Learn Malay with Adlan

Jangan-jangan  can be used in the following ways: (Conjecture Modal Auxiliary) Verb:  don't tell me..., God forbid... Jangan-jangan  can be used to express the worst possible supposition. It is used when the speaker couldn't believe and hopes that the event is not real. Examples : 1. Jangan-jangan dia sesat jalan. God forbids he lost his way. 2. Jangan-jangan awak kena tipu. Don't tell me that you got cheated. 3. Jangan-jangan gadis itu mengandung. Don't tell me that that girl is pregnant. 4. Jangan-jangan lelaki kau ada perempuan simpanan. God forbid your man has a mistress. Try writing your own sentences in the comment below...

Wajib  can be used in the following ways: (Obligation Modal Auxiliary) Verb:  required to, have to {mandatory} Wajib  can be used before the primary verb to express that the action is mandatory to be done. It is usually used to order others to do something. This sense of obligation stems from Islamic regulations where things that are wajib  are mandatory for followers to do or not to do.  Examples : 1. Awak wajib tengok video yang viral itu.   You have to watch that viral video.  2. Pelajar wajib menghantar borang kebenaran ibu bapa untuk menyertai lawatan sambil belajar.   Students are required to hand in the parent's permission form to join the field trip.  3. Pesakit yang positif Covid wajib diasingkan dari wad umum.   Covid-positive patients are required to be separated from the general ward.  4. Ini adalah teknik-teknik bersenam yang wajib tahu untuk membina badan.   These are exercising techniques that you should know for bodybuilding.   Try writing your own sentences in the

Tetap  can be used in the following ways: (Aspect Auxiliary) Verb:  still  Tetap  can precede the primary verb or stative verb to emphasise that the subject resists changes even though it is expected for changes to occur.  Examples :  1. Dia tetap bersama saya.   He still remains (stay together) with me.  2. Saya tetap teguh dengan pendirian saya.   I stand firm on my ground. {even after being dissuaded)  3. Hujan sudah mula turun tapi mereka tetap bermain di luar.   It's already started raining but they're still playing outside.  4. Walaupun sudah berusia, Tok tetap rajin menuntut ilmu.   Although grandpa has aged, he still diligently seeks knowledge.   Try writing your own sentences in the comment below...

Differences between Nak vs Mau Please refer to this entry to understand the functions of hendak / nak / ma(h)u . Difference 1:  Regional Preference Generally, nak and mau is interchangeable in most situations and depending on regions, speakers might prefer one over the other. Speakers from East Malaysia (Sabah & Sarawak) prefers mau .  Difference 2:  Formality Below are the words arranged in increasing level of formality. Informal:  nak  1. Saya nak beli barang.   I'm going to buy things. Informal:  mau  2. Dia mau rumah yang besar.   He wants a big house. Formal:  mahu  3. Perdana menteri mahu rakyat bersabar.   The prime minister wants the people to be patient. Formal:  hendak  4. Guru besar hendak memperbesar kawasan sekolah.   The principal wants to expand the school compound. Difference 3:  Nuance If it is not influenced by the factors above, then it is due to the slight difference in nuance between nak and mau . Both words are used to express the intention of the speake

Habis  can be used in the following ways: Stative Verb:  to be finished, to be used up, to end Habis  is used to describe the state of things that are no longer available as it has been used up or finished. Examples :  1. Duit saya sudah habis.  My money is finished (used up).  2. Pertunjukan itu sudah habis.   The show is finished (ended).  3. Dia makan semuanya sendiri sampai habis.   He ate everything himself until it's finished (gone).  4. Habis semua buku diconteng adik.   All the books were scribbled by brother (younger sibling). (Aspect Auxiliary) Verb:  to finish Habis  can precede the primary verb to express that the verb has been done until it is finished or exhausted.  Examples : 1. Dia sudah habis makan. He has finished eating. 2. Habis sekolah nanti, terus balik. Come back immediately once you have finished school! 3. Saya akan pergi kalau ayah sudah habis cakap. I'll live now if you've finished talking. 4. Mereka sudah balik sebelum saya habis bentangkan proje

