Learn Hardcore Malay: Saya suka bunyi laut pada waktu malam.

Saya suka bunyi laut pada waktu malam.

I like the sound of the sea at night.

Breakdown of Saya suka bunyi laut pada waktu malam.

Elon.io is an online learning platform

We have an entire course teaching Malay grammar and vocabulary.

Start learning Malay now

Questions & Answers about Saya suka bunyi laut pada waktu malam.

What does each word in Saya suka bunyi laut pada waktu malam literally mean?

Word by word:

Saya – I / me
suka – like
bunyi – sound / noise
laut – sea / ocean
pada – at / on / in (here: at)
waktu – time (here: time / period)
malam – night

So the structure is roughly: I like sound sea at time night.
More natural English: I like the sound of the sea at night.

Why is there no word for the in this sentence (as in the sound of the sea)?

Malay does not have articles like a, an, or the.
Whether something is specific or general is understood from context.

bunyi laut can mean the sound of the sea or a sound of the sea or sea sounds, depending on context.
Similarly, laut can be the sea, a sea, or sea/ocean in general.

You don’t add an extra word to show the; you rely on context and any extra description if needed.

How does bunyi laut work grammatically? Is it like sound of the sea or sea sound?

bunyi laut is a noun + noun phrase:

bunyi – sound
laut – sea

In Malay, putting two nouns together often gives a relationship similar to X of Y or Y X in English.
So:

bunyi laut ≈ sound of the sea / sea sound
Other examples:
- baju sekolah – school uniform (literally: clothes school)
- pintu rumah – house door / the door of the house

So bunyi laut is not a fixed idiom; it’s just a normal noun phrase.

Can I say bunyi ombak instead of bunyi laut? What’s the difference?

Yes, you can.

bunyi laut – the sound of the sea in general (could include waves, wind, distant ships, etc.)
bunyi ombak – specifically the sound of waves
- ombak = waves / surf

Both are natural. If you mean the crashing of waves, bunyi ombak is a bit more specific.

What’s the role of pada in pada waktu malam? Could I leave it out?

pada is a preposition roughly meaning at / on / in, and it is often used with time expressions.

pada waktu malam – at night time
pada hari Isnin – on Monday
pada tahun 2020 – in 2020

In everyday speech, you can often drop pada:

Saya suka bunyi laut waktu malam. – still understandable and fairly natural in speech.

In careful / formal writing, pada waktu malam is more standard.

What’s the difference between pada waktu malam, pada malam, waktu malam, and malam hari?

All can refer to at night, but with slightly different flavours:

pada waktu malam – quite clear and a bit more formal; literally at night time.
pada malam – also at night; common and natural.
waktu malam – night time (can be used without pada, especially in speech).
malam hari – literally night day, an idiomatic way to say at night; common in Indonesian, also understood in Malay.

In your sentence, all of these are possible:

Saya suka bunyi laut pada waktu malam.
Saya suka bunyi laut pada malam.
Saya suka bunyi laut waktu malam.
Saya suka bunyi laut pada malam hari.

They all sound natural; pada waktu malam and pada malam are very typical in Malay.

Where can the time phrase go in the sentence? Can I move pada waktu malam?

Yes, time expressions are flexible in Malay. All of these are acceptable:

Saya suka bunyi laut pada waktu malam.
Pada waktu malam, saya suka bunyi laut.
Saya pada waktu malam suka bunyi laut. (possible, but less common; sounds a bit more formal/emphatic)

Most natural in everyday speech:

at the end: Saya suka bunyi laut pada waktu malam.
or at the front for emphasis: Pada waktu malam, saya suka bunyi laut.

Is suka more like English like or love?

suka is closest to English like.

Saya suka bunyi laut. – I like the sound of the sea.
To say really like / love, you usually add an intensifier:
- Saya sangat suka bunyi laut. – I really like / love the sound of the sea.
- Saya amat suka bunyi laut. – very similar, a bit more formal.

For romantic love, Malay often uses cinta or sayang, not suka. Here suka is just ordinary like.

Can I say Saya suka akan bunyi laut? I’ve seen akan after suka sometimes.

Yes, Saya suka akan bunyi laut is grammatically correct, but:

saya suka bunyi laut – most common, sounds natural and neutral.
saya suka akan bunyi laut – a bit more formal/literary, slightly heavier style.

In modern everyday Malay, suka is usually used without akan when followed by a noun.

What’s the difference between Saya and Aku here? Could I drop the pronoun?

Saya – polite, neutral, safe in almost all situations (formal or informal).
Aku – informal, used with close friends, family, or by younger people; can sound rude if used in the wrong context.

Your sentence with aku:

Aku suka bunyi laut pada waktu malam. – informal / intimate tone.

Dropping the pronoun:

In context, you can sometimes omit saya:
- (Saya) suka bunyi laut pada waktu malam.
  But as a standalone sentence or in learning materials, Saya is usually kept to be clear.

Why isn’t there a plural form like sounds or seas? How does Malay show plural?

Malay usually does not mark plural with a separate word or ending. Context tells you if it’s singular or plural.

bunyi – sound / sounds
laut – sea / seas

If you really need to emphasise plural, you can use:

reduplication: bunyi-bunyi – sounds (various sounds)
banyak bunyi – many sounds
beberapa bunyi – several sounds

In your sentence, bunyi laut naturally covers the general repeated sound of the sea; you don’t need an explicit plural.

If I want to say I like listening to the sound of the sea at night, how would I change the sentence?

You can add mendengar (to listen):

Saya suka mendengar bunyi laut pada waktu malam.
- suka mendengar – like listening to
- literally: I like to listen (to) the sound of the sea at night.

This makes the act of listening explicit, instead of just liking the sound in general.