Learn Hardcore Malay: Bos meminta pandangan saya tentang projek baharu di pejabat. - The boss asks for my opinion about the new project at the office.

Neutral and very common in everyday speech: “Bos saya baik.” – “My boss is nice.”
Slightly informal compared to more formal words like majikan (employer) or ketua (chief/head).
Still acceptable in many workplace contexts, especially in Malaysia.

So in this sentence, Bos = “The boss / my boss (from context)” and is natural in spoken Malay and casual or semi-formal writing.

Why is there no word for “the” before bos? How do I know it means “the boss” and not “a boss”?

Malay does not have articles like “a / an / the”.

Bos can mean “a boss” or “the boss” depending on context.
In this sentence, Bos is understood as a specific boss – usually “my boss” or “the boss at my office”.
If you really need to be explicit, you can say:
- Bos saya – my boss
- Seorang bos – a boss (one boss)

But in normal conversation, just Bos here naturally refers to the relevant boss in the situation, so “the boss” is the best translation.

What does meminta mean, and how is it different from just minta?

Basic meaning:

minta = to ask for / to request
meminta = the same verb with a formal/politer meN- prefix, often used in full sentences.

Difference:

minta: more casual, often used in short spoken requests:
- Saya minta tolong. – I’m asking for help.
meminta: more standard/complete, very common in narration or writing:
- Bos meminta pandangan saya. – The boss asked for my opinion.

In this sentence, meminta is the main verb:
Bos (subject) meminta (verb) pandangan saya (object).

What does pandangan literally mean, and why does it mean “opinion”?

Literally:

pandang = to look at
pandangan = a look, a view

By extension:

pandangan also means viewpoint / opinion / perspective.

Some examples:

Saya setuju dengan pandangan awak. – I agree with your view/opinion.
Apakah pandangan anda tentang isu ini? – What is your view on this issue?

So meminta pandangan saya = “asked for my opinion”, not “asked for my look” in normal usage.

Why is it pandangan saya and not saya pandangan for “my opinion”?

In Malay, the usual order is:

Noun + possessor

So:

pandangan saya = my opinion
rumah saya = my house
bos saya = my boss

You cannot say saya pandangan for “my opinion”; that would sound wrong.
Saya before a noun usually means “I / me”, not “my”:

Saya bos. = I am (the) boss.

What does tentang mean? Can I replace it with other words like mengenai or pasal?

tentang = about / regarding / concerning.

In this sentence:

tentang projek baharu di pejabat = about the new project at the office.

Possible alternatives:

mengenai projek baharu di pejabat – also “about/regarding the new project at the office” (slightly more formal).
pasal projek baharu di pejabat – “about the new project at the office” (more casual/colloquial).

All three work here:

Bos meminta pandangan saya tentang / mengenai / pasal projek baharu di pejabat.

tentang is a good neutral choice.

Why is it projek baharu and not baharu projek? Where do adjectives go?

In Malay, adjectives usually come after the noun.

Pattern:

Noun + Adjective

Examples:

projek baharu – new project
kereta merah – red car
rumah besar – big house

So:

projek baharu (correct)
baharu projek (incorrect in standard Malay)

What’s the difference between baharu and baru? Which one should I use?

Both are related to the idea of “new”, but with some nuance:

baru
- Very common in everyday speech and writing.
- Means new, just / recently (for time), depending on context:
  - projek baru – new project
  - Saya baru sampai. – I just arrived.
baharu
- More formal / standard as an adjective meaning new.
- Often used in formal writing (government, news, official documents).
- In speech, many people simply say baru instead.

In your sentence, both are acceptable:

projek baharu – more formal/standard.
projek baru – more colloquial but very common.

How do we know this sentence is in the past (“asked”) when there is no tense marker?

Malay verbs do not change form for tense (no -ed, -s, etc.).
Time is understood from:

Context (most common)
Time words: semalam (yesterday), tadi (earlier), esok (tomorrow), etc.
Optional aspect markers: sudah / telah (already), akan (will).

Your sentence:

Bos meminta pandangan saya tentang projek baharu di pejabat.

By itself, it can mean:

The boss asked for my opinion (past),
The boss is asking for my opinion (present),
The boss asks for my opinion (habitually).

In translation, English usually forces a choice, so we pick “asked” because that sounds natural as a standalone statement.

What is the structure of the phrase tentang projek baharu di pejabat? Does di pejabat describe the project or the asking?

Structure:

tentang – about
projek baharu – new project
di pejabat – at the office

Grouping:

tentang [projek baharu di pejabat]

So di pejabat is describing projek baharu:

a new project at the office.

Overall:

Bos meminta pandangan saya [tentang projek baharu di pejabat].
The boss asked for my opinion about the new project at the office.

Could I say meminta untuk pandangan saya to mean “asked for my opinion”?

No. That would be unnatural or incorrect.

In Malay, meminta can directly take the thing requested as its object:

meminta pandangan – to ask for an opinion
meminta tolong – to ask for help
meminta duit – to ask for money

You normally don’t put untuk between meminta and its object.

Correct forms:

Bos meminta pandangan saya.
Bos meminta saya beri pandangan. – The boss asked me to give (my) opinion.

But meminta untuk pandangan saya is not used in standard Malay.

Can I omit saya or di pejabat and still have a correct sentence?

Yes, you can omit parts depending on what you want to say:

Omit di pejabat (if the place is obvious or not important):
- Bos meminta pandangan saya tentang projek baharu.
- The boss asked for my opinion about the new project.
Omit tentang projek baharu di pejabat (if the topic is known from context):
- Bos meminta pandangan saya.
- The boss asked for my opinion.
Omit saya (but then it’s ambiguous whose opinion):
- Bos meminta pandangan tentang projek baharu di pejabat.
- The boss asked for opinions / asked for (someone’s) opinion about the new project at the office.

All are grammatically correct; the meaning just becomes less specific.

Is this sentence more formal or informal? Is it natural in spoken Malay?

The sentence is neutral and works in both spoken and written Malay:

Bos meminta pandangan saya tentang projek baharu di pejabat.

Slight nuances:

Bos is a bit informal compared to majikan or ketua, but very common.
meminta and tentang are neutral-standard.
baharu leans a bit formal; projek baru would sound more casual in speech.

Spoken casual variant could be:

Bos minta pandangan saya pasal projek baru kat pejabat.

Your original sentence is perfectly natural in polite conversation and in everyday writing.