Learn Hardcore Malay: Pensel itu tumpul, jadi saya asah sebelum menulis nota sejarah. - That pencil is blunt, so I sharpen it before writing history notes.

Pensel itu tumpul, jadi saya asah sebelum menulis nota sejarah.

That pencil is blunt, so I sharpen it before writing history notes.

Breakdown of Pensel itu tumpul, jadi saya asah sebelum menulis nota sejarah.

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Questions & Answers about Pensel itu tumpul, jadi saya asah sebelum menulis nota sejarah.

In the phrase “Pensel itu tumpul”, what exactly does “itu” mean? Is it “the” or “that”?

“Itu” is a demonstrative that literally means “that”, but in many contexts it functions like “the” in English.

Pensel itu tumpul
= That pencil is blunt / The pencil is blunt

It points to a specific pencil that both speaker and listener can identify (maybe it’s in front of them, or it’s been mentioned already).

Compare:

pensel = a pencil (in general)
pensel itu = that pencil / the pencil (a specific one)
pensel ini = this pencil (near the speaker)

So you can think of “itu” as “that/the (one we both know which one)”.

Why is it “Pensel itu tumpul” and not something like “Pensel itu adalah tumpul”? Where is the verb “to be”?

Malay usually omits a verb like “to be” (am/is/are) when connecting a noun and an adjective.

Pensel itu tumpul.
Literally: Pencil that blunt.
Meaning: The pencil is blunt.

Adding “adalah” here is not natural in everyday Malay. “Adalah” is mainly used:

Before nouns (not adjectives):
- Masalah utama adalah kekurangan masa.
  The main problem is a lack of time.
In formal/written language (essays, reports, speeches).

So:

Pensel itu tumpul. ✅ (normal, correct)
Pensel itu adalah tumpul. ❌ (sounds wrong/unnatural)

The “is” is simply understood from context and word order.

What does “tumpul” mean exactly? Why not say something like “tidak tajam”?

“Tumpul” is an adjective meaning “blunt” or “dull (not sharp)”. It’s the direct opposite of “tajam” (sharp).

pensel tumpul = blunt pencil
pisau tumpul = blunt knife
gunting tumpul = blunt scissors

You could say “tidak tajam” (= not sharp), but it’s longer and often less natural when there is a specific antonym:

✅ Pensel itu tumpul.
Also possible: Pensel itu tidak tajam. (understandable, but not as natural)

Malay usually prefers a single adjective instead of “not + opposite”, if that word exists.

What does “jadi” mean here, and how formal is it? Could I use something else instead?

In this sentence, “jadi” means “so” / “therefore” / “as a result”.

Pensel itu tumpul, jadi saya asah…
= The pencil is blunt, so I sharpen (it)…

About formality:

“jadi” is neutral–informal. Very common in speech and casual writing.
In more formal writing, you might use:
- oleh itu = therefore
- maka = thus/so (somewhat literary)

Examples:

Pensel itu tumpul, jadi saya asah. (speech, casual writing)
Pensel itu tumpul, oleh itu saya mengasahnya. (more formal)

All are understandable, but “jadi” is the most typical in everyday conversation.

Why is it “saya asah” and not “saya mengasah”? What’s the difference between “asah” and “mengasah”?

Both come from the same root “asah” (to sharpen):

asah = root form (used in some patterns, often after another verb, or in casual speech)
mengasah = the meN- verb form (standard active verb: “to sharpen [something]”)

In careful, standard sentences, you’ll often see:

Saya mengasah pensel itu.
I sharpen the pencil.

But Malay also allows the bare root verb, especially in short, spoken sentences or after another verb like mahu (want), boleh (can), etc.:

Saya asah pensel itu. (casual, but common)
Saya mahu asah pensel itu. (= I want to sharpen the pencil.)

So in your sentence:

saya asah is fine, natural, and informal/neutral.
saya mengasah (pensel itu) would be a bit more explicit and standard.

There is no word for “it” in “jadi saya asah sebelum menulis…”. How do I know what is being sharpened?

Malay often omits pronouns like “it” when the object is obvious from context.

Pensel itu tumpul, jadi saya asah…
Literally: That pencil blunt, so I sharpen [Ø]…
The listener automatically understands the pencil is what you sharpen.

