Learn Hardcore Malay: Saya memerlukan jadual waktu galeri supaya saya tahu bila saya boleh datang lagi. - I need the gallery timetable so that I know when I can come again.

memerlukan + noun
- Slightly more formal and complete.
- Common in writing and polite speech.
- Example: Saya memerlukan jadual waktu galeri.
perlukan + noun
- Also correct, a bit more conversational.
- Formed like (Subject) + perlukan + object.
- Example: Saya perlukan jadual waktu galeri.

In this sentence, both are grammatically fine:

Saya memerlukan jadual waktu galeri...
Saya perlukan jadual waktu galeri...

The meaning is the same. The version with memerlukan just feels a bit more formal/standard.

What exactly does jadual waktu galeri mean, and why are there three nouns in a row?

The phrase is a noun phrase built like this:

jadual = schedule / timetable
waktu = time(s)
galeri = gallery

Malay normally puts the main noun first and then adds more specific information after it:

jadual waktu = timetable of times (i.e. schedule)
jadual waktu galeri = the gallery’s timetable / the gallery’s opening hours

So:

jadual (main noun)
→ jadual waktu (what kind of timetable? A timetable of times)
→ jadual waktu galeri (whose timetable? The gallery’s timetable)

You could also just say jadual galeri (“gallery schedule”), but jadual waktu galeri makes it clear you mean the hours or timetable, not some other kind of schedule.

Could I just say jadual galeri or waktu galeri instead of jadual waktu galeri?

Yes, in real life you might hear shorter versions:

jadual galeri – can mean the gallery’s schedule (timetable, events, or hours, depending on context).
waktu galeri – less common on its own, sounds incomplete (just “gallery times”).

Common alternatives are:

jadual buka galeri = the gallery’s opening schedule
waktu buka galeri = the gallery’s opening hours

jadual waktu galeri is clear, correct, and neutral. The shorter versions can work, but may rely more on context.

What does supaya do here? Is it like so that or because?

supaya means so that / in order that. It introduces a purpose or goal.

In your sentence:

... jadual waktu galeri supaya saya tahu ...
→ “... the gallery schedule so that I know ...”

It’s not “because” (which is kerana or sebab). Compare:

Saya memerlukan jadual waktu galeri supaya saya tahu bila saya boleh datang lagi.
= I need it so that / in order that I know when I can come again.
Saya memerlukan jadual waktu galeri kerana saya mahu datang lagi.
= I need it because I want to come again.

So supaya clearly expresses purpose, not reason.

Can I replace supaya with agar or untuk?

Yes, but with small nuance differences:

agar – very similar to supaya, slightly more formal/literary.
- Saya memerlukan jadual waktu galeri agar saya tahu bila saya boleh datang lagi.
untuk – usually “for / to (do something)”.
- With a full clause after it, untuk can sound a bit more formal or written:
  - Saya memerlukan jadual waktu galeri untuk saya tahu bila saya boleh datang lagi. (acceptable, but a bit heavier)
- More natural is:
  - Saya memerlukan jadual waktu galeri untuk mengetahui bila saya boleh datang lagi.

For everyday spoken Malay, supaya is very natural here.

Why is bila used here? What is the difference between bila and apabila?

In this context, bila means when (as a question word or indirect question):

... supaya saya tahu bila saya boleh datang lagi.
→ “so that I know when I can come again.”

Differences:

bila
- Common in spoken Malay.
- Used as:
  - a question: Bila kamu datang? – When are you coming?
  - an indirect question: Saya tidak tahu bila dia datang. – I don’t know when he’s coming.
apabila
- More formal, common in writing.
- Typically used for when in statements, not direct questions:
  - Apabila saya sampai, saya akan telefon awak. – When I arrive, I will call you.

In your sentence, bila is perfectly natural and standard. apabila would sound more formal and is less typical in a clause like “so that I know when I can come again”.

Why is there no future word like akan? How does bila saya boleh datang lagi express the future?

