Learn Malay with Adlan

Kurang  can be used in the following ways: Adjective/Adverb: less, lack, in shortage of Kurang  expresses the idea of less than normal. As an adverb, kurang is used to describe the lack or shortage of something. Examples : 1. Dia tak terbayar kerana duitnya kurang.   He wasn't able to pay because he has not enough money (his money is in shortage). 2. Tahun ini gejala sosial semakin kurang.  This year, sosial problems become lesser. 3. Dia asyik kena denda sebab kurang ajar dengan cikgu.    He always got punished because of being rude (lack education) to the teachers.  4. Kebanyakan negara menghadapi masalah kurang tenaga buruh akibat kadar kelahiran yang menurun.  A big number of countries are facing shortage of labour force problem due to the decreasing of birth rate. Intensifier:  less, lack, not so Kurang  can also be used before adjectives/stative verbs. It is used to express that the topic in question does not adhere to an expe...

Sedikit  can be used in the following ways: Quantifier: a little, a few Sedikit  can be placed before nouns to express small quantity. Sedikit can be shortened to sikit . Examples : 1. Saya ada sedikit duit.    I have a little money.     2. Hanya ada sedikit orang sahaja.  There are only a few people. 3. Saya tahu sikit saja.     I only know a bit. 4. Tahu sikit tak bermaksud tak berguna.   Knowing less (little) doesn't mean it's useless.   Intensifier:  a little bit When placed after an adjective,  sikit  is used to soften the adjective, bringing down the intensity of the adjective. Examples : 1. Orang itu pelik sikit.    That person is a little bit weird. 2. Bagi saya banyak sikit. Give me a little bit more. 3. Saiz yang besar sikit, ada tak? Is there a size a little bit bigger (than this)? 4. Susah sikit nak pujuk dia sertai kita. It's a little bit difficult to persuade him to join us.   si...

Memang   can be used in the following ways: Intensifier:  naturally, indeed, really Memang is used to emphasise that the subject has always been such way or that the subject really does live up to his label. Examples : 1. Dia memang tak boleh makan pedas.     He really cannot take spicy food.     2. Bos saya memang suka bagi kerja banyak.  My boss really likes to give us a lot of work . 3. Budak-budak memang tak malu buat kesilapan.  Children indeed are not embarrassed to make mistakes. 4. Orang lelaki memang ada ego tinggi.   Men naturally are highly egoistical. Try writing your own sentences in the comment below...

Sungguh  can be used in the following ways: Intensifier:  really Sungguh  can be used before or after adjectives/stative verbs. Compared to sangat , sungguh  expresses a higher degree of intensity. Hence, it's only used when the speaker is genuinely amazed. In terms of structure, it is not uncommon to bring the sungguh  part in front to further emphasise it, turning it into an exclamation. Examples : 1. Sungguh indah pemandangan Gunung Kinabalu.  The Mount. Kinabalu view is really scenic.    2. Soalan peperiksaan hari ini susah sungguh .   The exam questions today were really tough. 3. Rancangan realiti itu sungguh menghiburkan.   The reality show is really entertaining. 4. Sungguh tak tersangka kepulangan dia.   I really didn't expect his return.     Try writing your own sentences in the comment below...

Sekali  can be used in the following ways: Classifier:  one time, once Sekali is used to count the frequency of events. For this usage, the se-  which means 'one' can be replaced with other numbers.  Examples : 1. Dia pernah pergi ke Malaysia sekali.  He's been to Malaysia once. 2. Sila baca sekali lagi.   Please read it again (one more time). 3. Saya minum kopi sekali sehari.  I drink coffeee once a day. 4. Mereka berjaya lulus ujian lesen dengan sekali percubaan. They successfully passed the licence test in one try. Adverb: along, together Sekali  can also be used as an adverb to express that something takes place along with the main event.  Examples : 1. Boleh saya ikut sekali?  Can I go along (with you)? {Original plan does not include the speaker.} 2. Tolong belikan sabun sekali.   Please buy (me) soap as well. [While shopping for your things.] 3. Saya ada bawa baju salinan sekali.  I brought change of clothese as well. [A...

Paling   can be used in the following ways: (Superlative) Intensifier:  most Paling  can come before an adjective or stative verb to create a superlative structure. There are more than one ways to create superlative in Malay but using paling  is the most basic. Do note that yang  often would come in between the noun and paling  as the structure involves comparison. However, it may be dropped in conversation. Examples : 1. Dia pelajar yang paling pandai di dalam kelas.  He's the smartest student in class. 2. Negara Malaysialah negara yang paling sesuai untuk ekspat.   Malaysia is the most suitable country for expats. 3. Bagi ibu bapa, anak-anaklah yang paling bernilai.  Children are the most valuable (thing) for parents. 4. Saya paling tak suka orang yang suka datang lambat. I don't like people who keep coming late the most. Try writing your own sentences in the comment below...

Lebih   can be used in the following ways: (Comparative) Intensifier:  more (than) Lebih can come before an adjective to express that the subject is superior with respect to a certain quality. Be cautious as lebih cannot be used by itself. Daripada is used to denote the object of comparison. Lagi  can also be used to replace lebih . Lagi  can come before or after the adjective. Using lagi  asserts a strongger affirmation towards the differences. Examples : 1. Saya lebih tua lima tahun.  I'm 5 years older. 2. Harga tiket kereta api lebih mahal RM10 daripada harga tiket bas.   The train ticket costs RM10 more than the bus ticket. 3. Belilah beg ini, lagi cantik.  Buy this bag! It's definitely more beautiful. 4. Dalam kehidupan, ada banyak benda yang lebih bernilai daripada duit. In life, there are a lot of things that are more valuable than money. Try writing your own sentences in the comment below...

