Learn Hardcore Malay: Anak perempuan saya suka ambil gambar pelangi dengan telefon. - My daughter likes to take pictures of the rainbow with her phone.

anak perempuan saya = anak perempuan (daughter) + saya (my) → my daughter
saya anak perempuan would read more like I (am) a daughter, not my daughter.
anak saya perempuan is understandable, but it literally means my child is female, more like describing the gender of your child, not simply saying my daughter as a fixed phrase.

So anak perempuan saya is the natural way to say my daughter.

What does anak perempuan literally mean, and is perempuan necessary?

Literally:

anak = child
perempuan = female / woman

So anak perempuan literally is female child → daughter.

Is perempuan necessary?

anak alone just means child; it does not specify gender.
If you want to be clear that it’s a daughter, you normally say anak perempuan.
For son, you say anak lelaki (male child).

You can say just anak saya if the gender is already clear from context, but if you want to explicitly say daughter, you should include perempuan.

Why is it suka ambil and not suka untuk ambil or something with to like in English?

Malay doesn’t need a separate word for English to before a verb in this kind of structure.

suka ambil = like take → likes to take or likes taking
Adding untuk (for / to) is usually unnecessary here and can sound too stiff:
- Anak perempuan saya suka untuk ambil gambar… is grammatical but less natural in everyday speech.

So suka + base verb is the normal way to say likes to do [something]:

suka makan – likes to eat
suka baca buku – likes to read books
suka ambil gambar – likes to take pictures

What’s the difference between ambil and mengambil here? Could I say suka mengambil gambar?

Both are possible:

ambil = base verb (colloquial / neutral)
mengambil = meN- form (more formal / careful style)

So:

Anak perempuan saya suka ambil gambar… – very natural in casual or neutral speech.
Anak perempuan saya suka mengambil gambar… – more formal (e.g. written, speeches, news).

Meaning is the same (likes to take pictures). The sentence you gave is simply in a more conversational style.

Why is it ambil gambar instead of something like buat gambar or tangkap gambar?

In Malay, the fixed collocation for taking photos is:

ambil gambar – literally take picture.

You may also hear:

tangkap gambar – literally catch picture (very common in informal speech, especially in Malaysia).

Buat gambar (make a picture) is not normally used for taking a photo; it might be understood as drawing or creating an image in some way.

So for photography, use ambil gambar (or informally tangkap gambar).

Does gambar mean only photo or also picture / drawing in general?

gambar is a general word for visual images, and can mean:

a photo / photograph
a picture
a drawing
an illustration

Context tells you which one is meant. In your sentence, because of telefon (phone), gambar is naturally understood as photos.

Is pelangi always just “rainbow”, or can it mean other colorful things too?

pelangi primarily means rainbow. It can be used:

literally – the rainbow in the sky after rain;
metaphorically – anything rainbow‑like or multi‑coloured, especially in creative or poetic language.

In everyday speech, if you say gambar pelangi, people will think of actual rainbows or pictures that clearly feature a rainbow.

Why is it dengan telefon? Could I say guna telefon or menggunakan telefon instead?

Yes, you have options, all quite natural:

dengan telefon – with a phone
guna telefon – use a phone (colloquial)
menggunakan telefon – using a phone (more formal)

All three can fit:

…suka ambil gambar pelangi dengan telefon.
…suka ambil gambar pelangi guna telefon.
…suka mengambil gambar pelangi menggunakan telefon.

The meaning is essentially the same; the differences are tone and formality.

Does telefon mean specifically mobile phone or just telephone in general?

telefon is a general word for telephone / phone.

In modern everyday contexts, especially when talking about taking photos, people will automatically understand it as mobile phone / smartphone.

If you want to be more explicit:

telefon bimbit – mobile phone (very common)
telefon pintar – smartphone (more formal / specific)

In English we say “takes pictures (plural)”. Why is gambar not made plural in Malay?

Malay usually doesn’t mark plural the way English does. gambar can mean picture or pictures, depending on context.

If you really want to emphasize plurality, you can:

use reduplication: gambar‑gambar (pictures)
or add a number / quantifier: banyak gambar (many pictures), dua gambar (two pictures)

So all of these are possible:

suka ambil gambar – likes taking pictures (general)
suka ambil banyak gambar – likes taking lots of pictures
suka ambil gambar‑gambar pelangi – likes taking pictures of rainbows (emphasising plurality)

Can I drop saya and just say Anak perempuan suka ambil gambar…?

No, not if you still want to express my.

Anak perempuan saya = my daughter
Anak perempuan alone = a / the daughter, or just a female child in some context, without the idea of “my”.

If it’s already clear from context whose daughter you’re talking about, Malay speakers might just say dia (she) in a follow‑up sentence:

Anak perempuan saya suka ambil gambar pelangi. Dia suka ambil dengan telefon.

But to say my daughter in that sentence, you need saya.

Is the word order Anak perempuan saya suka ambil gambar pelangi dengan telefon fixed, or can I move parts around?

The basic, natural order is:

Subject: Anak perempuan saya
Verb phrase: suka ambil
Object: gambar pelangi
Extra info (instrument): dengan telefon

You can move some elements for emphasis in more advanced or poetic styles, but for normal, clear Malay, you should keep:

Subject → Verb → Object → Extra information

So your original sentence already has the standard, most natural order.

Is suka here about romantic love, or just liking something as a hobby?

suka covers the general meaning of like / be fond of. In your sentence, it clearly means:

suka ambil gambar pelangi – she likes taking pictures of rainbows (as a hobby / interest).

For stronger, more emotional love, Malay often uses:

sayang – love / be very fond of (people, pets, sometimes things)
cinta – romantic love, deep love (usually between partners)

Here, suka is simply about enjoying an activity, not romantic love.