Breakdown of Harga boleh berubah; itu bergantung.
itu
that
boleh
to be able
harga
the price
berubah
to change
Questions & Answers about Harga boleh berubah; itu bergantung.
Why is boleh used here? Does it mean can or may?
In this sentence, boleh means something like can / may / is able to / is possible to.
So Harga boleh berubah means that the price can change or may change. It does not mean the price is definitely changing right now; it means a change is possible.
For learners, boleh is often one of the first Malay modal verbs to learn because it can express:
- permission: Boleh saya masuk? = May I come in?
- possibility/ability: Harga boleh berubah = Prices can change
Here it is the second use: possibility.
Why is it berubah and not mengubah?
Because berubah is intransitive, while mengubah is transitive.
- berubah = to change, to become different
- mengubah = to change something, to alter something
In Harga boleh berubah, the subject harga is the thing that changes by itself, so berubah is correct.
Compare:
- Harga berubah. = The price changes / changed.
- Mereka mengubah harga. = They changed the price.
A useful shortcut:
- if something itself changes → berubah
- if someone changes something else → mengubah
Is harga singular or plural here?