Saya kekurangan tenaga selepas kerja.

I lack energy after work.

Breakdown of Saya kekurangan tenaga selepas kerja.

• saya: I
• kerja: the work
• selepas: after
• tenaga: the energy
• kekurangan: to lack

Questions & Answers about Saya kekurangan tenaga selepas kerja.

What does the word kekurangan mean in this sentence?

In this context, kekurangan means “lack” or “a shortage of.” The sentence “Saya kekurangan tenaga selepas kerja” translates to “I lack energy after work,” where kekurangan indicates that the speaker does not have sufficient energy.

How is the sentence “Saya kekurangan tenaga selepas kerja” structured grammatically?

The sentence follows a simple structure:
• Saya is the subject (“I”).
• Kekurangan functions as the predicate, expressing a state of lacking.
• Tenaga is the object (“energy”).
• Selepas kerja is an adverbial phrase that specifies the time (“after work”).
Malay often conveys meaning without auxiliary verbs or tense markers; context (like “selepas kerja”) provides temporal information.

Why isn’t a possessive pronoun used before tenaga even though in English we might say “my energy”?

Malay typically omits possessive pronouns when the meaning is clear from context. In the sentence, it is understood that the energy in question is the speaker’s own. Unlike English, where “my energy” might be necessary, Malay prefers the more concise “tenaga” without an explicit pronoun.

Could you use another phrase to express a similar idea, and how would it differ in nuance?

Yes, an alternative phrase is “Saya kehabisan tenaga selepas kerja,” which translates to “I run out of energy after work.” While kekurangan tenaga implies a general shortage or lack of energy, kehabisan tenaga emphasizes that the energy is completely used up or exhausted. The choice between them depends on the nuance you wish to convey.

What role does the phrase selepas kerja play in the sentence?

Selepas kerja acts as an adverbial phrase that tells us when the lack of energy occurs—it means “after work.” This phrase sets the time context, similar to how “after work” functions in English, and it helps the listener understand that the energy deficiency happens following the work period.