Doktor haiwan memeriksa sama ada menyalak dan mengeong ialah gejala jangkitan.

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

So:

• doktor = doctor
• haiwan = animal

That makes doktor haiwan literally animal doctor, which is the normal Malay way to say veterinarian / vet.

This noun order is very common in Malay:

• rumah sakit = hospital
• teh ais = iced tea
• doktor gigi = dentist

So the pattern is not strange in Malay, even if it feels reversed compared with English.

Memeriksa means to examine / to check / to inspect.

The base word is:

• periksa = examine, inspection, check

When Malay forms an active transitive verb, it often adds the meN- prefix. So:

• periksa → memeriksa

This is a very common pattern:

• baca → membaca = to read
• tulis → menulis = to write
• lihat → melihat = to see

Here, memeriksa is the correct verb form because the veterinarian is actively examining something.

Sama ada means whether.

It is used to introduce an indirect yes/no question, especially after verbs like:

• tanya = ask
• periksa = check
• tentukan = determine
• lihat = see

So in this sentence:

• memeriksa sama ada ... = checks whether ...

This is different from jika/kalau, which usually mean if in a conditional sense, although in some contexts learners may see overlap.

A helpful way to think about it:

• sama ada = whether
• jika / kalau = if

Malay often uses verb forms where English would use -ing forms.

So:

• menyalak = to bark / barking
• mengeong = to meow / meowing

In this sentence, menyalak dan mengeong functions like a noun phrase in English: barking and meowing.

This is very normal in Malay. Verbs can often act like general activities or actions without needing a special gerund ending like English -ing.

So the sentence structure is natural:

• menyalak dan mengeong ialah gejala jangkitan
• barking and meowing are symptoms of infection

They are animal-sound verbs:

• menyalak = to bark
• mengeong = to meow

These are the sounds associated with animals, especially:

• menyalak for dogs
• mengeong for cats

So the sentence is talking about animal behaviors or sounds being checked as possible signs of illness.

This is a very common learner question.

In careful standard Malay:

• ialah is usually used before a noun phrase
• adalah is usually used before an adjective phrase or other description

Here, the structure is:

• menyalak dan mengeong = subject
• gejala jangkitan = noun phrase

So ialah is the standard choice:

• menyalak dan mengeong ialah gejala jangkitan

Very roughly:

• A ialah B when B is a noun phrase
• A adalah ... when what follows is more descriptive

In everyday speech, people do not always follow this distinction strictly, and sometimes the linking word is omitted altogether.

Malay nouns usually do not have to change form for singular vs. plural.

So:

• gejala can mean symptom or symptoms, depending on context

Because the sentence talks about two behaviors, English naturally says symptoms, but Malay often leaves the noun unchanged.

If a speaker wants to make plurality especially clear, Malay can use reduplication:

• gejala-gejala = symptoms

But in many real sentences, plain gejala is enough.

Malay usually puts the main noun first and the describing noun after it.

So:

• gejala jangkitan
• literally: symptoms of infection

Here:

• gejala = symptoms
• jangkitan = infection

This is the normal Malay order for noun combinations. English often uses of, but Malay usually just places the second noun after the first.

Compare:

• bilik guru = teachers’ room / staff room
• air hujan = rainwater
• kad pengenalan = identity card

So gejala jangkitan is the normal structure.

Malay does not have articles like English a, an, and the.

So Malay often says simply:

• doktor haiwan = the veterinarian / a veterinarian
• gejala jangkitan = symptoms of infection / the symptoms of an infection

The exact meaning depends on context.

That means Malay learners coming from English need to get used to the fact that Malay often leaves this information unstated unless it really needs to be made explicit.