Learning Malay can be quite an adventure, especially when you encounter words that seem similar but have entirely different meanings. Two such words are laku and berlaku. They may look alike and even sound somewhat similar, but they serve distinct functions in the Malay language. Understanding these differences is crucial for anyone looking to master Malay.

Understanding Laku

Laku is a Malay word that means “to sell” or “to be in demand.” It is often used to describe goods, services, or even performances that are popular and sell well.

Laku: To sell or to be in demand.
Barang-barang di kedai itu sangat laku. (The items at that shop sell very well.)

It’s important to note that laku can be used in various contexts to signify popularity or demand. For instance, you could say a book is laku if it’s flying off the shelves, or a concert is laku if the tickets are selling out quickly.

Kedai: Shop or store.
Saya suka pergi ke kedai buku itu. (I like going to that book shop.)

Barang: Item or goods.
Saya perlu membeli beberapa barang dapur. (I need to buy some kitchen items.)

Common Phrases with Laku

Laku keras: To sell like hotcakes.
Produk baru itu laku keras di pasaran. (The new product is selling like hotcakes in the market.)

Tidak laku: Not selling or not popular.
Buku itu tidak laku kerana kurang promosi. (That book is not selling well due to lack of promotion.)

Pasaran: Market.
Harga barang di pasaran semakin naik. (The prices of goods in the market are rising.)

Promosi: Promotion.
Mereka sedang menjalankan promosi besar-besaran. (They are running a large-scale promotion.)

Understanding Berlaku

On the other hand, berlaku means “to happen” or “to occur.” It is used to describe events or actions that take place.

Berlaku: To happen or to occur.
Kejadian itu berlaku dengan cepat. (The incident happened quickly.)

Kejadian: Incident or event.
Saya masih terkejut dengan kejadian semalam. (I am still shocked by yesterday’s incident.)

Terkejut: Shocked or surprised.
Dia nampak terkejut mendengar berita itu. (She looked shocked hearing the news.)

Common Phrases with Berlaku

Berlaku adil: To act justly or fairly.
Hakim itu selalu berlaku adil dalam setiap kes. (The judge always acts justly in every case.)

Berlaku sesuatu: Something happens.
Saya rasa ada berlaku sesuatu yang aneh di sini. (I feel like something strange is happening here.)

Hakim: Judge.
Hakim itu membuat keputusan yang tepat. (The judge made the right decision.)

Keputusan: Decision.
Keputusan itu sangat penting untuk masa depan kita. (That decision is very important for our future.)

Usage Differences and Contexts

To truly grasp the differences between laku and berlaku, it’s essential to see them in various contexts.

Laku is typically used in commercial and popularity contexts. You might use it when talking about how well a product is selling, how popular a service is, or even how well a certain artist’s performance is received by the public.

Komersial: Commercial.
Iklan itu sangat komersial dan menarik perhatian ramai. (The advertisement is very commercial and attracts a lot of attention.)

Populariti: Popularity.
Artis itu mencapai populariti yang tinggi dengan lagu barunya. (The artist reached high popularity with his new song.)

Berlaku, on the other hand, is used to describe events or actions. It is often found in news reports, historical accounts, and narratives where the focus is on something happening.

Sejarah: History.
Buku sejarah itu menceritakan tentang perang dunia kedua. (The history book tells about the Second World War.)

Naratif: Narrative.
Cerita itu mempunyai naratif yang sangat menarik. (The story has a very interesting narrative.)

Combining Both Words in Sentences

Understanding how to use both words separately is crucial, but it’s also valuable to see how they can function within the same sentence or context to provide a richer meaning.

For example:
Dalam festival itu, banyak produk laku keras sementara beberapa kejadian menarik juga berlaku. (At the festival, many products sold like hotcakes while several interesting events also happened.)

In this sentence, laku is used to describe the popularity of the products, and berlaku is used to describe the occurrence of events. Both words provide a complete picture of what transpired at the festival.

Practical Exercises

To solidify your understanding, let’s go through some practical exercises. Try to translate the following sentences into Malay, paying close attention to whether you should use laku or berlaku.

1. The new phone model is selling very well.
2. An unexpected event happened during the meeting.
3. The judge must act fairly in every case.
4. Their new song has gained high popularity.
5. Something strange is happening in the neighborhood.

Answers:
1. Model telefon baru itu sangat laku.
2. Satu kejadian tidak diduga berlaku semasa mesyuarat.
3. Hakim mesti berlaku adil dalam setiap kes.
4. Lagu baru mereka mencapai populariti yang tinggi.
5. Ada sesuatu yang aneh berlaku di kejiranan.

Conclusion

Mastering the differences between laku and berlaku can significantly enhance your fluency in Malay. While laku deals with selling and popularity, berlaku is concerned with events and actions. By practicing and applying these words in various contexts, you can gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of the Malay language. So, the next time you talk about something selling well or an event happening, you’ll know exactly which word to use!