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Questions & Answers about Air tertumpah di lantai.
What does air mean in this sentence, and why might it be confusing for English speakers?
In Malay, air means water. This can be confusing because, in English, the word air refers to the gaseous substance we breathe. Recognizing this false friend helps clarify that the sentence is about spilled water, not the atmospheric element.
How is the word tertumpah formed, and what does it indicate?
Tertumpah is derived from the root tumpah, which means “to spill.” The addition of the prefix ter- forms a passive or accidental aspect, implying that the water has spilled (usually unintentionally). This construction emphasizes the resultant state of the action.
What is the role of the preposition di in this sentence?
In this context, di functions as a locative preposition, similar to the English “on.” Thus, di lantai translates to “on the floor,” indicating the location where the water was spilled.
How is the sentence structured, and is it similar to English sentence order?
The sentence follows a simple Subject-Verb-Location pattern: Air (subject) + tertumpah (verb, showing state/result) + di lantai (location). This structure is comparable to English passive constructions, where the focus is on the state of the object (water) after the action.
Why is there no explicit tense marker in this sentence?
Malay verbs do not change form to indicate tense; instead, time is generally inferred from context or expressed through additional time-indicating words (such as sudah or telah) when needed. In this example, the context implies a past event, so an explicit tense marker is unnecessary.