Bila gejala ini bermula?

Both are possible, but they differ a bit in style and emphasis.

• Bila gejala ini bermula? is the more straightforward question-word-first pattern.
• Gejala ini bermula bila? is also understandable and often sounds more conversational, with bila left in place.

Unlike English, Malay does not need subject-auxiliary inversion. You do not change the word order the way English does in When did these symptoms start? There is no equivalent of did here.

So Malay questions are often formed simply by:

• using a question word like bila
• keeping normal sentence structure
• relying on intonation or context

Yes. Bila means when and is very common in everyday Malay.

A few related forms:

• bila = common, everyday when
• bilakah = a more formal or emphatic version of when
• apabila = usually means when in the sense of when/whenever, often in more formal writing

So:

• Bila gejala ini bermula? = natural and normal
• Bilakah gejala ini bermula? = more formal

Gejala usually means symptom, symptoms, or sometimes signs depending on context.

It is commonly used in medical or health-related contexts, for example:

• gejala demam = symptoms of fever
• gejala awal = early symptoms

In some contexts, gejala can also mean a phenomenon or indication, especially in formal or academic language, but in this sentence it clearly refers to symptoms.

In Malay, demonstratives like ini and itu usually come after the noun.

So:

• gejala ini = this symptom / these symptoms
• rumah ini = this house
• buku itu = that book

This is a very important difference from English, where demonstratives usually come before the noun.

Bermula means to begin or to start.

The root is mula, meaning beginning/start or to begin depending on use.
The prefix ber- often makes a verb that is intransitive or describes a state/action happening on its own.

So:

• mula can sometimes function more loosely
• bermula is a clearer verb meaning to begin / to start

In this sentence, bermula is a natural choice because the symptoms are the thing that began.

Compare:

• Mesyuarat bermula pada pukul 9. = The meeting started at 9.
• Dia memulakan mesyuarat. = He/She started the meeting.

Here memulakan is transitive: someone starts something.
But bermula is intransitive: something begins.

Malay does not normally use a helper verb like did to form past-tense questions.

English says:

• When did these symptoms start?

Malay simply says:

• Bila gejala ini bermula?

Malay usually does not mark tense on the verb the way English does. Time is often understood from:

• context
• time expressions
• the situation

So bermula itself does not change for past, present, or future the way English verbs do.

Usually through context or added time words.

For example:

• Bila gejala ini bermula? = When did/does this symptom start?
  In a medical conversation, it will normally be understood as past: When did it start?

If you want to be more explicit, Malay can add time-related markers such as:

• sudah = already
• telah = has/have already, more formal
• akan = will

But in this question, none of them are necessary.

Malay nouns usually do not have a special plural form the way English does.

So gejala can mean:

• symptom
• symptoms

The exact number depends on context.

That means gejala ini could mean:

• this symptom
• these symptoms

In medical translation, it is often understood as these symptoms, but the Malay form itself does not force plural marking.

If Malay wants to show plurality more explicitly, it can use reduplication:

• gejala-gejala = symptoms

However, in natural speech and writing, reduplication is often unnecessary if the context is already clear.

Yes, often it would.

• gejala is a standard Malay word
• simptom is a borrowed word from English and is also widely understood

So you may hear:

• Bila gejala ini bermula?
• Bila simptom ini bermula?

In healthcare settings, both can appear, though gejala may sound a bit more standard or formal in official Malay.

Yes, it is understandable and natural, especially in formal or semi-formal Malay.

That said, some speakers might also ask:

• Sejak bila gejala ini bermula?
• Gejala ini bermula bila?
• Bilakah gejala ini bermula?

A small nuance:

• Bila ...? asks when?
• Sejak bila ...? asks more like since when?, often focusing on how long it has been happening

So in a doctor-patient context, Sejak bila gejala ini bermula? can sound especially natural if the goal is to identify the onset point.

The difference is subtle but useful.

• Bila gejala ini bermula? = When did these symptoms start?
• Sejak bila gejala ini bermula? = literally Since when did these symptoms begin?

In practice:

• bila asks for the time of the start
• sejak bila emphasizes the starting point up to now

In medical interviews, sejak bila is very common because doctors often want to know how long something has been going on.

Yes. Bilakah gejala ini bermula? is correct.

The -kah particle often makes question words sound:

• more formal
• more written
• sometimes more polished or emphatic

So:

• Bila gejala ini bermula? = everyday, normal
• Bilakah gejala ini bermula? = more formal

Both are correct.

A simple approximate pronunciation is:

Bila gejala ini bermula
bee-lah guh-jah-lah ee-nee ber-moo-lah

A few notes:

• bila sounds roughly like bee-lah
• gejala is approximately guh-JAH-lah
• ini is ee-nee
• bermula is ber-moo-lah

Malay pronunciation is usually fairly phonetic, so once you know the sounds, spelling is quite predictable.

Sometimes you may hear mula in casual speech, but bermula is the better standard form here.

So:

• Bila gejala ini bermula? = standard and clear
• Bila gejala ini mula? = less standard in this exact structure

However, another natural pattern is:

• Bila gejala ini mula muncul? = When did these symptoms start appearing?

So mula often works well when followed by another verb, such as:

• mula sakit = started hurting
• mula muncul = started appearing

But on its own in this sentence, bermula is the more complete and idiomatic choice.