Learn Hardcore Malay: Saya berlatih sebutan dengan mendengar rakaman audio di telefon. - I practise pronunciation by listening to audio recordings on the phone.

Saya – I / me (formal or neutral).
berlatih – to practise / to train (from root latih, with ber- prefix).
sebutan – pronunciation (from verb sebut = to pronounce, plus -an to make it a noun).
dengan – with / by (indicates the method or means).
mendengar – listening / to listen (from dengar, with men- prefix).
rakaman – a recording (from verb rakam = to record, plus -an to make it a noun).
audio – audio (loanword, same meaning as in English).
di – at / in / on (general preposition for place).
telefon – phone (usually means mobile phone in everyday use, unless specified otherwise).

So a very literal gloss is:
I practise pronunciation with/by listening (to) audio recording on (the) phone.

What is the difference between berlatih and belajar, and why is berlatih used here?

berlatih = to practise / to train (repeating an activity to improve a specific skill).
belajar = to study / to learn (more general: learning new information or skills).

In this sentence:

berlatih sebutan focuses on practising pronunciation, usually something you already know but want to improve.
If you said Saya belajar sebutan, it would sound more like I am learning pronunciation (perhaps from scratch or in a more academic sense).

Both can be grammatically correct, but berlatih is more precise for the idea of practising repeatedly to improve.

Why is sebutan (a noun) used instead of a verb like menyebut?

sebut = to pronounce / to mention.
menyebut = to pronounce / to mention (active verb form).
sebutan = pronunciation (noun form).

The pattern berlatih + noun is very common to talk about practising a particular skill:

berlatih sebutan – practise pronunciation
berlatih renang – practise swimming
berlatih gitar – practise guitar

You could say berlatih menyebut (practise pronouncing), but it sounds more specific to the action of pronouncing particular words.
berlatih sebutan refers more broadly to your pronunciation as a skill or area you’re working on. That is why sebutan is more natural here.

What is the function of dengan in dengan mendengar rakaman audio? Could it be omitted?

dengan here means by / by means of and introduces the method you use:

Saya berlatih sebutan dengan mendengar…
→ I practise pronunciation by listening to…

If you remove dengan and say:

Saya berlatih sebutan mendengar rakaman audio…

this sounds wrong or at least very unnatural, because Malay normally needs a linking word (like dengan) before a verb phrase that expresses a method.

You could use alternatives for slightly different nuances:

dengan cara mendengar… – by the method of listening…
sambil mendengar… – while listening… (two actions happening at the same time)

But in this sentence dengan mendengar is the simplest and most natural way to express by listening.

What exactly is mendengar here – is it “to listen” or “listening”?

mendengar is a verb form (meN- + dengar). In Malay, the same verb form can often cover what English expresses as either:

to listen (infinitive)
listening (gerund)

The exact English form depends on context. After dengan, it’s usually best translated as a gerund:

dengan mendengar rakaman audio
→ by listening to an audio recording

So grammatically it’s just a normal verb, but dengan + [verb] is commonly translated into English as by [verb+ing].

Why is there no preposition like “to” after mendengar, for example “mendengar kepada rakaman audio”?

In Malay, mendengar normally takes its object directly, without a preposition:

mendengar muzik – listen to music
mendengar berita – listen to the news
mendengar cikgu – listen to the teacher

So:

mendengar rakaman audio = listen to an audio recording

Using kepada here (mendengar kepada rakaman audio) is ungrammatical. The preposition kepada is not used after mendengar for a direct object.

What is the difference between rakaman, rakaman audio, and just audio?

rakaman – a recording (any kind: audio, video, etc., depending on context).
rakaman audio – specifically an audio recording (clear that it’s sound, not video).
audio (by itself) – audio / sound; can also refer to audio files or audio content in some contexts.

In natural speech:

Saying rakaman audio makes it very clear you are talking about an audio file.
Often people just say audio when the context is obvious:
- Saya dengar audio di telefon. – I listen to audio on my phone.

In your sentence, rakaman audio emphasizes that it’s a recording, not just any sound.

Is di telefon the normal way to say “on the phone”? Why di and not something else?

Yes, di telefon is the standard and natural way to say on the phone (meaning on/using my phone).

di is a general preposition for place: at / in / on.
Context decides whether English uses at, in, or on.

Other possibilities:

di telefon bimbit – on the mobile phone (more explicit).
di telefon saya – on my phone.

You generally do not say pada telefon in this context; pada is more for abstract targets (to, towards), not for a physical device you’re using on.

Could I change the word order, for example: Saya berlatih sebutan di telefon dengan mendengar rakaman audio?

Yes, that word order is still grammatical and understandable:

Saya berlatih sebutan di telefon dengan mendengar rakaman audio.

However, there is a slight difference in emphasis:

Original: … dengan mendengar rakaman audio di telefon.
→ Emphasis more on the method (by listening to audio recordings on the phone).
Reordered: … di telefon dengan mendengar rakaman audio.
→ Slightly more emphasis that the practising happens on the phone, then how (by listening to recordings).

Both are acceptable, but the original flows a bit more naturally and keeps the whole method phrase (dengan mendengar rakaman audio di telefon) together.

Why is there no word for “am” (like “I am practising”) in Malay?

Malay usually does not use a separate verb like to be for present tense actions.

Saya berlatih sebutan already means I practise pronunciation or I am practising pronunciation, depending on context.

To add more detail about when or how the action is happening, Malay uses adverbs, not a verb “to be”:

Saya sedang berlatih sebutan. – I am (right now) practising pronunciation.
Tadi saya berlatih sebutan. – I practised pronunciation earlier.
Esok saya akan berlatih sebutan. – I will practise pronunciation tomorrow.

So there is no missing word; berlatih by itself carries the action, and context or time words show the tense/aspect.

How do I show past or future time in a sentence like this?

The verb form berlatih itself does not change for tense. You add time words or markers:

Past
- Tadi saya berlatih sebutan dengan mendengar rakaman audio di telefon.
  – I practised earlier today…
- Semalam saya berlatih sebutan… – Yesterday I practised…
Present (ongoing)
- Saya sedang berlatih sebutan dengan mendengar rakaman audio di telefon.
  – I am currently practising…
Future
- Esok saya akan berlatih sebutan… – Tomorrow I will practise…
- Nanti saya berlatih sebutan… – I’ll practise later…

So you keep berlatih the same and adjust the time markers/direct context.

Is Saya the only option, or could I say Aku berlatih sebutan…?

You can also say:

Aku berlatih sebutan dengan mendengar rakaman audio di telefon.

The difference is formality and relationship:

Saya – neutral, polite, safe for almost all situations (talking to strangers, teachers, in class, in writing).
Aku – more casual/intimate (with close friends, family, people your own age in informal contexts).

For a learner, Saya is the safest default unless you are sure the situation is informal and Aku is appropriate.