Begitu   can be used in the following ways: Demonstrative: (like) that Begitu is made up of bagai itu . Compared to itu , begitu  is used to refer to certain ways of doing something while itu focuses more on the object mentioned.  In English, more often using 'that' would suffice for both situation.  When used after a noun, begitu  refers to the kind or manner of the noun.  A more colloquial version is ( ma)cam itu . Examples : 1. Jangan cakap begitu.     Don't say that! 2. Begitulah cara melakukan senaman ini.   That is how you do this exercise. 3. Orang begitu tak patut dikasihani.  Those kind of people should not be sympathised. 4. Dia menangis macam itu sebab tak mahu orang tahu. He cried like that because he doesn't want others to know.   Intensifier:  so, not that, not so Begitu  can also be used before adjectives/stative verbs. It is used to express that the adjective/stative verbs reached a certain level most ...

Langsung   can be used in the following ways: Adverb:  direct(ly), straight, live {broadcasting/streaming},  Langsung describes the idea that something goes directly to somewhere without disruptions. Although it can be used by itself when modifying movements, more often it is preceded with secara  to form an adverb of manner. Examples : 1. Durian-durian ini datang langsung dari dusunnya.     These durians came straight from the farm. 2. Rancangan ini bersiar secara langsung.   This programme is streaming live. 3. Sila berurusan dengan pihak polis secara langsung.  Please deal with the police force directly. 4. Secara tidak langsung, Covid telah menyedarkan kita apa yang betul-betul penting dalam hidup. Covid has indirectly made us realise what is really important in our life.   Langsung tak ... // Tak ... langsung Intensifier: (do) not ... at all Paired with tidak , langsung  indicates that something is not considered the mentioned ...

Agak   can be used in the following ways: Verb:  to guess, to aproximate, to estimate Agak expresses the idea of approximation based on certain data or merely from guessing. As the primary verb, (meN)agak --> mengagak can be used. Examples : 1. Dia mengagak dia akan berkahwin tak lama lagi.     He expects that he will get married soon.     2. Saya sudah agak.   I knew it. 3. Mereka tak dapat agak perjalanan akan mengambil masa berapa lama.  They didn't manage to estimate how long the journey will take.  4. Agaknya, dia tak suka berkawan dengan orang asing.  I suppose he doesn't like to be friends with foreigners.  Intensifier:  quite, rather Agak  can also be used before adjectives/stative verbs. It is used to express that the topic in question can be considered or described by using the adjective/stative verbs. Examples : 1. Lelaki itu agak pemurah.     That man is quite generous.     2. ...

Cukup   can be used in the following ways: Adjective:  enough, sufficient Cukup is used to express that the subject is sufficient to fulfil certain needs. Untuk  would often follow cukup  to describe the needs. Examples : 1. Gaji saya tak cukup.     My salary is not enough.     2. Duit ini cukup untuk beli hadiah.   This money is enough to buy a gift. 3. Tempat duduk tak cukup untuk semua pelajar.    The seats are not enough for all students. 4. Saya ada cukup masa untuk selesaikan urusan itu.  I have enough time to settle that matter.   Intensifier:  enough, sufficiently, appropriately Cukup  can also be used before adjectives/stative verbs. It is used to express that the intensity of the adjective is just enough thus satisfactory. Examples : 1. Rumah ini cukup besar.     This house is big enough.     2. Lukisan itu sudah cukup cantik.   That painting is already beautiful ...

  Terlalu   can be used in the following ways: Intensifier:  too, overly Terlalu  can be used before adjectives/stative verbs. It is used to express that the intensity of the adjective is too much thus not satisfactory. In colloquial conversation, sangat  can follow the adjective to further express disatisfaction.  Examples : 1. Sewa rumah ini terlalu tinggi.     The rent for this house is too high.     2. Baju ini terlalu besar sangat.   This shirt (any clothing apparel) is too big. [There's nothing can be done.] 3. Jangan balik terlalu lewat sangat.    Don't come back too late . [A little late is fine.] 4. Bilik ini terlalu besar untuk saya seorang.   This room is too big for me alone.   Try writing your own sentences in the comment below...

Betul   can be used in the following ways: Adjective:  correct, true Betul as an adjective is used to confirm a fact or a statement as the truth. Examples : 1. Maklumat itu semuanya betul.     All of the information is true.     2. Beritahu saya jawapan yang betul.   Tell me the correct answer! 3. Encik bukan orang tempatan, betul tak?     You're not a local, is that right? 4. Betul, saya bukan orang tempatan.   That's correct, I'm not a local.   Intensifier:  indeed, truly, really When placed after an adjective, betul  is used to intensify the adjective as if the subject truly fulfils the quality of the adjective. It can also be used to agree with the other party's claim. In a sentence, the predicate with betul  can be brought to front to further emphasize it. Used this way, the sentence becomes more like an exclamation. Examples : 1. Beg tangan ini mahal betul.    This handbag is truly expensive....

Sangat   can be used in the following ways: Intensifier:  very, really Sangat  can be used before or after adjectives/stative verbs. There is not much difference between placing it before or after though in more cases, placing it after can be more emphatic with certain nuances such as surprised, amazed, sarcastic. Examples : 1. Tempat itu sangat jauh.     That place is very far.     2. Dia sangat suka makan ikan.   He likes to eat fish very much. 3. Kuih ini sedap sangat.     This kuih is very delicious.  [amazed] 4. Pandailah sangat awak buat macam (i)ni.   You're so smart for doing this. [sarcastic]   tak __ sangat Intensifier:  not very, not really In a negative statement, sangat is always placed after. This way, it is used to degrade the intensity of the adjectives/stative verbs. In simple words, not as what was previously known. Examples : 1. Jam tangan ini tak mahal sangat.    This watch is n...