…
Breakdown of Kasut itu kelihatan cantik, jadi saya mahu membelinya untuk dipakai ke pejabat.
saya
I
itu
that
mahu
to want
ke
to
beli
to buy
untuk
for
pejabat
the office
jadi
so
kasut
the shoe
kelihatan
to look
cantik
pretty
pakai
to wear
Questions & Answers about Kasut itu kelihatan cantik, jadi saya mahu membelinya untuk dipakai ke pejabat.
What does itu mean in this sentence?
Itu is a demonstrative pronoun meaning “that.” In the sentence, it follows kasut (shoe) to specify which shoe is being talked about.
What role does kelihatan play in the sentence?
Kelihatan functions like a linking verb meaning “looks” or “appears.” It connects the noun kasut with the adjective cantik, forming the description “looks pretty.”
How is the word membelinya constructed and why is it written as one word?
Membelinya is built from the root beli (to buy), the prefix mem- that marks the active verb form, and the suffix -nya, which acts as a pronoun referring back to kasut. Together, it means “buy it.”
Why is dipakai used instead of the base verb pakai?
Dipakai is the passive form of pakai (to wear). Using the passive form emphasizes that the shoes are meant to be worn, and it’s a common construction in Malay when expressing the intended use of an object.
What does the phrase untuk dipakai ke pejabat mean and how is it structured?
The phrase breaks down as follows: untuk means “for,” dipakai means “to be worn,” and ke pejabat means “to the office.” Combined, it indicates that the shoes are intended for wearing to the office.
Why does Malay attach the pronoun -nya directly to the verb in membelinya instead of using a separate word like “it” as in English?
In Malay, it is common to attach the pronoun directly to the verb as a suffix. The -nya in membelinya refers back to kasut, making the sentence more concise by effectively combining “buy” and “it” into one word.
Can you summarize the overall structure and meaning of the sentence?
Certainly. The sentence “Kasut itu kelihatan cantik, jadi saya mahu membelinya untuk dipakai ke pejabat” consists of two parts. The first part, Kasut itu kelihatan cantik, describes the appearance of the shoe (“That shoe looks pretty”). The second part, jadi saya mahu membelinya untuk dipakai ke pejabat, explains the speaker’s intention (“so I want to buy it for wearing to the office”). Together, the sentence shows a clear cause-and-effect relationship between the appearance of the shoe and the speaker’s desire to purchase it for a specific purpose.
More from this lesson
AI Language TutorTry it ↗
“What's the best way to learn Malay grammar?”
Malay grammar becomes intuitive with practice. Focus on understanding the core patterns first — how sentences are structured, how verbs change form, and how words relate to each other. Our course breaks these concepts into small lessons so you can build understanding step by step.
Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor
Start learning MalayMaster Malay — from Kasut itu kelihatan cantik, jadi saya mahu membelinya untuk dipakai ke pejabat to fluency
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods.
- ✓ Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
- ✓ Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
- ✓ Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
- ✓ AI tutor to answer your grammar questions