Saya selalu beli jenama teh itu di pasar raya.

I always buy that tea brand at the supermarket.

Breakdown of Saya selalu beli jenama teh itu di pasar raya.

• saya: I
• itu: that
• beli: to buy
• di: at

Questions & Answers about Saya selalu beli jenama teh itu di pasar raya.

Why is beli used instead of membeli?

Both are possible, but they sound different in style.

• beli is very common in everyday spoken Malay.
• membeli is more formal and is more common in careful writing or formal speech.

So:

• Saya selalu beli jenama teh itu di pasar raya. = natural, conversational
• Saya selalu membeli jenama teh itu di pasar raya. = more formal

A learner will often hear bare verbs like beli in conversation.

Does selalu really mean always?

Usually selalu means always, often, or regularly, depending on context.

In real usage, it is sometimes a little less absolute than English always. It can sound like I usually / regularly buy that brand of tea.

If you want a stronger sense of always without exception, Malay may also use sentiasa in some contexts.

Why does selalu come before beli?

In Malay, adverbs of frequency often come before the verb.

So:

• Saya selalu beli... = I always buy...
• Dia sering pergi... = He/She often goes...

Putting selalu before beli is the normal pattern.

Why is there no word for the or a in the sentence?