Pengadil menunjukkan kad kuning.

Yes. The basic word order here is:

• Pengadil = subject
• menunjukkan = verb
• kad kuning = object

So it follows the common Malay pattern Subject + Verb + Object, just like English in many simple sentences.

A very literal breakdown is:

• Pengadil = referee
• menunjukkan = shows / showed / is showing
• kad kuning = yellow card

So the structure is very straightforward.

In Malay, adjectives usually come after the noun they describe.

So:

• kad kuning = yellow card
• baju merah = red shirt
• kereta besar = big car

This is one of the first word-order differences English speakers notice, because English usually puts adjectives before nouns, while Malay usually puts them after.

Tunjuk is the root word, meaning something like point or show.

menunjukkan is a derived verb built from that root:

• meN- marks an active verb
• -kan often helps form a transitive verb, especially one that takes an object

So:

• tunjuk = root form
• menunjukkan = to show

In this sentence, menunjukkan kad kuning is the natural full verb phrase for showing a yellow card.

In casual speech, you may hear tunjuk used on its own, but menunjukkan is more standard and complete in this kind of sentence.

Pengadil comes from the root adil, which means fair or just.

The prefix peN- often forms a noun meaning a person who does something or someone connected with that role.

So:

• adil = fair, just
• pengadil = adjudicator, referee, judge-like official

In sports, pengadil means referee.
The word carries the idea of someone whose role is to judge fairly.

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

So Pengadil menunjukkan kad kuning can mean:

• The referee showed a yellow card
• The referee is showing a yellow card
• A referee showed the yellow card

The exact meaning depends on context.

If you want to be more specific, Malay can add words such as:

• itu = that / the
• seorang = a / one person
• satu = one / a

For example:

• Pengadil itu menunjukkan kad kuning. = The referee showed a yellow card.
• Seorang pengadil menunjukkan kad kuning. = A referee showed a yellow card.

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

So menunjukkan by itself does not tell you whether the action is present, past, or future. The time is usually understood from:

• context
• time words
• aspect markers

For example:

• Semalam pengadil menunjukkan kad kuning. = Yesterday the referee showed a yellow card.
• Sekarang pengadil menunjukkan kad kuning. = Now the referee is showing a yellow card.
• Nanti pengadil akan menunjukkan kad kuning. = Later the referee will show a yellow card.

So in the original sentence, the tense is left open unless the context makes it clear.

Not always. Pengadil is a standard Malay word, but in sports you may also come across other terms depending on region, sport, or style.

For example:

• pengadil = referee / official / adjudicator
• wasit = referee, also widely understood in sports contexts

In standard Malaysian Malay, pengadil is perfectly natural and correct.
A learner should definitely know it.

Yes, it is natural and correct.

That said, in sports reporting or commentary, you may also hear more dramatic or idiomatic expressions, such as:

• Pengadil melayangkan kad kuning.

This also means the referee issued/showed a yellow card, and it is very common in football-related language.

So:

• menunjukkan kad kuning = straightforward, neutral
• melayangkan kad kuning = very common in sports style, a bit more vivid

Both are useful.

Yes. A common passive version is:

• Kad kuning ditunjukkan oleh pengadil.

This means The yellow card was shown by the referee.

Breakdown:

• kad kuning = yellow card
• ditunjukkan = was shown
• oleh pengadil = by the referee

Malay uses passive forms quite a lot, so it is useful to recognize both:

• Pengadil menunjukkan kad kuning. = active
• Kad kuning ditunjukkan oleh pengadil. = passive

In careful or standard speech, you should say the full form menunjukkan.

In casual conversation, Malay speakers sometimes reduce or simplify words, but as a learner it is best to use the full standard form first.

A good practical approach is:

• learn the full standard form: menunjukkan
• recognize that casual speech may sound faster or slightly reduced
• keep using the standard form until you are comfortable

That will make your Malay sound clear and correct.