Siap  can be used in the following ways: (Transitive) Verb:  to complete, to prepare Siap  is used to describe the action of engaging in something until it is completed. In some cases, it can also mean to make preparations usually before facing something. As a primary verb,  (meN)siapkan--> menyiapkan  is followed by a direct object which is something that is meant to be completed. Examples :  1. Seorang pelajar belum menyiapkan kerja rumah.     A student has not completed his homework.  2. Siapkan dokumen itu sebelum mesyuarat esok.   Complete the document before the meeting tomorrow!  3. Dia menyiapkan dirinya untuk berlawan dalam acara itu.   He prepared himself to compete in that match.  4. Ibu menyiapkan bekal untuk adik bawa ke sekolah.   Mother prepares a lunchbox for sister (younger sibling) to bring to school. (Aspect Auxiliary) Verb:  to be done, to have completed Siap  can precede the primary verb to express that the verb has been completed.  Examples : 1. Makanan sudah s

Boleh Jadi  can be used in the following ways: (Conjecture Modal Auxiliary) Verb:  can be (happening), could be (happening) Boleh Jadi  can be used to express the speaker's guesses of what could be happening or what can happen. What comes after boleh   jadi  is usually an event or an occurrence.  Examples : 1. Boleh jadi dia sesat jalan. It could be that he got lost. 2. Boleh jadi awak tertinggal di rumah. It could be that you left it at home. 3. Apa-apa boleh jadi kalau kita berusaha. Anything can happen if we work hard. 4. Doktor kata ketumbuhan itu boleh jadi kanser. The doctor said that the growth could be cancer. Try writing your own sentences in the comment below...

Mula  can be used in the following ways: (Transitive) Verb:  to start, to begin Mula  is used to describe the action of starting something. As a primary verb,  (meN)mulakan--> memulakan is followed by a direct object which is something the subject intends to start. Examples :  1. Cikgu (meN)mulakan pelajaran dengan kuiz.     The teacher started the lesson with a quiz.  2. Mulakan hari ini dengan semangat yang baru.   Start the day with a new spirit!  3. Jangan mulakan sesuatu tanpa berfikir dengan masak.   Don't start something without thinking carefully!  4. Sila periksa kenderaan sebelum memulakan perjalanan yang jauh.   Please examine your transportation before starting a long journey! (Aspect Auxiliary) Verb:  to start to Mula  can precede the primary verb to express that the verb has been started.  Examples : 1. Ke hadapan barisan, sedia, mula (berlari). On your mark, get set, start! 2. Saya mula belajar bahasa Jepun 3 tahun yang lalu. I started learning Japanese 3 years ag

Mungkin  can be used in the following ways: (Conjecture Modal Auxiliary) Verb:  may be, might be Mungkin  can be used to express the speaker's supposition that something has taken place or will take place. This supposition is based on guesses or uncertainty of the future. Examples : 1. Saya mungkin akan tinggal terus di Malaysia. I may continue living in Malaysia. 2. Dia mungkin terlupa ada mesyuarat hari ini. He might have forgotten that there's a meeting today. 3. Esok mungkin hujan, jadi kita kena tukar rancangan. It may rain tomorrow, so we have to change plans. 4. Mungkin dia berasa kesal sebab buat macam tu pada awak. Maybe he felt regret for doing that to you. Try writing your own sentences in the comment below...

Payah   can be used in the following ways: Adjective:  dfficult, effortful, bothersome Payah can be used to describe that a certain action is rather difficult to be done due to it requiring a lot of effort. It is used when the speaker is annoyed or frustrated. Examples : 1. Belajar bahasa Melayu tak payah. It's not tough to learn Malay.    2. Payah sangatkah nak dengar cakap?  Is it so hard to listen to my words? 3. Kena pecat tiba-tiba mesti payah, kan. It must be hard to be fired suddenly, right? 4. Hidup ini tak sepayah yang kita sangka. This life isn't as tough as we thought. Tak payah  (Imperative/Auxiliary) Verb: no need, don't have to Tak payah can come before a verb to express that there is no need to do the action. Use with a soft tone, it is comparable with tak perlu , in which the speaker's intention is merely to state that something is not needed as opposed to what the listener expects. When used in a harsh tone, it is rather sarcastic, as if telling the lis

