Learn Hardcore Malay: Adakah dia akan datang ke kelas Bahasa Inggeris malam ini? - Will he/she come to English class tonight?

Literally, it comes from “ada” (to exist / there is / to be) + “-kah” (a question particle).
In practice, at the start of a sentence it works like: “Is it (the case) that…”

You do not always need adakah to make a yes–no question. In everyday spoken Malay, people usually just say the statement with a rising intonation:

Dia akan datang ke kelas Bahasa Inggeris malam ini?
(“He/She will come to the English class tonight?” – just said with questioning intonation.)

So “Adakah…” is correct and sounds more formal / written / careful than everyday speech.

Is this sentence formal or informal? How would people normally say it in conversation?

“Adakah dia akan datang ke kelas Bahasa Inggeris malam ini?” sounds fairly formal or standard, suitable for:

writing (exercises, exams, official texts)
formal speech (announcements, news, careful speech)

In casual conversation, native speakers more often say, for example:

Dia akan datang ke kelas Bahasa Inggeris malam ini?
Dia datang kelas bahasa Inggeris malam ini tak? (adding “tak” as a question marker)
In some Malaysian usage: Dia akan datang ke kelas bahasa Inggeris malam ini ke? (final “ke” as a colloquial question particle)

All of these are more natural in everyday speech than starting with “Adakah…”.

What is the role of “akan” in this sentence? Can I leave it out?

“akan” marks the future and usually corresponds to English “will”.

Dia akan datang… = “He/She will come…”
Without “akan”: Dia datang… = “He/She comes / is coming / will come” (time is inferred from context).

You can omit “akan” if it is already clear from context or from a time word like “malam ini” (tonight) that you are talking about the future:

Dia (akan) datang ke kelas bahasa Inggeris malam ini?

Both are grammatical. Using “akan” makes the future meaning very explicit and is good for learners and for formal writing.

Does “dia” mean “he” or “she”? How do I show the gender in Malay?

“dia” can mean “he” or “she”. Malay does not mark gender in the third-person singular pronoun.

To make gender clear, people rely on context or add extra words, for example:

dia lelaki itu – that man / that male person
dia perempuan itu – that woman / that female person
use the person’s name:
- Adakah Ali akan datang ke kelas…?
- Adakah Siti akan datang ke kelas…?

In more formal contexts, “beliau” is used for “he/she” when referring respectfully to someone (a teacher, a leader, etc.), but it still does not mark gender.

Why is “ke” used before “kelas” and not “di”?

Malay distinguishes between movement toward a place and location at a place:

ke = “to” (direction / movement towards somewhere)
di = “at / in / on” (location, no movement)

In this sentence, “datang ke kelas” means “come to the class”, so “ke” is correct.

Compare:

Dia datang ke kelas. – He/She comes to the class.
Dia sudah di kelas. – He/She is already in/at the class.

Using “di kelas” with “datang” would sound odd here, like “come at the class” instead of “come to the class”.

Can I move “malam ini” to the beginning of the sentence?

Yes. Time expressions in Malay are quite flexible in position.

All of these are grammatical and natural:

Dia akan datang ke kelas bahasa Inggeris malam ini.
Malam ini dia akan datang ke kelas bahasa Inggeris.

The meaning is the same (“tonight”), but:

Putting “malam ini” at the start slightly emphasizes the time (“As for tonight, he/she will come to the English class.”)

Why are both words in “Bahasa Inggeris” capitalized? Is that always required?

There are two issues here: language names and actual usage.

Official spelling guidelines (modern Malay):
- Normally, only the name of the language is capitalized:
  - bahasa Inggeris (English language)
  - bahasa Melayu (Malay language)
Common textbook / classroom usage:
- Many school materials and teachers still write “Bahasa Inggeris” and “Bahasa Melayu” with a capital B, especially when referring to the school subject (like “English Language” as a course name).

So you will see both:

kelas bahasa Inggeris (more in line with official guidelines)
kelas Bahasa Inggeris (very common in textbooks/schools)

For learning purposes, it is safe to follow the style your teacher or textbook uses.

Can I say “kelas Inggeris” instead of “kelas Bahasa Inggeris”?

You can, but it sounds a bit short or less precise in standard Malay.

kelas bahasa Inggeris / kelas Bahasa Inggeris = clearly “English language class”
kelas Inggeris = “English class” (understood in context, but the word “bahasa” is missing)

In casual speech, people might say:

kelas English (code-switching with English)
kelas BI (short for bahasa Inggeris)

For clear and correct standard Malay, especially in writing, “kelas bahasa Inggeris” is the safest form.

What exactly is the “-kah” in “Adakah”, and can it attach to other words?

“-kah” is a question particle that can attach to various words to form emphatic or formal questions.

Examples:

adakah – “is it that…”
apakah – “what (is it that)…”
siapakah – “who (is it that)…”
bilakah – “when (is it that)…”
mungkinkah – “is it possible that…”
sudahkah dia datang? – “Has he/she already come?”

It makes the question sound more formal, emphatic, or literary. In everyday speech, many speakers just omit “-kah” and rely on intonation instead.

Could I say “Akankah dia datang ke kelas bahasa Inggeris malam ini?” instead? Is there a difference from “Adakah dia akan datang…”?

Yes, you can say:

Akankah dia datang ke kelas bahasa Inggeris malam ini?

Differences in nuance:

“Adakah dia akan datang…”
- Literally: “Is it (the case) that he/she will come…”
- Focuses on whether the event will happen.
“Akankah dia datang…”
- Literally: “Will he/she come…” (with “akan”
  - “-kah” combined)
- Puts the future aspect (“will”) a bit more in focus.
- Sounds slightly more literary / formal / rhetorical, often seen in written texts.

Both are grammatical and both ask essentially the same yes–no question.

Can I drop “dia” and just say “Adakah akan datang ke kelas bahasa Inggeris malam ini?”?

In this sentence, you should not drop “dia”.

Adakah akan datang ke kelas bahasa Inggeris malam ini?
sounds incomplete, like “Is will come to the English class tonight?” — who will come?

Malay sometimes allows omitting pronouns in informal speech when they are very obvious from context, but:

In clear, correct Malay (especially for learners and in writing), you should keep the subject:
- Adakah dia akan datang ke kelas bahasa Inggeris malam ini?

Is the word order always subject + “akan” + verb, or can it change?

In normal statements and questions, the basic order is:

Subject + (aspect marker like “akan”) + Verb + (other information)

So here:

Dia (subject)
akan (future marker)
datang (verb “come”)
ke kelas bahasa Inggeris (destination)
malam ini (time)

This is the default and most natural order. Two notes:

“akan” normally comes before the main verb:
- ✅ dia akan datang
- ❌ dia datang akan
For stylistic or literary effect, Malay sometimes fronts certain elements:
- Akankah dia datang ke kelas bahasa Inggeris malam ini?
- Malam ini dia akan datang ke kelas bahasa Inggeris.

But for everyday use, stick with:

Dia akan datang …
Adakah dia akan datang …?