Aku cuma bergurau.

• Aku = I / me
• cuma = only / just
• bergurau = to joke / to kid around

So the sentence literally means I only joke, but in natural English it usually means I’m just joking or I was only joking.

Aku is the more informal, personal word for I. It is common with friends, family, people your own age, or in casual speech.

Saya is more neutral and polite. So:

• Aku cuma bergurau = casual, friendly, informal
• Saya cuma bergurau = more polite or formal

A native speaker might choose one or the other depending on who they are talking to.

Yes. Cuma often means only, just, or merely.

In this sentence, it softens the statement:

• Aku bergurau = I’m joking
• Aku cuma bergurau = I’m just joking / I was only joking

So cuma adds the idea that the speaker did not mean something seriously.

Yes, often you can.

• Aku cuma bergurau
• Aku hanya bergurau

Both mean roughly I’m just joking.

However, cuma usually sounds more conversational and natural in everyday speech.
Hanya can sound a little more formal or written, though it is still correct.

Bergurau comes from the root gurau, which relates to joking or playfulness.

The prefix ber- often forms an intransitive verb, meaning a verb that does not take a direct object. In many cases, it gives the sense of doing an activity or being engaged in something.

So:

• gurau = joke / playful talk
• bergurau = to joke, to kid around, to be joking

You do not usually say Aku cuma gurau in standard Malay for this meaning; bergurau is the normal form.

It can mean either one, depending on context.

Malay verbs usually do not change form for tense the way English verbs do. So bergurau itself does not tell you whether it is present or past.

That means:

• Aku cuma bergurau can mean I’m just joking
• or I was only joking

The surrounding conversation tells you which one is intended.

The basic order here is:

subject + adverb + verb

So:

• Aku = subject
• cuma = adverb
• bergurau = verb

This is a very natural word order in Malay.

Aku bergurau cuma would sound unnatural in ordinary usage.
So for this sentence, Aku cuma bergurau is the normal choice.

Yes, in conversation you often can, especially if it is already obvious who is speaking.

• Cuma bergurau. = Just joking.

Malay often drops subjects when the meaning is clear from context. This is very common in speech.

A rough pronunciation guide is:

ah-koo CHOO-mah ber-goo-row

More closely:

• aku = a-ku
• cuma = chu-ma
• bergurau = ber-gu-rau

A few helpful notes:

• c in Malay is pronounced like ch in chat
• r is usually a light tapped or rolled sound
• au in gurau sounds a bit like ow in cow

Yes, very natural.

A speaker might say it after saying something teasing, sarcastic, or surprising, and then wanting to reassure the other person:

• Aku cuma bergurau. Jangan marah.
  I’m just joking. Don’t be angry.

So this is a useful and common phrase in casual Malay.

Yes. Some common alternatives are:

• Saya cuma bergurau. = same meaning, but more polite
• Aku hanya bergurau. = same idea, slightly more formal in tone
• Saya hanya bergurau. = polite and somewhat more formal
• Gurau je. = very casual spoken style, like Just kidding

If you are learning standard Malay, Aku cuma bergurau and Saya cuma bergurau are very good forms to know.

Yes. You can add phrases after it.

For example:

• Aku bergurau dengan dia. = I’m joking with him/her.
• Mereka bergurau sesama sendiri. = They joke among themselves.

So bergurau can stand alone, as in your sentence, or it can be expanded with extra information.