Mereka suka makan roti.

to eat

Breakdown of Mereka suka makan roti.

• suka: to like
• roti: the bread
• mereka: they

Questions & Answers about Mereka suka makan roti.

Why do we use Mereka here?

In Malay, Mereka is the standard pronoun meaning they (third-person plural). It doesn't change form regardless of gender or the number of people (as long as it’s plural). Unlike English, Malay pronouns are neutral in terms of gender.

What does suka mean, and is there any difference from other words for "like"?

Suka directly translates to like in English. Another similar Malay word is gemar, which can also mean enjoy or like, but suka is more common and casual. They are largely interchangeable, but gemar can sound a bit more formal or enthusiastic in some contexts.

Is makan ever conjugated based on tense or the subject in Malay?

No. Malay verbs, including makan, do not change form to indicate tense or subject. Instead, context or additional words like sedang (to imply an ongoing action), telah (completed action), or akan (future action) clarify the time. In the sentence Mereka suka makan roti, there’s no specific marker, so it can mean they like to eat bread in general.

Why do we just say roti instead of adding articles like "a" or "the"?

Malay does not use articles (like a, an, or the) the way English does. Roti simply means bread without specifying quantity or definiteness. Context or another phrase could indicate more detail if needed, for example: roti itu (that bread) or roti tersebut (that particular bread).

Does roti represent both singular and plural forms of "bread"?

Yes. In Malay, nouns typically don’t change to show plural. Roti can mean bread in general, a singular piece of bread, or multiple pieces of bread, depending on the context. To emphasize plural, you can use terms like banyak roti (a lot of bread/pieces of bread) if needed.