Saya suka lukisan yang menunjukkan langit senja di atas bandar.

I like the painting that shows the dusk sky above the city.

Breakdown of Saya suka lukisan yang menunjukkan langit senja di atas bandar.

• saya: I
• suka: to like
• bandar: the city
• senja: dusk
• yang: that/which
• langit: the sky
• menunjukkan: to show
• lukisan: the painting
• di atas: above

Questions & Answers about Saya suka lukisan yang menunjukkan langit senja di atas bandar.

What does yang do in this sentence, and is it like English that/which?

Yang is a relative pronoun / marker that introduces a relative clause, very similar to English that or which.

• lukisan yang menunjukkan langit senja di atas bandar
  = the painting *that shows the sunset sky above the city*

Here:

• lukisan = painting(s)
• yang menunjukkan langit senja di atas bandar = a clause describing which painting

In this kind of structure you must use yang; you cannot normally drop it the way English can drop that:

• ✔️ Saya suka lukisan yang menunjukkan langit senja di atas bandar.
• ❌ Saya suka lukisan menunjukkan langit senja di atas bandar. (unnatural in standard Malay)

So: yang connects lukisan to the clause menunjukkan langit senja di atas bandar and tells you which painting(s) you like.

How is menunjukkan formed, and what is the difference between tunjuk, menunjuk, and menunjukkan?

The base word is tunjuk (to point, to show).

From that base, Malay builds related verbs:

• tunjuk

  • often used as a simple command or informal verb:
    
    • Tunjuk saya. = Show me / point it out to me.

• menunjuk

  • more like “to point (at something)” (focus on the act of pointing)
    
    • Dia menunjuk ke langit. = He/She points to the sky.

• menunjukkan

  • transitive, meaning “to show something, to demonstrate something to someone”
  • pattern: meN- + tunjuk + -kan
    
    • Guru menunjukkan gambar. = The teacher shows a picture.

In your sentence:

• menunjukkan takes langit senja di atas bandar as its object:
  
  • lukisan yang menunjukkan langit senja di atas bandar
    = a painting that shows the sunset sky above the city.

So menunjukkan is the most natural choice here because a painting is “showing” a scene (it has that scene as its object).

Is lukisan singular or plural here? Does it mean the painting or paintings?

On its own, lukisan is not marked for singular or plural. It can mean:

• a/one painting
• the painting
• paintings (in general)

The exact meaning comes from context.

If you want to be more explicit:

• a/one painting

  • Saya suka *sebuah lukisan yang menunjukkan langit senja di atas bandar.
    (*sebuah is a classifier for one item, often for objects/buildings.)

• the painting (a specific one you both know)

  • Saya suka *lukisan itu yang menunjukkan langit senja di atas bandar.
    (*itu = that; makes it definite.)

• paintings (in general)

  • You can just keep the original sentence; context will often suggest it’s general.
  • Or you can use reduplication to be very clear:
    
    • Saya suka *lukisan-lukisan yang menunjukkan langit senja di atas bandar.*
      (very clearly “paintings”.)

So the bare lukisan is flexible; Malay does not force you to choose singular or plural the way English does.

What exactly does langit senja mean, and why is the order langit then senja?

Langit senja literally is:

• langit = sky
• senja = dusk, twilight, sunset time

Together, langit senja means the sky at dusk / the evening sky / the sunset sky.

The order follows a common Malay pattern:

• Head noun comes first.
• The modifier comes after it.

So:

• langit senja = sky (that is) at dusk
• baju merah = red shirt (literally “shirt red”)
• rumah kayu = wooden house (literally “house wood”)

This is the opposite of English, where adjectives or noun modifiers usually come before the noun: evening sky, red shirt, wooden house.

Does di atas bandar mean on the city or above the city? How does di atas work?

Di atas is a preposition meaning on or above, depending on context:

• di = at/in/on (generic location preposition)
• atas = on top / above

Put together:

• di atas meja = on the table
• di atas kepala saya = above my head

In your sentence:

• langit senja di atas bandar
  = the dusk sky above the city.

We do not interpret it as the sky physically “on top of” the city in the way an object sits on a surface; it’s the natural sense of the sky being overhead.

You might also see:

• di langit di atas bandar (more explicit but longer)
• di langit bandar (less common / a bit odd; sounds compressed)

The standard, natural phrase here is exactly what you have: langit senja di atas bandar.

Is suka a verb or an adjective, and do I need a preposition after it, like suka akan?

In practice, suka behaves like a stative verb meaning to like or to be fond of.

In everyday modern Malay:

• You do not need any extra preposition.
  
  • Saya suka lukisan ini. = I like this painting.
  • Dia suka muzik klasik. = He/She likes classical music.

You may see more formal styles using:

• suka akan or menggemari / menyukai
  
  • Saya suka akan lukisan itu. (formal, somewhat old‑fashioned in everyday speech)
  • Saya menyukai lukisan itu. (formal/polished)

For speaking and normal writing, Saya suka lukisan… is perfectly natural and correct. No akan is needed.

