Learn Hardcore Malay: Saya simpan semua kad dan dadu dalam kotak kecil selepas permainan tamat. - I keep all the cards and dice in a small box after the game ends.

Saya simpan semua kad dan dadu dalam kotak kecil ≈
- “I put away all the cards and dice in the small box,” or
- “I keep all the cards and dice in the small box.”

Context (especially selepas permainan tamat – “after the game ends”) makes “put away” the most natural English translation, but the verb itself is closer to “keep/store” in core meaning.

Why is there no plural ending on kad and dadu even though English uses “cards” and “dice”?

Malay usually does not mark plurals on nouns if the context already shows plurality. Here:

semua kad = all card(s) → understood as all the cards
dan dadu = and dice

Because semua (“all”) already signals plurality, you don’t need to repeat it or add a plural ending.

If you really want to emphasize plurality, you could say:

semua kad-kad – grammatically possible but sounds a bit redundant in everyday speech.
Most natives just say semua kad and dadu with no extra plural marking.

Is “dadu” singular or plural? How do I say “one die” vs “two dice”?

Dadu in Malay can be singular or plural, depending on context.

sebiji dadu = one die
- sebiji is a classifier for small round/solid objects
dua biji dadu = two dice
banyak dadu = many dice
semua dadu = all the dice

In your sentence, kad dan dadu is understood as “cards and dice” (plural) from context.

Why is it “semua kad dan dadu” and not “semua kad dan semua dadu”? Is semua modifying both nouns?

Yes, semua (“all”) here is understood to apply to both nouns:

semua kad dan dadu ≈ “all the cards and (all the) dice”

Native speakers often avoid repeating semua if it’s clear it applies to the whole list. If you want to be extra explicit, you can say:

Saya simpan semua kad dan semua dadu…

but it sounds slightly heavier and less natural in casual speech.

Can I say “kad semua” instead of “semua kad”? What’s the difference?

In this context, you should say semua kad, not kad semua.

semua kad = all the cards (neutral, standard)
kad semua is either:
- non-standard / dialectal in many places, or
- sounds like “the cards of everyone” in some contexts (e.g. kad kamu semua = all of your cards / the cards belonging to all of you)

For counting words like “all, two, three, many”, the usual order is:

quantifier + noun
semua kad, dua kad, banyak kad, etc.

What’s the difference between “simpan” and “menyimpan”? Which one is more correct here?

Both are correct, but they differ in style and nuance:

simpan (bare form)
- Very common in everyday spoken Malay.
- Often used after a subject without the meN- prefix in casual speech.
- Fits well in this sentence: Saya simpan semua kad…
menyimpan (with meN- prefix)
- More formal and more typical in writing or careful speech.
- Also correct: Saya menyimpan semua kad dan dadu dalam kotak kecil selepas permainan tamat.

In normal conversation, Saya simpan… sounds perfectly natural. In a formal essay or written instruction, you’ll probably see Saya menyimpan… instead.

Why is it “dalam kotak kecil” and not just “di kotak kecil”? What’s the difference between di and dalam?

di = “at / in / on” (general location)
dalam = “inside (of)” / “in” (emphasizing interior)

Dalam kotak kecil literally means “inside the small box”.

You can say di dalam kotak kecil (literally “at in the small box”) which is also common and slightly more explicit/formal:

Saya simpan semua kad dan dadu di dalam kotak kecil…

In many real-life sentences:

di kotak kecil – understood as “at/in the small box”
dalam kotak kecil – stresses the “inside” idea a bit more

Your original dalam kotak kecil is very natural: you are physically putting the objects inside the box.

Why is the adjective order “kotak kecil”? Why not “kecil kotak” like in English “small box”?

Malay noun phrases typically follow this pattern:

noun + adjective

So:

kotak kecil = small box
rumah besar = big house
meja panjang = long table

Putting the adjective before the noun (kecil kotak) is ungrammatical in standard Malay. Always put the describing word after the noun.

In “selepas permainan tamat”, why is it just permainan tamat and not “selepas permainan itu tamat” or “selepas tamat permainan”? Are those also possible?

All of these are possible, with small differences in style:

selepas permainan tamat
- Very natural and common.
- Literally: “after (the) game finishes/has finished.”
selepas permainan itu tamat
- Adds itu (“that”) to specify that particular game.
- Slightly more specific or formal:
  - “after that game finished”
selepas tamat permainan
- Changes the word order: “after the end of the game.”
- More formal/literary in feel.

Your original selepas permainan tamat is simple, natural, and fully correct for most contexts.

There’s no past tense marker like “did” or “have” in Malay. How do we know this sentence is in the past?

Malay usually relies on context, time expressions, and sometimes aspect words, not verb conjugation.

In your sentence:

selepas permainan tamat (“after the game ends/ended”) gives the time frame.
Because the game has already finished, the action of simpan is understood as something you do after that, so English naturally makes it past:
- “I put away…” / “I kept…”

If you want to emphasize past completion, you can add words like:

sudah / telah:
- Saya sudah simpan semua kad dan dadu… = I have already put away…
- Saya telah menyimpan semua kad dan dadu… (more formal)

But they are not required if the context is clear.

Can the time phrase “selepas permainan tamat” go at the beginning of the sentence?

Yes. Malay allows quite flexible placement of time phrases. Both are correct:

Saya simpan semua kad dan dadu dalam kotak kecil selepas permainan tamat.
Selepas permainan tamat, saya simpan semua kad dan dadu dalam kotak kecil.

Putting it at the beginning (Selepas permainan tamat, …) slightly emphasizes the time (“After the game is over…”), but the meaning is the same.

Why is the subject “Saya” used instead of “Aku”, and could it be omitted?

Saya is the polite/neutral first-person singular pronoun.
Aku is informal, used with friends, family, or in very casual contexts.

In neutral written Malay or polite conversation, Saya is the default.

About omitting it:
Malay can drop pronouns in informal speech when the subject is obvious from context, but in a clear, standalone sentence like this, keeping “Saya” is standard and recommended, especially for learners:

Saya simpan… – clear and correct
Just Simpan semua kad dan dadu… – can sound like an instruction/command: “Put away all the cards and dice…” rather than a statement about what I do.

So for a descriptive sentence about yourself, keep Saya here.