Breakdown of Tumbas mendapat markah tinggi.
tinggi
high
mendapat
to get
markah
the score
tumbas
a strike (bowling)
Questions & Answers about Tumbas mendapat markah tinggi.
Is Tumbas a name here?
In this sentence, Tumbas is functioning as the subject of the sentence, and the most natural assumption is that it is a proper name. For a learner, it is safest to read the structure as:
Tumbas + mendapat + markah tinggi
So Tumbas is the one who gets or got the high marks.
What does mendapat mean in this sentence?
Mendapat means to get, to receive, or to obtain.
In this sentence, it means that the subject received/obtained high marks. It is a very common verb in Malay and is often used with things like:
- mendapat markah = get marks
- mendapat hadiah = receive a prize
- mendapat peluang = get an opportunity
Why is tinggi after markah instead of before it?
Because in Malay, adjectives usually come after the noun.
So:
- markah tinggi = high marks
- literally, to an English speaker, it looks like marks high
This is normal Malay word order. The same pattern appears in many other phrases:
- rumah besar = big house
- budak kecil = small child
- baju merah = red shirt
Why is there no word for a, an, or ?