns, when in English we say new soft bed sheet?

Malay adjectives normally come after the noun:

buku baru – new book
baju merah – red shirt
rumah besar – big house

In the sentence:

cadar katil baru → new bed sheet
sangat lembut → very soft

So the order is:
[noun] [describing noun] [adjective] [demonstrative] [degree word] [adjective]
→ cadar katil (bed sheet) baru (new) ini (this) sangat lembut (very soft)

Does baru mean new or just (recently), and which meaning is used here?

Baru has two common meanings:

New (adjective)
- baju baru – new clothes
- kereta baru – new car
Just, recently (adverb of time)
- Saya baru makan. – I just ate.
- Dia baru sampai. – He/She just arrived.

In Cadar katil baru ini sangat lembut, baru is used in the “new” sense: it describes the bed sheet as new, not the timing of any action.

What exactly does ini refer to, and why is it placed at the end of the noun phrase?

Ini is a demonstrative meaning this. In Malay, it normally comes after the noun phrase it refers to:

buku ini – this book
rumah besar itu – that big house
cadar katil baru ini – this new bed sheet

So ini refers to the whole noun phrase cadar katil baru.
You can think of it as:

cadar katil baru = the new bed sheet
ini = this (one)

Putting ini at the end is standard Malay word order.

Could I say Ini cadar katil baru sangat lembut instead? Is that correct?

Ini cadar katil baru sangat lembut is not natural as a full sentence because the structure becomes confusing:

Ini cadar katil baru – This is a new bed sheet
sangat lembut – very soft

If you want to start with Ini, you should complete it properly:

Ini cadar katil baru yang sangat lembut.
– This is a new bed sheet that is very soft.

Or more simply, keep the original:

Cadar katil baru ini sangat lembut.
– This new bed sheet is very soft.

So: Ini cadar katil baru sangat lembut (without yang or a clear break) is grammatically awkward.

Is cadar katil baru ini talking about a new bed or a new bedsheet?

By default, Malay speakers would understand cadar katil baru ini as “this new bedsheet” — that is, cadar is new.

Technically, there is some ambiguity (because baru comes after cadar katil as a unit), but context usually makes it clear. If you really wanted to say the bed is new, you would normally phrase it more explicitly, for example:

Cadar untuk katil baru ini sangat lembut.
– The sheet for this new bed is very soft.

Here katil baru ini is clearly “this new bed”.

What is the function of sangat and where must it go?

Sangat is an intensifier meaning very. It usually comes before the adjective:

sangat lembut – very soft
sangat besar – very big
sangat cantik – very beautiful

In the sentence, sangat modifies lembut:

sangat lembut → very soft

You normally do not put sangat after the adjective in standard Malay. (Colloquially, people say things like lembut sangat, but that is informal spoken style.)

Can I replace sangat with other words like amat, sungguh, or sekali?

Yes, there are several common ways to say very in Malay, with slightly different feels:

sangat lembut – very soft (neutral, common)
amat lembut – very soft (a bit more formal / written)
sungguh lembut – really soft (often more expressive)
lembut sekali – very soft (literally “soft once”, but idiomatic for “very”)

So you could also say:

Cadar katil baru ini amat lembut.
Cadar katil baru ini sungguh lembut.
Cadar katil baru ini lembut sekali.

All are acceptable and natural; sangat is a safe, standard choice.

How would I say “This new bed sheet is really soft” in a more casual, spoken style?

Colloquial Malay (especially in Malaysia) often shortens words and shifts ini:

Cadar katil baru ni lembut sangat.
– ni is the informal form of ini, often placed right after the noun.
– lembut sangat (adjective + sangat) is common in speech.

This is casual, everyday conversation style, not formal writing.

How do I say “My new bed sheet is very soft” based on this sentence?

You just add the possessive pronoun saya (my):

Cadar katil baru saya sangat lembut.
– My new bed sheet is very soft.

If you want both “this” and “my”, Malay usually keeps ini after the whole noun phrase and puts saya right after the main noun:

Cadar katil saya yang baru ini sangat lembut.
– This new bed sheet of mine is very soft.

This version is a bit longer but clearly expresses both possession and “this”.

Is there any plural marking here? How would I say “These new bed sheets are very soft”?

Malay nouns generally do not change form for singular vs plural. Context tells you whether it is one or many.

To make it explicitly plural, you can add a word like beberapa (some), banyak (many), or repeat the noun:

Cadar katil baru ini sangat lembut.
– This/These new bed sheet(s) are very soft. (number not specified)

If you really want to stress plural:

Cadar-cadar katil baru ini sangat lembut.
– These new bed sheets are very soft.

The cadar-cadar repetition indicates more than one sheet. In everyday speech, most people would still just say cadar katil baru ini, and context will show whether it’s one or many.

What is the difference between baru and baharu? Could I say Cadar katil baharu ini sangat lembut?

Yes, you could say:

Cadar katil baharu ini sangat lembut.

In modern Malay:

baharu – is the more formal / standard form
baru – is more common in everyday speech and informal writing

Both are widely understood, and in many contexts they are interchangeable. In practice:

Conversation, casual writing: baru
Formal documents, official language: often baharu

In Indonesian, only baru is standard; baharu is not used.

Is cadar katil used in Indonesian too, or is this specifically Malay?

Cadar katil is specifically Malay (as used in Malaysia/Brunei/Singapore).

In Indonesian, people usually say:

sprei (or seprai) – bed sheet
tempat tidur / ranjang – bed

So the closest Indonesian equivalent to the whole sentence would be:

Sprei baru ini sangat lembut.
– This new bedsheet is very soft.

If you are learning Malay (Bahasa Melayu), cadar katil is the natural expression. If you are learning Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia), you would say sprei instead of cadar katil.