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Questions & Answers about Rumah saya kotor.
Why does the sentence "Rumah saya kotor" omit a linking verb like is?
In Malay, linking verbs are usually omitted when an adjective describes a noun. The adjective comes directly after the noun phrase, so Rumah saya kotor directly translates the idea of "My house is dirty" without needing an extra word for "is."
Can you break down the vocabulary of "Rumah saya kotor"?
Certainly. Rumah means house, saya functions as the possessive pronoun meaning my, and kotor means dirty. Together, they form the sentence "My house is dirty."
Why is the possessive pronoun saya placed after rumah instead of before it?
Malay typically places possessive pronouns after the noun they modify. Unlike in English where we say "my house," in Malay the noun comes first followed by its possessor, resulting in rumah saya for "my house."
How would I change this sentence into a negative statement?
To express the negative, insert the word tidak (meaning "not") before the adjective. Thus, the negative sentence becomes Rumah saya tidak kotor, which translates to "My house is not dirty."
How can this sentence be turned into a question?
There are a couple of ways to form a question in Malay. One method is to rely on rising intonation when speaking. Alternatively, you can add the question marker kah at the end, making it Rumah saya kotor kah?, which serves to indicate a question.
Can I include a linking verb if I want to be more formal?
Yes, although it’s more common to omit the linking verb in everyday Malay, you can add adalah to form Rumah saya adalah kotor. This version is more formal, but both forms are grammatically acceptable.