Baru  can be used in the following ways: Adjective:  new Baru  is the shorter form of baharu , which is used to describe that something is new, fresh or recent. Examples :  1. Saya dapat kerja baru.     I got a new job.  2. Kami sudah pergi kedai baru itu.   We've already been to that new shop.  3. Pelajar baru, sila berkumpul di depan dewan.   Fresh students, please gather in front of the hall!  4. Dia berpindah ke luar negara untuk mendapatkan pengalaman baru.   She moved overseas to get new experience. (Aspect Auxiliary) Verb:  just  Baru  can precede the primary verb to express that the verb has just taken place. To further emphasise, saja  can come together with baru . Examples :  1. Dia baru saja sampai.    He just arrived.  2. Saya baru saja cakap tadi.   I just said it just now.  3. Baru hari pertama datang sini, tapi dah tunjuk pandai.   It's just his first day coming here, but he's already flaunting his intelligence.  4. Kami baru makan sekarang sebab sibuk bermes

Kena  can be used in the following ways: (transitive) Verb:  to hit, to get {diesease} Kena as a primary verb expresses that something has come into contact with the subject physically including diseases. Examples : 1. Bola itu terkena kepala dia   The ball hit his head.  2. Dia basah kuyup sebab kena hujan.   He's soaking wet because he got rained upon.  3. Saya pernah kena Covid dua kali.   I've gotten Covid two times.  4. Kuah tumpah dari pinggan dan kena kaki dia.   The gravy spilled from the plate and hit his foot.   (Stative) Verb: to be apropriate, to be right Often used in a negative state, tak kena  describes that a certain action is not appropriate due to a certain feeling felt by the speaker. It is kind of a gut feeling due to some external circumstances. Examples : 1. Ada sesuatu tak kena.   There's something not right.  2. Pakai baju macam itu tak kena dengan majlis.   Wearing that kind of clothing is not appropriate with the event.  3. Tak kena kalau tak pergi

Masih  can be used in the following ways: (Aspect Auxiliary) Verb:  still  Masih  can precede the primary verb or stative verb to express that the state of verb has not changed. It means that the speaker is still performing the action or if followed by tak , the state of not performing the action has not changed. Thus, in positive sentence, only process verbs (verbs that occurs over a period of time) or stative verbs can be used.  Lagi  can be added at the end of the sentence to further emphasise the unchanging state of the action. Examples :  1. Saya masih makan lagi.      I'm still eating.  2. Dia masih tak mahu berubah.   He still doesn't want to change.  3. Kami masih lapar walaupun sudah makan banyak.   We are still hungry even though we have eaten a lot.  4. Mereka masih tak jumpa-jumpa kedai itu.   They still haven't found that store.   Try writing your own sentences in the comment below...

Harus  can be used in the following ways: (Obligation Modal Auxiliary) Verb:  should {advisably} Harus  can be used before the primary verb to express that the action is advisable to be done. Compared to the previous obligation modal auxiliary verbs, harus  carries the softest tone and thus, is usually used in formal situations. This sense of obligation stems from Islamic regulations where things that are harus  are optional for followers to do or not to do.  Examples : 1. Dia harus bertanggungjawab atas kesalahannya.     He should be responsible for his mistakes.  2. Kita harus menghormati orang di sekeliling.   We should respect people around us.  3. Encik harus mengamalkan pemakanan yang seimbang.   You should practice a balanced diet.  4. Mereka harus bekerjasama untuk menyiapkan tugas itu.   They should work together to settle that task.   Try writing your own sentences in the comment below...

Belum  can be used in the following ways: (Aspect Auxiliary) Verb:  have not, yet to {imperfected state} Belum  can precede the primary verb to express that the verb has not been performed. It means that the speaker will perform the action in the future. If the speaker didn't do something in the past, using tak  would suffice. Lagi  can be added at the end of the sentence to further emphasise the imperfected state of the action. Examples :  1. Saya belum beritahu dia.      I have not tell him.  2. Dia belum sembuh lagi.     He has not recovered yet.   3. Kami belum memohon visa untuk ke negara itu.   We have not applied for visa to that country..  4. Alia belum makan kerana tak lapar.  Alia hasn't eaten because she's not hungry . Sudah ... belum? (Tag Question) Particle:  haven't you ...? Sudah ... is accompanied with  belum  at the end of the sentence to create a yes/no question. These kind of questions are to confirm whether the listener has done certain actions. Exam

