Saya suka berjalan di pusat bandar pada waktu petang.

I like to walk in the city center in the evening.

Breakdown of Saya suka berjalan di pusat bandar pada waktu petang.

• saya: I
• suka: to like
• di: in
• berjalan: to walk
• pada: in
• waktu petang: the evening
• pusat bandar: the city center

Questions & Answers about Saya suka berjalan di pusat bandar pada waktu petang.

Why is suka followed by berjalan and not by some extra word like “to”, as in “I like to walk”?

In Malay, you don’t need a separate word for “to” before a verb.

• Pattern: saya suka + [verb]
  
  • Saya suka berjalan = I like to walk / I like walking
• So berjalan already functions as the verb, and suka simply means “to like”.
• You never say saya suka untuk berjalan in normal Malay; that sounds unnatural in this context.

What is the difference between jalan, berjalan, and berjalan-jalan?

All three are related but used differently:

• jalan

  • Base word meaning “road” or “street”.
  • Can also be used as a verb colloquially (especially in speech), but grammatically the standard verb form is berjalan.

• berjalan

  • Standard verb: “to walk” / “to move along”.
  • In this sentence, saya suka berjalan = “I like walking”.

• berjalan-jalan

  • Reduplicated form often means “to stroll”, “to walk around for leisure”, “to go out and about”.
  • Saya suka berjalan-jalan di pusat bandar = “I like strolling / walking around in the city centre.”

So the sentence with berjalan focuses on the act of walking; berjalan-jalan makes it sound more like leisurely strolling.

Could I say berjalan kaki instead of just berjalan? Does it change the meaning?

You can say berjalan kaki, and the meaning is very similar:

• berjalan = to walk (already usually understood as on foot from context)
• berjalan kaki = literally “to walk by foot”, emphasising that it’s on foot, not by vehicle

In your sentence:

• Saya suka berjalan di pusat bandar pada waktu petang.
• Saya suka berjalan kaki di pusat bandar pada waktu petang.

Both are natural. The second one just makes it extra clear that you mean walking on foot.

Does berjalan always mean “to walk”, or can it mean other things?

Berjalan has several meanings depending on context:

1. To walk (literal)

   • Dia berjalan ke sekolah. = “He/She walks to school.”

2. To proceed / to take place / to function

   • Mesyuarat berjalan dengan lancar. = “The meeting went smoothly.”
   • Mesin ini tidak berjalan. = “This machine isn’t working.”

In saya suka berjalan di pusat bandar, the context (city centre, evening) clearly points to the literal meaning “walk”.

Why is it di pusat bandar and not ke pusat bandar? What’s the difference between di and ke?

Di and ke are different prepositions:

• di = “in / at / on” (location, where something is)

  • di rumah = at home
  • di pusat bandar = in the city centre

• ke = “to / towards” (direction, where something is going)

  • pergi ke rumah = go to the house
  • berjalan ke pusat bandar = walk to the city centre

Your sentence describes walking in the city centre (location), not walking to the city centre (direction), so di pusat bandar is correct.

What exactly does pusat bandar mean? Is it the same as just bandar?

• bandar = town / city in general
• pusat bandar = city centre, downtown, the central area of the city

So:

• Saya suka berjalan di bandar.

  • “I like walking in the city (anywhere in the city).”

• Saya suka berjalan di pusat bandar.

  • “I like walking in the city centre / downtown.”

Pusat means “centre” or “hub”, so pusat bandar is the central part of the city.

Could I just say pada petang instead of pada waktu petang? Is waktu necessary?

Waktu is not strictly necessary here; it adds a slight nuance of “time/period”.

All of these are possible and natural:

• pada waktu petang = at / in the (time of) evening
• pada petang = in the evening / in the afternoon (late)
• waktu petang = in the evening (often without pada, especially in speech)

You could say:

• Saya suka berjalan di pusat bandar pada petang.
• Saya suka berjalan di pusat bandar waktu petang.

They basically mean the same thing in everyday usage. Pada waktu petang sounds a bit more complete or slightly more formal.

Where can I put the time phrase pada waktu petang in the sentence? Does word order matter?

Malay word order is quite flexible with time expressions. All of these are acceptable:

1. Saya suka berjalan di pusat bandar pada waktu petang.
2. Pada waktu petang, saya suka berjalan di pusat bandar.
3. Saya, pada waktu petang, suka berjalan di pusat bandar. (less common, more “inserted”)

The most neutral are (1) and (2).

• Putting pada waktu petang at the beginning (2) slightly emphasises when you like walking.
• Putting it at the end (1) is very natural and common in speech and writing.

Is saya the only way to say “I”? How would using aku change the sentence?

Malay has several first-person pronouns; the two main ones are:

• saya

  • Neutral and polite.
  • Used in most formal or semi-formal situations, and also fine in casual speech.

• aku

  • More intimate, informal, or casual.
  • Often used with close friends, family, in songs, poems, etc.

Your sentence:

• Saya suka berjalan di pusat bandar pada waktu petang.
  
  • Polite/neutral, suitable for almost any situation.

If you say:

• Aku suka berjalan di pusat bandar pada waktu petang.
  
  • It sounds more casual or personal, as if talking to a good friend.

How do I know if this sentence is present, past, or future? It just says suka, with no tense.

Malay verbs generally do not change form for tense (no -ed, -ing, will, etc.). Context or time words show the time reference.

• Saya suka berjalan di pusat bandar pada waktu petang.
  
  • Default reading: a general/habitual statement: “I like walking in the city centre in the evening (in general).”

To show time more clearly, you add time adverbs:

• Dulu saya suka berjalan… = In the past I liked to walk…
• Sekarang saya suka berjalan… = Now I like to walk…
• Nanti saya suka berjalan… sounds odd; usually you’d say Nanti saya akan berjalan di pusat bandar pada waktu petang for a future action (“Later I will walk…”), but you don’t usually say “I will like to walk” in either language.

So suka here is tenseless; it describes your general preference.

Does saya suka berjalan mean I always do it, or just that I enjoy it?

Suka expresses preference / liking, not necessarily frequency.

• Saya suka berjalan di pusat bandar pada waktu petang.
  
  • Means: you enjoy doing that activity; it’s something you like.
  • It suggests you do it at least sometimes, but not necessarily every day.

If you want to emphasise habit/frequency, you can add adverbs:

• Saya selalu berjalan di pusat bandar pada waktu petang. = I always/often walk…
• Saya kadang-kadang berjalan di pusat bandar pada waktu petang. = I sometimes walk…