Mereka belajar tentang angkasa.

they

Breakdown of Mereka belajar tentang angkasa.

• belajar: to learn
• tentang: about
• angkasa: outer space

Questions & Answers about Mereka belajar tentang angkasa.

What does mereka mean, and does it show gender?

Mereka means they when talking about people. It does not show gender, so it can refer to men, women, or a mixed group.

A useful point: mereka is normally used for people, not for things or animals in the way English they can be.

What does belajar mean here: learn or study?

Belajar can mean both learn and study, depending on context.

In this sentence, it is most naturally understood as study or are learning:

• Mereka belajar tentang angkasa. = They are studying/learning about space.

Malay often uses the same verb where English might choose either learn or study.

Why is tentang used before angkasa?

Tentang means about.

So:

• belajar tentang angkasa = study/learn about space

This is a very common pattern in Malay:

• belajar tentang sejarah = study about history
• belajar tentang haiwan = learn about animals

If you leave out tentang, the sentence may sound incomplete or unnatural in this meaning. Another possible way to express the idea is:

• Mereka mempelajari angkasa. = They study space.

That version is a bit more formal or bookish.