Malay usually does not need a separate future marker like will.

saya boleh datang lagi
literally: “I can come again”

Because of bila (when) and the context (planning a later visit), it is naturally understood as future:

“when I can come again (in the future)”

If you add akan, it becomes more marked and can sound odd here:

bila saya akan boleh datang lagi – grammatical but unnatural in everyday speech.

So:

Tense is mostly inferred from context, time expressions, and words like sudah (already), akan (will), sedang (in the middle of), etc.
In this sentence, you don’t need akan; the meaning is already clear.

What does boleh contribute to the meaning? Could I just say bila saya datang lagi?

boleh means can / may / be allowed to / be able to.

bila saya boleh datang lagi
= when I can come again (i.e. when it is possible/allowed/appropriate for me to come again)

If you say:

bila saya datang lagi
literally: “when I come again”

That sounds more like you are stating a time of a planned action, not asking about possibility or permission. In context:

bila saya boleh datang lagi – “when I’m able/allowed to come again”
bila saya datang lagi – “when I do come again”

For asking about which times are possible, boleh is more natural.

What does lagi mean here, and why is it placed after datang?

lagi has several meanings, but two common ones are:

again (when it comes after a verb)
- datang lagi = come again
- buat lagi = do (it) again
more / another / extra (in other positions)
- lagi satu = one more / another one
- nak makan lagi? = want to eat more?

In your sentence:

... bila saya boleh datang lagi.
→ “when I can come again.”

The order datang lagi (verb + lagi) is standard for the “again” meaning.

You could also say datang semula or datang sekali lagi, but datang lagi is the most common, natural choice in everyday speech.

Why is saya repeated? Can I omit the second saya and say supaya tahu bila boleh datang lagi?

Standard, clear form:

supaya saya tahu bila saya boleh datang lagi.

Here, repeating saya makes the sentence unambiguous and formal/standard.

In informal spoken Malay, people often drop repeated pronouns when context is clear:

supaya saya tahu bila boleh datang lagi.
supaya tahu bila saya boleh datang lagi. (less common but possible if the subject is obvious)

However:

In writing or careful speech, keeping both saya is better: it is clearer and more standard.
For a learner, it’s safer to keep the pronouns until you’re very comfortable with omission in context.

Is Saya memerlukan... formal? How would people say this more casually?

Yes, Saya memerlukan jadual waktu galeri... sounds polite and reasonably formal, suitable for:

talking to staff,
writing an email,
textbooks and exams.

More casual / everyday alternatives:

Saya perlukan jadual waktu galeri...
Saya nak tahu jadual buka galeri, supaya saya tahu bila boleh datang lagi.
- nak (want to) is very common in colloquial speech.

Example very natural spoken version:

Saya nak jadual buka galeri, supaya saya tahu bila boleh datang lagi.

For learning standard Malay, your original sentence with memerlukan is excellent. Just be aware that in casual speech, people often use nak, drop some pronouns, and simplify phrases.

Can I move the supaya-clause to the front, like Supaya saya tahu bila saya boleh datang lagi, saya memerlukan jadual waktu galeri?

Yes, that is grammatically correct:

Supaya saya tahu bila saya boleh datang lagi, saya memerlukan jadual waktu galeri.

Malay allows you to move purpose or time clauses to the front for emphasis. The meaning stays the same.

Differences:

Saya memerlukan jadual waktu galeri supaya saya tahu bila saya boleh datang lagi.
– Neutral order, very natural.
Supaya saya tahu bila saya boleh datang lagi, saya memerlukan jadual waktu galeri.
– Slightly more formal/emphatic; it puts more focus on the purpose (“so that I know when I can come again”).

Both are fine; for everyday use, the original order is more common.

How would I say this in a shorter, very natural way at the gallery counter?

A polite, natural spoken version could be:

Boleh saya dapat jadual buka galeri, supaya saya tahu bila boleh datang lagi?
- Boleh saya dapat... = May I get / Can I have...
- jadual buka galeri = gallery opening schedule
- supaya saya tahu bila boleh datang lagi = so that I know when I can come again

Even shorter and common:

Boleh bagi saya jadual buka galeri? Saya nak tahu bila boleh datang lagi.

Your original sentence is correct and clear; these versions just sound more like what people actually say in conversation.