If you want to be more explicit, you can say:

…jadi saya mengasahnya sebelum menulis…
- -nya = him/her/it (here: it, the pencil)
Or: …jadi saya mengasah pensel itu…

But in natural speech, dropping the object when it’s clear is very common and perfectly acceptable.

Why is it “sebelum menulis nota sejarah” and not “sebelum saya menulis nota sejarah”?

In Malay, when two clauses share the same subject, the second clause can often omit the subject.

Your sentence is understood as:

Pensel itu tumpul, jadi saya asah sebelum (saya) menulis nota sejarah.
= …so I sharpen (it) before I write history notes.

The subject “saya” is clear from the first part (saya asah), so repeating it would be optional:

…jadi saya asah sebelum menulis nota sejarah. ✅ (natural)
…jadi saya asah sebelum saya menulis nota sejarah. ✅ (also correct, just a bit heavier)

Omitting the repeated subject keeps the sentence more compact and natural.

Why is “menulis” used (with meN-) instead of just “tulis”?

“Tulis” is the root, “menulis” is the standard active verb form:

tulis = write (root)
menulis = to write / writing (verb form)

After prepositions like sebelum (before), selepas (after), untuk (to/for), Malay typically uses the meN- verb:

sebelum menulis = before writing
selepas makan = after eating
untuk belajar = to study

So:

sebelum menulis nota sejarah ✅ (correct, natural)
sebelum tulis nota sejarah ❌ (non-standard; you may hear it casually in some speech, but it’s not good form for learners)

What does “nota sejarah” mean exactly, and why isn’t there a word like “my” or a plural marker?

“Nota sejarah” literally is:

nota = notes
sejarah = history

Malay doesn’t always mark plural or possession the way English does.

Plural
- nota can mean note or notes, depending on context.
  You often don’t need a separate plural word.
- nota sejarah = history note(s)
Possession (“my”, “your”, etc.)
If you want to specify:
- nota sejarah saya = my history notes
- nota sejarah kamu / awak = your history notes

But very often, if it’s already obvious whose notes they are (e.g. you’re talking about your study routine), “nota sejarah” alone is enough and sounds natural.

Why is the word order “menulis nota sejarah” and not something like “nota sejarah menulis”?

Basic Malay word order is similar to English:

Verb + Object
menulis (verb)
- nota sejarah (object)
  = write + history notes

So:

menulis nota sejarah = to write history notes ✅
nota sejarah menulis ❌ is ungrammatical in this meaning.

General pattern:

membaca buku = to read a book
minum air = to drink water
menulis surat = to write a letter

Verb comes first; what you act on comes after.

How do we know if this sentence is past, present, or future? There’s no tense marker.

Malay doesn't change the verb form for tense. Time is understood from context or from time words if needed.

Pensel itu tumpul, jadi saya asah sebelum menulis nota sejarah.
can mean, depending on context:

The pencil is blunt, so I (usually) sharpen it before writing history notes. (habitual)
The pencil was blunt, so I sharpened it before writing history notes. (past)
The pencil is blunt, so I will sharpen it before writing history notes. (near future)

If you want to be explicit, add time expressions:

semalam = yesterday
tadi = earlier / just now
nanti = later
setiap hari = every day

Example:

Setiap hari, pensel itu tumpul, jadi saya asah sebelum menulis nota sejarah.
= Every day, the pencil is blunt, so I sharpen it before writing history notes.

Why is it “saya” and not “aku”? What’s the difference?

Both mean “I / me”, but they differ in formality and context.

saya
- Polite, neutral
- Used with strangers, older people, in formal situations, in writing
- Safe default for learners
aku
- Informal, intimate
- Used with close friends, family, or in casual spoken style
- Can sound rude if used to the wrong person/situation

So in your sentence:

Pensel itu tumpul, jadi saya asah…
is polite/neutral and appropriate almost everywhere.

You might say “aku asah” when talking to a close friend, but learners are generally safer sticking with “saya” until they’re comfortable with social nuances.

Is “pensel” the only correct spelling? I’ve seen “pensil” too.

You may encounter both, but in standard Malay (Malaysia and Brunei):

✅ pensel = standard spelling for pencil

“Pensil” can appear in:

Indonesian (although “pensil” is also used there)
Non-standard or older spellings in some contexts

For modern Malay as used in Malaysia/Singapore/Brunei, use “pensel”.