Saya sambung belajar di perpustakaan malam ini.

I will continue studying at the library tonight.

Breakdown of Saya sambung belajar di perpustakaan malam ini.

• saya: I
• di: at
• malam ini: tonight
• belajar: to study

Questions & Answers about Saya sambung belajar di perpustakaan malam ini.

What does sambung belajar mean literally, and why are there two verbs together?

Literally, sambung means to continue / to resume, and belajar means to study / to learn.

So sambung belajar is literally continue study / resume studying.

Malay allows a verb like sambung to be followed directly by another verb without any linking word (like English to). So instead of saying continue to study, Malay just says sambung belajar.

Is sambung belajar a fixed phrase, or is it just a normal verb + verb combination?

It’s both:

• Grammatically, it is a normal verb (sambung) followed by another verb (belajar).
• In everyday usage, sambung belajar has become a very common expression, especially in Malaysia, with two main meanings depending on context:
  
  1. To continue studying (right now / later) – as in your sentence:
     
     • Saya sambung belajar di perpustakaan malam ini.
       → I’ll continue studying at the library tonight.
  2. To continue one’s education (to the next level), e.g.:
     
     • Lepas SPM, saya nak sambung belajar di universiti.
       → After SPM, I want to continue my studies at university.

So it functions almost like a set phrase, but it is still transparently sambung + belajar.

Why is there no word for will in Saya sambung belajar di perpustakaan malam ini?