What is the difference between lukisan, gambar, and foto? Could I say Saya suka gambar… instead?

All three refer to visual images, but with different typical uses:

• lukisan

  • literally “painting” or “drawing”
  • implies something created by hand (artwork)
  • your sentence suggests you are talking about art.

• gambar

  • very broad: picture, image, illustration (can be drawing, photo, diagram, etc.)
  • can be a painting, but does not automatically carry the “fine art” feel.

• foto / fotografi / gambar foto

  • specifically photograph(s).

So:

• Saya suka *lukisan yang menunjukkan langit senja di atas bandar.
  = I like *paintings that show the sunset sky above the city. (artistic)

• Saya suka *gambar yang menunjukkan langit senja di atas bandar.
  = I like *pictures/images that show the sunset sky above the city. (more general)

• Saya suka *foto langit senja di atas bandar.
  = I like *photos of the sunset sky above the city.

In your original sentence, lukisan is the best if you truly mean paintings.

How is tense handled here? Does Saya suka… mean I like (now), I liked, or I have always liked?

Malay verbs do not change form for tense. Suka is the same in all tenses; the time reference comes from context or from added time words.

Your sentence can mean:

• I like painting(s)… (general preference, present/habitual)
• I liked the painting(s)… (if the context is clearly in the past)
• I have always liked painting(s)… (if the context says “always”)

To be more explicit:

• Past:

  • Saya *sudah suka lukisan yang menunjukkan langit senja di atas bandar itu sejak dulu.
    = I *have liked that painting since long ago.
  • Semalam saya nampak satu lukisan, dan saya *suka lukisan itu.
    (Past understood from *semalam = yesterday.)

• Future:

  • Saya rasa saya *akan suka lukisan yang menunjukkan langit senja di atas bandar.
    = I think I *will like a painting that shows the sunset sky above the city.

But in normal use, Saya suka lukisan… is interpreted as a general, timeless preference unless context says otherwise.

Can I drop Saya, or do I always need the subject pronoun?

Malay can drop subject pronouns, but whether you should depends on clarity and style.

• Full form (clear, neutral):

  • Saya suka lukisan yang menunjukkan langit senja di atas bandar.

• Dropped subject (only from context):

  • Suka lukisan yang menunjukkan langit senja di atas bandar.
    (literally “Like painting(s) that show the sunset sky above the city.”)

The version without Saya can sound:

• like a note or headline
• like very casual speech where the speaker is obvious
• slightly incomplete in isolation

In normal full sentences, especially for learners and in writing, it is better to keep Saya (or whatever the subject is) so the sentence is clear and well‑formed.

What is the difference between using Saya and Aku here?

Both mean I / me, but they differ in register:

• Saya

  • polite, neutral, standard
  • used with strangers, in formal situations, in writing, in class, etc.
  • fits perfectly in your sentence.

• Aku

  • more intimate, informal
  • used with close friends, partners, sometimes in songs/poetry
  • can sound rude or too casual if used with the wrong person.

So:

• Saya suka lukisan yang menunjukkan langit senja di atas bandar.
  = neutral/polite.

• Aku suka lukisan yang menunjukkan langit senja di atas bandar.
  = intimate/casual, suitable when talking to close friends.

As a learner, default to Saya unless you are sure about the social context.

Can I say this without yang, for example Saya suka lukisan langit senja di atas bandar? Is there a difference in meaning?

Yes, you can say:

• Saya suka *lukisan langit senja di atas bandar.*

But the nuance is a bit different.

1. With yang (your original):

   • lukisan yang menunjukkan langit senja di atas bandar
   • literally, painting(s) that *show the sunset sky above the city*
   • grammatically: lukisan
     • relative clause.

   This highlights what the painting does: it shows/depicts something.

2. Without yang, as a long noun phrase:

   • lukisan langit senja di atas bandar
   • read as painting(s) of the sunset sky above the city
   • grammatically: lukisan (head) + modifiers (langit senja di atas bandar).

In many contexts, the overall idea is similar, but:

• With yang menunjukkan, you are clearly describing an action: the painting shows a scene.
• Without yang, you are labelling the type/subject of the painting.

Both are natural; your original sentence is a clean, explicit relative‑clause structure and is very good Malay.

How would I roughly pronounce senja and bandar as an English speaker?

Approximate pronunciations (not strict IPA, but close enough for an English speaker):

• senja

  • syllables: sen‑ja
  • sen like suhn in sudden (short schwa‑like vowel)
  • ja like ja in Java, but with a soft English j
  • overall: roughly SUHN‑jah (short, smooth, no stress exaggeration)

• bandar

  • syllables: ban‑dar
  • ban like bun in bundle (short vowel, not long “baaaan”)
  • dar like dar in dark but without the long r and no “r‑coloring”
  • overall: roughly BUN‑dar (two short, clear syllables)

Malay syllables are generally short and even; avoid the strong English stress pattern and keep everything fairly flat and smooth.