Breakdown of Kereta rosak menjejaskan perjalanan saya.
kereta
the car
rosak
broken
menjejaskan
to affect
perjalanan
the journey
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Questions & Answers about Kereta rosak menjejaskan perjalanan saya.
Why does the adjective rosak come after the noun kereta instead of before it?
In Malay, adjectives typically follow the noun they modify. Unlike English, where you say "broken car," Malay places the adjective after the noun—hence, kereta rosak. This is a standard grammatical structure in Malay.
What role does the prefix men- play in the verb menjejaskan?
The prefix men- is used to form active, transitive verbs in Malay. It attaches to the root jejaskan (meaning "to affect" or "disrupt") and indicates that the subject is carrying out the action. It’s a common way of deriving verbs without needing to change form for tense.
Why aren’t there any articles like a or the before kereta or perjalanan?
Malay does not use articles in the same way that English does. Nouns typically appear without articles, and context informs whether the noun is definite or indefinite. Therefore, kereta means simply "car" and perjalanan saya translates directly to "my journey" with ownership implied by the pronoun.
Can you use the structure kereta yang rosak instead of kereta rosak, and if so, what does it change?
Yes, you can say kereta yang rosak. Adding yang creates a relative clause, linking the adjective more explicitly to the noun. However, in many simple and straightforward sentences, the noun can be directly modified by the adjective without yang. Both forms are acceptable, with the choice often depending on context or stylistic preference.
How is possession indicated in the phrase perjalanan saya?
Possession in Malay is indicated by placing the possessor after the noun. In perjalanan saya, the pronoun saya (meaning "my") follows perjalanan ("journey") to convey a possessive relationship. Unlike English, there’s no need for an apostrophe or an extra word; the structure itself denotes ownership.