Mereka membina rumah.

Mereka means they or them.

In Mereka membina rumah, it functions as the subject, so it means they.

A useful point: mereka is normally used for people, not for things or animals in standard Malay.

No. Malay pronouns do not usually mark gender.

So mereka can mean:

• they (mixed group)
• they (all male)
• they (all female)

The sentence gives no gender information unless the wider context tells you.

Bina is the root word, meaning build or construct.

Membina is the verb with the active prefix meN- added. In this case:

• bina = root
• meN- + bina → membina

This is a very common pattern in Malay for active verbs, especially when the verb takes an object.

So:

• Mereka membina rumah = They are building / build a house
• bina rumah by itself can appear in certain contexts, but membina is the normal full verb form in a standard sentence like this.

It marks the verb as an active verb.

In simple terms, it tells you that the subject is doing the action.

So in:

• Mereka membina rumah

the group referred to by mereka is actively carrying out the building.

This meN- prefix changes shape depending on the first sound of the root:

• mem-
• men-
• meng-
• meny-

Here, the root is bina, so the form is membina.

Yes, very similar.

The basic order is:

• Mereka = subject
• membina = verb
• rumah = object

So it is Subject–Verb–Object, just like English:

• They build a house
• They are building a house

That makes this sentence structure quite straightforward for English speakers.

Malay does not usually use articles like English a, an, or the.

So rumah can mean:

• a house
• the house
• sometimes just house/houses, depending on context

The exact meaning usually comes from the situation or surrounding sentences.

So Mereka membina rumah could mean:

• They are building a house
• They are building the house

Context decides which one is intended.

Usually rumah means house, but in some contexts it can also correspond to home.

In this sentence, because the verb is membina (to build), house is the more natural interpretation:

• They are building a house

You would not normally say build a home in a literal beginner grammar explanation, even though English can sometimes allow it.

Malay verbs usually do not change form for tense the way English verbs do.

So membina by itself does not tell you whether the action is:

• present
• past
• future

Mereka membina rumah could mean, depending on context:

• They build a house
• They are building a house
• They built a house

If Malay wants to be more specific, it can add time or aspect words such as:

• sedang = in progress
• telah / sudah = already
• akan = will

Examples:

• Mereka sedang membina rumah. = They are building a house.
• Mereka telah membina rumah. = They have built / built a house.
• Mereka akan membina rumah. = They will build a house.

By itself, rumah can be understood as singular or plural, depending on context.

In this sentence, the most natural reading is usually a house or the house, so singular.

If Malay wants to clearly show plural, it can use reduplication:

• rumah-rumah = houses

So:

• Mereka membina rumah-rumah. = They are building houses.

But Malay often leaves number unmarked if the context makes it clear.

Sometimes, yes. Malay often omits subjects when the context is obvious.

So if everyone already knows who is being talked about, you might hear:

• Membina rumah.

But as a complete standalone sentence in careful standard Malay, Mereka membina rumah is clearer and more explicit.

So for learners, keeping the subject is a good habit until you get used to when omission sounds natural.

Both can relate to making something, but they are not exactly the same.

• buat = make / do (very general)
• membina = build / construct (more specific, often more formal)

For a house, membina is the better and more precise choice.

Compare:

• Mereka membina rumah. = They are building a house.
• Mereka membuat rumah. = grammatical in some contexts, but less natural for ordinary house construction

So membina is the word you would normally expect here.

Yes.

A common passive version is:

• Rumah dibina oleh mereka.

This means:

• The house is built by them
• or, depending on context, The house was built by them

Breakdown:

• rumah = house
• dibina = is built / was built
• oleh mereka = by them

Malay uses di- for many passive verbs, so:

• membina = active
• dibina = passive

It is neutral standard Malay.

It sounds natural in:

• textbooks
• news
• formal writing
• ordinary clear speech

In casual spoken Malay, people may choose shorter or less formal wording depending on region and situation, but this sentence is perfectly normal and correct standard Malay.

Both approaches help.

It is useful to recognize:

• bina = root
• membina = active verb form

If you learn the pattern, you will understand many other Malay verbs more easily. But in practice, you should also get used to seeing membina as a common whole verb meaning to build.

So the best strategy is:

1. learn the root bina
2. notice the active pattern meN-
3. also become comfortable with membina as a complete everyday verb form