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Questions & Answers about Teman saya tinggi.
What does Teman saya tinggi mean in English?
It translates to "My friend is tall." This is a simple descriptive sentence indicating a physical characteristic.
Why is there no linking verb (like is) in the sentence?
In Malay, a linking verb is not required to connect the subject with an adjective. The descriptive word tinggi directly follows the noun phrase teman saya to convey that the friend is tall.
How is possession indicated in Teman saya tinggi?
Possession is shown by placing the pronoun saya (meaning “I” or “mine”) after the noun. So teman saya naturally means "my friend" without needing an extra possessive marker.
Why is the adjective tinggi placed after teman saya instead of before it?
Malay grammar typically places adjectives after the noun they modify. Therefore, tinggi comes after teman saya to describe the friend’s characteristic, aligning with standard Malay sentence structure.
Does the word teman indicate the gender of the friend?
No, teman is a gender-neutral term in Malay. It can refer to a friend of any gender.
How would you change the sentence to say "My friends are tall"?
To express plurality, you would change teman to teman-teman, resulting in Teman-teman saya tinggi. This follows the same structure, with the plural form indicating more than one friend.
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