Patut  can be used in the following ways: (Obligation Modal Auxiliary) Verb:  should, supposed to {morally, ethically} Patut  can be used before the primary verb to express that the action is what's proper to be done. This sense of obligation stems from moral values as to what the speaker believes as proper or fit in the eyes of many. Tak patut can also be used as an exclamation to respond to something believed as inproper or should not be done. Examples : 1. Awak patut minta maaf dengan dia.   You should apologise to him.  2. Dia tak patut buat begitu terhadap orang tua.   He shouldn't have done that to elderlies.  3. Awak patut berehat di rumah kalau sakit.   You should rest at home if you're ill.  4. Kita tak patut buli orang yang berlainan.   We should not bully people who are different (than us).   (Evidential Modal Auxiliary) Verb: should be, should have be Patut  can also be used to express the speaker's certainty that something has taken place or will take place

Pernah  can be used in the following ways: (Aspect Auxiliary) Verb:  have {experience} Pernah  can precede the primary verb to express that the speaker has had the experience of doing the action in the past. The emphasis of using pernah  is on experience. So it is not used to refer to completed actions in which sudah is used. It is often used together with dulu  [ before ] which can come at the beginning or the end of the sentence. Examples :  1. Saya tak pernah melawat negara Belanda.      I've not visited Netherlands (before).  2. Dia pernah bersekolah di sini dulu.   He used to attend this school before.   3. Dulu, Alia pernah kemalangan. Jadi, dia takut nak bawa kereta sekarang.   Alia once got into an accident. So, she is now afraid to drive a car.  4. Portugis pernah menjajah Melaka dulu.   The Portuguese colonised Malacca before.  5. Awak pernah kena Covid berapa kali?   How many times have you gotten Covid?   Try writing your own sentences in the comment below...

Perlu  can be used in the following ways: Verb:  to need  Perlu  is used to express necessity. As a primary verb,  (meN)perlu(kan) --> memerlukan  comes before the direct object which is what the speaker needs. Examples : 1. Dia (meN)perlukan pen.      He needs a pen.      2. Tidak mengapa, saya tidak perlukan pertolongan anda.    It's okay, I don't need your help.  3. Kami memerlukan dana ini untuk menjayakan projek ini.   We need this fund to make this project a succcess.   4. Adakah anda perlukan apa-apa lagi?   Do you need anything else?   (Obligation Modal Auxiliary) Verb:  need to, required to, necessary Perlu can also comes before a primary verb to express that the action is necessary for the speaker to perform in order to fulfil certain requirements. Examples : 1. Kita perlu makan tiga kali sehari.    We need to eat three times a day.    2. Tak perlu jalan jauh-jauh.  You don't need to travel far. 3. Pelajar perlu mendapatkan kebenaran ibu bapa. Students need to

Sudah  can be used in the following ways: (Aspect Auxiliary) Verb:  already {perfected actions / achieved state} Sudah  can precede the primary verb to express that the verb has been completed. Do note that this does not instantly apply to everything in the past. It is to assert that the action was taken and no longer is taking place. Sudah can also precede stative verbs or adjectives to express that the state has been achieved. Examples :  1. Saya sudah menyiapkan kerja rumah.      I've completed my homework.  2. Dia sudah makan pagi tadi.     He has eaten this morning.   3. Kami sudah berjaya sekarang.   We have now succeeded.  4. Sudah lama kita tak jumpa.   It's been awhile since we've met.  5. Anak-anak kita sudah besar nanti macam mana?   What would happen when our children will have grown up?   Try writing your own sentences in the comment below...

Mesti  can be used in the following ways: (Obligation Modal Auxiliary) Verb:  must, have to Mesti can be used before the primary verb to express the obligation to do something. This sense of obligation stems internally from the speaker's belief. Examples : 1. Saya mesti lulus dalam peperiksaan.   I have to pass my exams.  2. Dia mesti pulangkan duit saya secepat mungkin.   He has to return my money as soon as possible.  3. Kita mesti menunjukkan pasport untuk menaiki kapal terbang.   We must show our passport to ride the plane.   4. Mestikah saya melaporkan kejadian itu?   Do I have to report that incident?   (Evidential Modal Auxiliary) Verb:  must be, would be, definitely will, certaily will, for sure Mesti can also be used to express the speaker's certainty that something has taken place or will take place. This certainty is based on the speaker's belief. Mestilah  can be used to agree with the person the speaker is talking to. Examples : 1. Esok saya mesti akan lupa.  I