Saya mendapat panggilan.

• Saya = I
• mendapat = a verb meaning to get / to receive / to obtain
• panggilan = a call

So the sentence structure is very straightforward:

Saya + mendapat + panggilan
subject + verb + object

Malay often uses this same basic word order as English: Subject–Verb–Object.

Dapat is the base word, and it often means can, be able to, or get/obtain, depending on context.

Mendapat is a derived verb formed with the meN- prefix. In this sentence, it gives the meaning to get / to receive in a more clearly verbal, standard way.

So:

• dapat can be a little broader and more flexible
• mendapat sounds more explicitly like to obtain/receive

In everyday speech, many speakers would also say:

Saya dapat panggilan.

That is very natural too.
Saya mendapat panggilan sounds a bit more formal or written.

Yes. Panggilan comes from panggil, which means to call.

The suffix -an often turns a root into a noun. So:

• panggil = call (verb)
• panggilan = call / summons / title / designation (noun), depending on context

In this sentence, panggilan means a call, usually understood as a phone call if the context suggests that.

Not always. Panggilan can mean different kinds of call, depending on context, such as:

• a phone call
• a summons
• a calling/vocation in some contexts
• a form of address or title in some expressions

But in a simple sentence like Saya mendapat panggilan, many learners will most naturally understand it as I received a call, often a phone call.

If you want to make the phone meaning clearer, context usually does that, or you could say something more specific.

Malay does not normally use articles like a, an, or the the way English does.

So panggilan can mean:

• a call
• the call
• simply call

The exact meaning depends on context.

This is very common in Malay. You usually do not need to add a separate word for a/an.

Malay verbs do not change form for tense the way English verbs do.

So mendapat itself does not specifically mean:

• got
• get
• am getting
• have gotten

The time is usually understood from context, or shown with time words such as:

• semalam = yesterday
• tadi = earlier
• sekarang = now
• esok = tomorrow

So Saya mendapat panggilan could be interpreted differently depending on context, though in many cases it will be understood as a past event, such as I got / I received a call.

No. Saya is the most neutral and polite choice, and it is very common in standard Malay.

Other possibilities include:

• aku = more informal, personal, and not appropriate in every situation
• sometimes gua/gue in very colloquial speech, depending on region and community, but this is not standard Malay

For learners, saya is the safest and most useful choice in most situations.

Yes. Menerima means to receive, so:

Saya menerima panggilan
= I received a call

This is also correct and natural.

Very roughly:

• mendapat = get / obtain / receive
• menerima = receive

Menerima can sound a little more specifically like receive, while mendapat can feel a bit broader. In many everyday contexts, both work.

A helpful rough guide is:

pang-gi-lan

A few pronunciation notes:

• ng is like the sound in English sing
• in panggilan, the ng is followed by a hard g, so you hear both parts: pang-gi-
• the stress in Malay is usually not as strong or dramatic as in English

So try something like:

pahng-GEE-lahn
as a rough English-based guide

Not perfect, but close enough for a beginner.

Malay usually does not need helping verbs like English does in simple sentences.

English often requires extra words such as:

• was
• have
• did
• am

Malay is often more compact. A sentence like Saya mendapat panggilan can stand on its own without an auxiliary verb.

That is one reason Malay sentences can look surprisingly short to English speakers.

It is generally neutral to slightly formal, especially because of mendapat.

• Saya is polite and standard
• mendapat feels a bit more standard or written than plain dapat

So this sentence is perfectly good Malay, especially in writing, teaching materials, or careful speech.

In casual conversation, many people might simply say:

Saya dapat panggilan.

That sounds a bit more everyday and conversational.