Learn Hardcore Malay: Bau kari ayam di dapur sangat wangi. - The smell of chicken curry in the kitchen is very fragrant.

Bau kari ayam di dapur = the subject (a noun phrase)
bau (smell) + kari ayam (chicken curry) + di dapur (in the kitchen)
sangat wangi = the predicate (adjective phrase)
sangat (very) + wangi (fragrant)

So it literally works like:
[The smell of chicken curry in the kitchen] [very fragrant].

There is no word like English “is”; it is simply understood. This is normal Malay grammar for [noun] + [adjective] sentences.

What exactly is the word bau here? Is it a noun or a verb, and could we use berbau instead?

In this sentence, bau is a noun, meaning “smell / scent / odour.”

bau = smell (noun)
- Bau kari ayam di dapur sangat wangi.
  → The smell of chicken curry in the kitchen is very fragrant.

You can also have a related verb form:

berbau = to have a smell / to smell of
- Dapur itu berbau kari ayam.
  → That kitchen smells of chicken curry.

Both are correct Malay, but:

Bau … sangat wangi focuses on the smell itself as a thing.
Dapur itu berbau kari ayam focuses on the kitchen having that smell.

So in the original sentence, bau is a straightforward noun.

How does kari ayam work? Why is it kari ayam and not ayam kari for “chicken curry”?

In Malay compound nouns, the main noun (head) usually comes last, and the preceding word(s) specify it.

kari = curry
ayam = chicken
kari ayam = curry (of) chicken → chicken curry

So:

kari ayam = correct and natural for “chicken curry.”
ayam kari would literally feel more like “curry chicken” and is not the normal way to say the dish; it can sound odd or at least non-standard in many contexts.

Pattern to remember:

nasi ayam = rice (of) chicken → chicken rice
susu lembu = milk (of) cow → cow’s milk
kari ayam = curry (of) chicken → chicken curry

What does di dapur do here? Is it “in the kitchen” or “at the kitchen,” and where does it attach in the sentence?

Di is a preposition of location, usually translated as in / at / on, depending on context.

di = at / in / on
dapur = kitchen
di dapur = in the kitchen / at the kitchen

In the sentence Bau kari ayam di dapur sangat wangi., the natural reading is:

Bau kari ayam (the smell of chicken curry)
di dapur (is located in the kitchen)
sangat wangi (is very fragrant)

So the whole thing is understood as:

The smell of chicken curry *in the kitchen is very fragrant.*

Grammatically, di dapur is a locative phrase modifying the situation of the smell; it tells you where you can smell it.

Is di dapur describing the smell (bau) or the curry (kari ayam)? Is there any ambiguity?

Formally, it can be attached to the whole phrase bau kari ayam, so in theory it could be read as:

The smell of chicken curry that is in the kitchen, or
The smell (experienced) in the kitchen of chicken curry.

However, in everyday usage, people will almost always understand it as:

Where you smell it: In the kitchen, the smell of chicken curry is very fragrant.

If you specifically wanted to say “the chicken curry that is in the kitchen”, you would normally make it clearer, for example:

Bau kari ayam yang berada di dapur sangat wangi.
Bau kari ayam di dapur itu sangat wangi.

Those sound more like you are pointing to that particular curry in that particular kitchen.

What does sangat do, and can it go in other positions, like before wangi or at the end?

Sangat is an intensifier meaning “very.”
Here, sangat wangi = very fragrant.

Normal pattern:

sangat
- adjective
  - sangat wangi = very fragrant
  - sangat panas = very hot
  - sangat cantik = very beautiful

Typical neutral word order is:

Bau kari ayam di dapur sangat wangi.

Other common ways to say the same idea:

Bau kari ayam di dapur wangi sekali.
(*sekal*i = very, extremely)
Bau kari ayam di dapur amat wangi.
(amat = very, slightly more formal/written)

Putting sangat after the adjective, like wangi sangat, is more colloquial and more common in some dialects of informal speech:

Bau kari ayam di dapur wangi sangat. (informal, speechy)

For standard written Malay, sangat is normally used before the adjective, as in the original sentence: sangat wangi.

What is the difference between wangi, harum, and words like sedap or busuk?

