Learn Hardcore Malay: Pagi ini, saya baca ramalan cuaca di surat khabar. - This morning, I read the weather forecast in the newspaper.

So you say pagi ini, not ini pagi.
Ini pagi would sound odd or need extra words to make sense (e.g. Ini pagi yang sejuk = This is a cold morning).

Could I say Pada pagi ini instead of Pagi ini? Is there any difference?

Yes, you can say Pada pagi ini, but:

Pagi ini is more natural and more common in everyday speech and informal writing.
Pada pagi ini sounds more formal or written (e.g. news reports, speeches, essays).

Meaning-wise, they both refer to this morning. In simple sentences like this one, learners are usually taught and expected to use Pagi ini.

Why is there a comma after Pagi ini? Is it necessary?

The comma marks Pagi ini as a fronted time phrase:

Pagi ini, saya baca ramalan cuaca…
= This morning, I read the weather forecast…

In Malay writing, it is common (and stylistically good) to put a comma after an opening time or place phrase:

Di sekolah, saya belajar bahasa Melayu.
Semalam, dia pergi ke Kuala Lumpur.

Is it absolutely required? No—many informal texts omit it:

Pagi ini saya baca ramalan cuaca di surat khabar.

But in school-standard or careful writing, the comma is recommended.

Why is the verb baca used instead of membaca? What is the difference?

Both baca and membaca come from the same root baca (to read), but they differ in formality and structure.

baca
- Base/root verb.
- Very common in speech and in informal writing.
- Perfectly acceptable in many neutral contexts.
membaca
- The meN- prefix (mem- here) + root baca.
- More formal or “full” verb form.
- Preferred in formal writing, exams, textbooks, official documents.

In this sentence:

Pagi ini, saya baca ramalan cuaca di surat khabar.
→ natural, conversational, and fine in neutral contexts.

You could also say:

Pagi ini, saya membaca ramalan cuaca di surat khabar.
→ slightly more formal/polished style.

Meaning is essentially the same; the difference is mainly register (level of formality).

How do I know this sentence is in the past (I read), not the present or future?

Malay verbs do not change form for tense. Baca can mean:

read (past)
am reading / read (present)
will read (future)

Tense is understood from time expressions and context.

In this sentence, pagi ini (this morning) tells you the action is tied to a time that is already (typically) past relative to the moment of speaking. So in natural English we translate it as:

This morning, I read the weather forecast…

If you want to emphasize completed past in Malay, you can add particles like:

tadi (earlier):
Pagi tadi, saya baca… = Earlier this morning, I read…
sudah / telah (already / has/had):
Saya sudah baca ramalan cuaca… = I have already read the weather forecast…

But even without those, pagi ini and context are usually enough.

What exactly is ramalan cuaca? Can I say cuaca ramalan instead?

Ramalan cuaca is a compound noun:

ramalan = prediction / forecast
(from verb ramal = to predict, plus suffix -an → noun)
cuaca = weather

In Malay, the usual pattern is:

Head noun + describing noun/phrase

So:

ramalan cuaca = weather forecast (literally forecast [of] weather), where ramalan is the head, and cuaca describes what kind of forecast.

You cannot normally say cuaca ramalan for weather forecast; that order is unnatural and would confuse listeners. Stick with ramalan cuaca.

Why is di used in di surat khabar? Could I also say dalam surat khabar or use another preposition?

Di is the basic preposition for “at/in/on (a place)”:

di rumah = at home
di sekolah = at school
di surat khabar = in the newspaper

Here, di surat khabar indicates the medium/place where you read the forecast.

You might also see:

dalam surat khabar
Literally inside the newspaper; also means in the newspaper.
It can feel a bit more literal or slightly more formal; both di and dalam are used.

You would not use pada here in standard Malay:

✗ pada surat khabar (unnatural in this meaning)

So the most common options:

di surat khabar – very normal
dalam surat khabar – also correct; sometimes preferred in more formal writing

Can I move pagi ini or di surat khabar to other positions in the sentence?

Yes. Malay word order is flexible for time and place phrases. All of these are grammatical:

Pagi ini, saya baca ramalan cuaca di surat khabar.
→ Time first (emphasis on this morning).
Saya baca ramalan cuaca di surat khabar pagi ini.
→ Time at the end (common in speech).
Saya baca ramalan cuaca pagi ini di surat khabar.
→ Both time and place at end; still acceptable.
Di surat khabar, saya baca ramalan cuaca pagi ini.
→ Emphasis on in the newspaper.

Basic rule: Subject–Verb–Object stays together (saya baca ramalan cuaca), while time and place phrases can move around for emphasis or style.

What is the nuance of saya here? Could I use aku instead?

Both saya and aku mean I / me, but they differ in politeness and context.

saya
- Polite, neutral, safe in almost all situations.
- Used with strangers, in formal settings, at work, with older people, etc.
- Correct and expected in textbooks and exams.
aku
- Informal, intimate, or casual.
- Used with close friends, siblings, in songs, diaries, etc.
- Can sound rude or too casual if used with someone you should respect.

In this sentence:

Pagi ini, saya baca ramalan cuaca di surat khabar.
→ neutral/polite.

Among close friends, you might say:

Pagi ini, aku baca ramalan cuaca di surat khabar.

For learners, saya is the safest default.

Can I omit saya and just say Pagi ini, baca ramalan cuaca di surat khabar?

Grammatically, dropping the subject can happen in Malay when it is very clear from context, especially in:

diaries or notes,
informal chat,
instructions (e.g. Pergi kedai sekarang. = Go to the shop now.)

However, in a neutral standalone sentence like this, especially for learners, it is more natural to keep the subject:

Pagi ini, saya baca ramalan cuaca di surat khabar. ✔️

Pagi ini, baca ramalan cuaca di surat khabar. could sound like:

an instruction (This morning, read the weather forecast in the newspaper), or
a fragment from a diary, where the writer omits I.

For clear, standard sentences, keep saya.

What is surat khabar, and are there any synonyms I should know?

Surat khabar = newspaper (Malay, especially in Malaysia).

Components:

surat = letter
khabar = news / information

So literally “news letters”, but as a fixed phrase it just means newspaper.

Synonyms / related terms:

akhbar – more formal/literary; also means newspaper(s).
Indonesian: surat kabar (same words, slightly different spelling).
Colloquially, people might just say paper in English in some code-mixed speech, but in Malay you’d use surat khabar or akhbar.

In the sentence given, surat khabar is the standard, everyday choice.