Learn Hardcore Malay: Di universiti, saya juga belajar sedikit Bahasa Jepun. - At university, I also study a bit of Japanese.

Di universiti, saya juga belajar sedikit Bahasa Jepun.
Saya juga belajar sedikit Bahasa Jepun di universiti.
Saya belajar sedikit Bahasa Jepun di universiti juga. (slightly different emphasis: “at university as well”)

Putting “Di universiti” at the front is a common way to set the scene first, a bit like saying “As for at university, I also study…”.

What exactly does “di” mean here, and how is it different from “pada”?

In this sentence, “di” is a preposition meaning “at / in” a physical place:

di universiti = at / in university

General rule of thumb:

di → used for locations/places
- di rumah (at home)
- di sekolah (at school)
- di pejabat (at the office)
pada → used more for time, or sometimes for more abstract “at/on”
- pada pukul tiga (at three o’clock)
- pada hari Isnin (on Monday)

You would not normally say pada universiti for place; di universiti is the natural choice.

Why is there no word for “the” or “a” before “universiti” or “Bahasa Jepun”?

Malay does not have articles like “the” or “a/an”. So:

universiti can mean “a university” or “the university”
Bahasa Jepun can mean “Japanese (language)” in general

The definiteness (whether it is a or the) is understood from context, or you can make it explicit:

di *sebuah universiti = at *a university (indefinite)
di universiti itu = at that university / at the university (more specific)

What is the difference between “saya” and “aku”, and why is “saya” used here?

Both “saya” and “aku” mean “I / me”, but they differ in formality:

saya
- neutral and polite
- used in most situations: talking to strangers, teachers, in writing, in class, etc.
aku
- informal / intimate
- used with close friends, siblings, or in song lyrics, casual speech

Because the sentence is neutral and could be used in a school or formal context, “saya” is the safer, more generally appropriate choice.

You could say:

Di universiti, *aku juga belajar sedikit Bahasa Jepun.*

but that sounds more like you are speaking casually to a close friend.

What does “juga” mean exactly, and why is it placed after “saya”?

“juga” means “also / too / as well”.

In this sentence:

saya juga belajar…
→ “I also study…”

Common placements:

saya juga belajar… → I also study…
saya belajar juga… → I study as well (often adding “on top of other things I do”)
saya belajar Bahasa Jepun juga → I study Japanese too (in addition to something else)

The most neutral, natural way to say “I also study…” is “saya juga belajar…”, as in the given sentence.

Does “belajar” mean “to study” or “to learn”? Is there any difference in Malay?

“belajar” covers both “study” and “learn” in English, depending on context.

Saya belajar Bahasa Jepun.
→ I study/learn Japanese.

Malay often doesn’t distinguish clearly between “study” (actively doing coursework) and “learn” (acquiring knowledge); belajar is used for both.

There are other related words, but they are more specific:

mempelajari – to study something in depth, often more formal
mengaji – can mean to recite/study (often used in religious context, e.g. mengaji Al-Quran)

For normal language learning at university, “belajar” is the standard verb.

What does “sedikit” add to the sentence, and where can it go?

“sedikit” means “a little / a bit / some”.

belajar sedikit Bahasa Jepun
→ “study a bit of Japanese”

Position:

belajar sedikit Bahasa Jepun (as in the sentence) – very natural
belajar Bahasa Jepun sedikit – also possible, but often sounds more like “study Japanese a bit”, with the focus on how much you study
sedikit belajar Bahasa Jepun – uncommon and awkward

So the most natural expression for “study a bit of Japanese” is exactly:

belajar sedikit Bahasa Jepun

What is the difference between “sedikit” and “sikit”?

Both can mean “a little / a bit”, but:

sedikit
- standard and slightly more formal
- used in writing, textbooks, formal speech
sikit
- colloquial / informal pronunciation
- very common in everyday spoken Malay
- often used in expressions like sekejap sikit, tunggu sikit, sikit-sikit

So in casual speech you might hear:

Saya juga belajar sikit Bahasa Jepun.

In a sentence presented to learners or in writing, “sedikit” is more appropriate.

Why is “Bahasa Jepun” capitalized like that? Can I write “bahasa Jepun” or just “Jepun”?

Standard modern practice (especially in Malaysia):

Language names:
- Bahasa Jepun
- bahasa Jepun

You will see both styles. Many sources capitalize “Bahasa” when it starts the phrase or is treated as part of a proper name. Others only capitalize the nationality/region:

bahasa Jepun (literally: Japanese language)

Using just “Jepun” normally means “Japan” (the country), or “Japanese (people/things)” depending on context, not specifically the language.

So for clarity, to mean the Japanese language, it is best to say Bahasa Jepun or bahasa Jepun.

Can I drop “Bahasa” and just say “saya juga belajar sedikit Jepun”?

In careful / standard Malay, you usually include “Bahasa” when you mean the language:

Saya belajar Bahasa Jepun. = I study Japanese (language).

Saying:

Saya belajar sedikit Jepun.

is understandable in context, but:

it can sound informal, and
“Jepun” by itself usually refers to Japan (the country) or Japanese (people/things), not specifically the language.

So especially as a learner, it is better and clearer to say “Bahasa Jepun”.

How do we know if this sentence is in the past or present tense?

Malay does not mark tense with verb changes like English does. The verb “belajar” stays the same for past, present, or future:

Saya belajar Bahasa Jepun.
→ I learned / am learning / will learn Japanese, depending on context.

To make the time clear, Malay uses time words, for example:

Dulu, di universiti, saya juga belajar sedikit Bahasa Jepun.
→ In the past / Before, at university, I also studied a bit of Japanese.
Sekarang di universiti, saya juga belajar sedikit Bahasa Jepun.
→ Now at university, I am also studying a bit of Japanese.
Nanti di universiti, saya juga akan belajar sedikit Bahasa Jepun.
→ Later at university, I will also study a bit of Japanese.

In your original sentence, the time is understood from the broader context.

Is the comma after “Di universiti” required?

In Malay, a comma is often used after a fronted phrase (like time or place) to show a pause:

Di universiti, saya juga belajar sedikit Bahasa Jepun.

It is stylistically good and common, but not absolutely strict. In simpler sentences you might see:

Di sekolah saya belajar Bahasa Melayu.

For clear, standard writing—especially for learners—it’s better to keep the comma after the initial “Di universiti”.

How would I say “at my university” instead of just “at university”?

You can add a possessive after universiti:

Di universiti saya, saya juga belajar sedikit Bahasa Jepun.
→ At my university, I also study a bit of Japanese.

Other useful patterns:

di universiti kami – at our university
di universiti mereka – at their university
di universiti itu – at that/the university (specific)
di universiti di Tokyo – at the university in Tokyo

The rest of the sentence can stay the same.