Questions & Answers about Dia membesar di kampung itu.
Why does dia not tell me whether the person is he or she?
In Malay, dia is gender-neutral. It can mean he, she, or sometimes that person, depending on context.
So Dia membesar di kampung itu could refer to a male or female person. If Malay speakers want to make the gender clear, they usually do it through context or by adding a noun, such as:
- lelaki itu = that man
- perempuan itu = that woman
This is very normal in Malay, and learners usually have to get used to not knowing the gender from the pronoun alone.
What does membesar mean here, and why is it not just besar?
Besar by itself usually means big or large. It is mainly an adjective.
Membesar is a verb. In this sentence, it means to grow up or to become bigger.
So the difference is roughly:
- besar = big
- membesar = grow / grow up / become big
In Dia membesar di kampung itu, membesar is being used in the sense of growing up.
What does the mem- part in membesar do?