Mereka berbual pada waktu malam.

They chat at night.

Breakdown of Mereka berbual pada waktu malam.

• mereka: they
• berbual: to chat
• pada: at
• waktu malam: the night

Questions & Answers about Mereka berbual pada waktu malam.

What does Mereka mean in this sentence?

Mereka is a pronoun meaning they or them. It refers to a group of people who are carrying out the action in the sentence.

How is the verb berbual formed, and what does it mean?

The verb berbual comes from the root bual combined with the prefix ber-, which is commonly used in Malay to indicate that an action is being performed by the subject. In this case, berbual means to chat or to converse.

Why is the preposition pada used before waktu malam?

The word pada serves as a preposition in Malay, similar to at in English. It is used here to specify the time when the action occurs. So, pada waktu malam conveys that the chatting happens at night.

What does the phrase waktu malam signify, and could it be expressed in a simpler way?

Waktu malam literally means night time or night. It clearly indicates when the action happens. In casual conversation, some speakers might simply say malam, but adding waktu provides extra clarity about it being the specific period of the night.

How is tense conveyed in this sentence since there is no change in verb form?

In Malay, verbs do not change form for different tenses. Instead, the time of the action is understood through explicit time indicators like pada waktu malam. This means the sentence uses context rather than verb conjugation to show when the action took place.