All of these relate to senses, but they are used slightly differently:

wangi
- Pleasant smell / fragrant.
- Common, neutral, everyday word.
- For food, flowers, perfume, soap, etc.
harum
- Also means fragrant, but feels more literary / formal / poetic.
- Often used for flowers, incense, perfumes in more elevated language.
- Bunga itu sangat harum. (That flower is very fragrant.)
sedap
- Mainly tasty / delicious (about taste).
- Can be extended to smell, meaning smells appetising, but the core idea is good to eat.
- Bau kari ayam itu sedap. = The smell of the chicken curry is (temptingly) delicious.
busuk
- Bad / rotten / stinky smell.
- Opposite of wangi/harum.
- Bau di dapur sangat busuk. = The smell in the kitchen is very bad.

In your sentence, wangi is the standard, everyday choice for a nice, pleasant smell.

How would I make this sentence negative, like “The smell of chicken curry in the kitchen is not fragrant / doesn’t smell good”?

To make an adjective negative in Malay, you usually put tidak before the adjective.

So:

Bau kari ayam di dapur sangat wangi.
→ The smell … is very fragrant.

Negative, simple:

Bau kari ayam di dapur tidak wangi.
→ The smell of chicken curry in the kitchen is not fragrant / doesn’t smell good.

If you want to say the smell is actually bad, not just “not fragrant,” then use busuk:

Bau kari ayam di dapur sangat busuk.
→ The smell of chicken curry in the kitchen is very bad / stinks.

Why are there no words for “the” or “a” in this sentence? How do I know if it’s “the smell” or “a smell”?

Malay does not have articles like English “a / an / the.”

Bau can be the smell, a smell, or smell in general, depending on context.

So:

Bau kari ayam di dapur sangat wangi.
could be understood as:
- The smell of chicken curry in the kitchen is very fragrant.
- Chicken curry smell in the kitchen is very fragrant.

If you really need to specify “the” more strongly, you can use itu (that) or context:

Bau kari ayam di dapur itu sangat wangi.
→ The smell of that chicken curry in the kitchen is very fragrant.

But in normal conversation, context (what both speakers already know) is enough; no explicit “the / a” is needed.

Can this sentence refer to the past or future, or is it only present tense?

Malay does not change verb forms for tense like English does. The sentence by itself is tenseless; time is understood from context or added time words.

Bau kari ayam di dapur sangat wangi. can mean:

The smell of chicken curry in the kitchen *is very fragrant.* (now)
The smell of chicken curry in the kitchen *was very fragrant.* (earlier)
In the right context, even: The smell of chicken curry in the kitchen *will be very fragrant.*

If you want to make the time clear, add a time expression:

Tadi, bau kari ayam di dapur sangat wangi.
(Just now / earlier, the smell … was very fragrant.)
Nanti, bau kari ayam di dapur pasti sangat wangi.
(Later, the smell … will surely be very fragrant.)

Is the word order fixed, or can I move di dapur to the front or end of the sentence?

You have some flexibility, but not all positions are equally natural.

Most neutral:

Bau kari ayam di dapur sangat wangi.

Possible, with emphasis on location (di dapur):

Di dapur, bau kari ayam sangat wangi.
→ In the kitchen, the smell of chicken curry is very fragrant.

This is fine and natural, especially in spoken language or narrative.

Placing di dapur right at the very end can sound a bit odd or unclear:

Bau kari ayam sangat wangi di dapur.
Grammatically possible, but can feel less natural; it might sound like di dapur is tagging on loosely.

So the best choices are:

Bau kari ayam di dapur sangat wangi. (neutral)
Di dapur, bau kari ayam sangat wangi. (emphasis on “in the kitchen”)

How would I say “The kitchen smells strongly of chicken curry” instead of “The smell of chicken curry in the kitchen is very fragrant”?

To make “the kitchen” the subject, you can use berbau:

Dapur itu berbau kari ayam yang sangat wangi.
→ That kitchen smells of very fragrant chicken curry.

A simpler version:

Dapur itu berbau kari ayam.
→ That kitchen smells of chicken curry.

Or more emphatic about strength:

Dapur itu berbau kuat kari ayam.
(kuat = strong)
→ That kitchen smells strongly of chicken curry.

So the original sentence talks about the smell; these versions talk about the kitchen having that smell.

How do you pronounce wangi and kari correctly?

Basic pronunciation tips:

kari
- ka as in car (but shorter)
- ri like ree
- Stress is quite even: KA-ri, not strongly on one syllable.
wangi
- wa like wah
- ng is a single sound as in English “sing”
- i like ee
- So wangi ≈ WA-ng-ee, with ng linked to the second syllable: wah-ng-ee.

Each vowel is clearly pronounced; Malay pronunciation is generally very consistent: one letter, one sound, and almost every syllable is pronounced.