Breakdown of Kami datang lebih awal, malah perpustakaan belum buka.
adalah
to be
kami
we
belum
not yet
lebih awal
earlier
datang
to arrive
perpustakaan
the library
buka
open
malah
yet
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Questions & Answers about Kami datang lebih awal, malah perpustakaan belum buka.
What does malah add to the sentence?
It marks an unexpected or contrary result, roughly like “actually,” “in fact,” or “ironically.” It contrasts your expectation (arriving early should help) with what really happened (the library wasn’t open).
Is malah the same as bahkan, justru, ternyata, or padahal?
- malah: contrary/ironic outcome; often with a negative twist.
- justru: “instead/on the contrary,” a bit sharper or more formal than malah. You can say: Kami datang lebih awal; justru perpustakaan belum buka.
- ternyata: “it turns out,” focuses on discovery: Kami datang lebih awal; ternyata perpustakaan belum buka.
- bahkan: “even” for intensification, not contrast; it doesn’t fit well here.
- padahal: “even though/whereas” introducing an unmet expectation; it normally links a clause to another: Kami datang lebih awal, padahal perpustakaan belum buka. (This feels like “even though,” with a hint of mild reproach.)
Why is it belum and not tidak?
- belum = “not yet” (implies it will open later): Perpustakaan belum buka.
- tidak = plain negation. Use it if it’s not opening at all or not opening today: Perpustakaan tidak buka hari ini.
Is Perpustakaan belum buka grammatical, or should it be belum dibuka or terbuka?
Perpustakaan belum buka is perfectly natural for business hours.
- belum dibuka (passive) emphasizes the act by someone: “hasn’t been opened (by staff).”
- terbuka is “open” as a state (e.g., a door: Pintu terbuka), not typically used for a business being open to customers.
Can I say Perpustakaannya belum buka?
You can, but -nya adds definiteness (“that/the library we’re talking about”). In many contexts Perpustakaan belum buka already means “the library (in context) isn’t open yet,” so -nya isn’t necessary unless you’re pinpointing a specific one already known.
Where can malah go?
All are acceptable, with slight emphasis differences:
- Kami datang lebih awal, malah perpustakaan belum buka.
- Kami datang lebih awal; perpustakaan malah belum buka. (emphasizes the library’s unexpected state)
- Malah, perpustakaan belum buka. (fronted for stronger contrast)
Is lebih awal the best way to say “earlier”? What about terlalu awal, lebih cepat, or lebih dahulu?
- lebih awal: earlier (than expected/scheduled). Best here.
- terlalu awal: too early (excessively early).
- lebih cepat: faster/sooner; about speed or duration, not ideal for arrival time by itself.
- lebih dahulu: beforehand/earlier than others: Kami datang lebih dahulu (we arrived before the others).
Should it be datang, tiba, or sampai?
All can work, with nuance:
- datang: come/arrive (general, common).
- tiba: arrive (more formal/literary): Kami tiba lebih awal.
- sampai: arrive/reach (very common in speech): Kami sampai lebih awal.
Do I need to add ke perpustakaan after datang?
Not if the context is clear. You can add it for clarity:
- Kami datang ke perpustakaan lebih awal (or Kami datang lebih awal ke perpustakaan). Both word orders are fine.
Is the comma after awal okay? Could I use a semicolon or a period?
Yes. You can write:
- Kami datang lebih awal, malah perpustakaan belum buka.
- Kami datang lebih awal; malah, perpustakaan belum buka.
- Kami datang lebih awal. Malah, perpustakaan belum buka.
Semicolon or period is a bit more formal/explicit.
How would I say this more formally or more casually?
- Formal-ish: Kami datang lebih awal; namun perpustakaan belum dibuka. or Kami datang lebih awal; ternyata perpustakaan belum dibuka.
- Casual: Kita (if including the listener) datang lebih awal, malah perpus belum buka.
What’s the difference between belum buka and masih tutup?
They’re near-equivalents in many contexts:
- belum buka emphasizes “not yet open” (it will open later).
- masih tutup emphasizes the current state “still closed.”
Both are common for business hours.
Does kami include the person I’m talking to?
No. kami excludes the listener (“we” but not you). kita includes the listener (“we” including you). The sentence uses kami, so the listener wasn’t part of that group.
Why not use membuka/dibuka instead of buka?
- buka/tutup are the standard, concise forms for business hours: Perpustakaan buka/tutup jam…
- membuka is active transitive (“to open [something]”): Petugas membuka pintu.
- dibuka is passive (“is opened [by someone]”): Perpustakaan dibuka jam 9.
In everyday speech about hours, buka/tutup is the default.