Di pejabat, saya simpan satu salinan laporan di sebelah pencetak.

Because it introduces two different location phrases:

• Di pejabat = at the office
• di sebelah pencetak = beside / next to the printer

In Malay, di is a preposition meaning in, at, on, to for places and locations.

A useful extra note: this di is separate from the prefix di- used in passive verbs, such as ditulis (written). In your sentence, both instances are the preposition di.

Starting with Di pejabat sets the scene first: At the office, ...

This is very natural in Malay. It works like a topic or background phrase before the main clause.

So:

• Di pejabat, saya simpan satu salinan laporan di sebelah pencetak. = At the office, I keep/store a copy of the report next to the printer.

You could also say:

• Saya simpan satu salinan laporan di sebelah pencetak di pejabat.

That is also grammatical, but it sounds a bit different because the sentence no longer begins with the setting.

Malay often allows the bare root verb in everyday usage, especially in simple statements.

So both can occur:

• saya simpan
• saya menyimpan

In many contexts, menyimpan is the more fully marked active form, while simpan can sound more neutral, conversational, or compact.

For learners, it is helpful to know that Malay frequently drops prefixes in less formal speech and writing. But in more careful or formal grammar discussions, you may often see menyimpan.

It can mean several related things depending on context:

• keep
• store
• save
• sometimes put or leave somewhere

In this sentence, because there is a location phrase di sebelah pencetak, the meaning is something like:

• I keep/store a copy of the report next to the printer
• or I put a copy of the report next to the printer

Malay verbs are often broader than a single English equivalent, so context tells you which translation fits best.

There is no tense marking on the verb here.

Malay verbs do not change form the way English verbs do for past, present, or future. The sentence could be understood from context as present, habitual, or even past.

If you want to make time clearer, Malay often adds time words or aspect markers such as:

• sudah = already / have
• sedang = in the process of
• akan = will

For example:

• Saya sudah simpan satu salinan laporan... = I have already stored/put a copy of the report...
• Saya sedang menyimpan... = I am storing...
• Saya akan simpan... = I will store...

Yes, satu literally means one, but it also often works like English a/an.

So:

• satu salinan laporan = one copy of the report
• very naturally in English: a copy of the report

Malay does not have articles like a or the, so satu is often used when introducing a single countable thing.

Yes, often you can.

• satu salinan laporan = one / a copy of the report
• salinan laporan = copy/copies of the report, depending on context

Using satu makes it clearer that you mean a single copy. Without it, the phrase is less specific about number.

Malay does not have articles like English a/an and the.

That means nouns like:

• pejabat
• laporan
• pencetak

can mean office/the office, report/the report, printer/the printer, depending on context.

If Malay wants to be more specific, it can use other words, for example:

• ini = this
• itu = that

Such as:

• laporan itu = that report / the report
• pencetak itu = that printer / the printer

Malay commonly uses a noun + noun structure where the first noun is the main item and the second noun specifies it.

So:

• salinan laporan = literally copy report
• natural English: copy of the report

The head noun comes first:

• salinan = copy
• laporan = report

This pattern is very common in Malay:

• bilik mesyuarat = meeting room
• kad pelajar = student card
• nama sekolah = name of the school / school name

di sebelah means beside, next to, or at the side of.

Breakdown:

• di = at/in
• sebelah = side

So:

• di sebelah pencetak = next to the printer

Be careful: sebelah on its own can also refer to a side or one side, depending on context. But with di, it becomes a location phrase.

pencetak comes from the root cetak, which relates to printing.

The form peN- ... often creates a noun meaning:

• a person who does the action
• or a tool/machine associated with the action

So pencetak can mean:

• printer as a machine
• sometimes printer as a person or printing worker, depending on context

In your sentence, because it is in an office and something is placed beside it, pencetak clearly means the machine: printer.

It is helpful, but not always strictly necessary.

The comma shows that Di pejabat is an introductory phrase:

• Di pejabat, saya simpan...

Without the comma, the sentence is still understandable:

• Di pejabat saya simpan satu salinan laporan di sebelah pencetak.

But the comma makes the structure clearer, especially for learners.

Yes. Malay word order is fairly flexible, especially with time and place phrases.

For example:

• Di pejabat, saya simpan satu salinan laporan di sebelah pencetak.
• Saya simpan satu salinan laporan di sebelah pencetak di pejabat.
• Saya simpan satu salinan laporan di pejabat, di sebelah pencetak.

All of these are possible, though they may place slightly different emphasis on the location.

The original version is natural because it first sets the general place (at the office) and then gives the more exact location (next to the printer).