Breakdown of Mereka perlu mencuci garpu selepas makan.
makan
to eat
mereka
they
selepas
after
perlu
to need
mencuci
to wash
garpu
the fork
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Malay grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Mereka perlu mencuci garpu selepas makan.
What does mereka mean in this sentence?
Mereka is the third-person plural pronoun “they.” It tells you who is performing the action.
What does perlu mean here?
Perlu is a modal verb meaning “need to” or “must.” It expresses necessity rather than a simple permission or ability.
Is harus the same as perlu?
Both can translate as “must” or “should,” but harus often sounds stronger or more formal:
- Mereka harus mencuci garpu selepas makan. (more emphatic)
- Mereka perlu mencuci garpu selepas makan. (more neutral, indicates a practical need)
Why is the verb written mencuci rather than just cuci?
Mencuci is the active verb form formed by adding the prefix meN- to the root cuci. The prefix marks that the subject (they) is performing the action of washing. The bare root cuci is often used in commands or informal contexts.
How does the prefix meN- work in mencuci?
The prefix meN- attaches to many verb roots to indicate an active transitive verb. With cuci, the meN- assimilates to the form men-, giving mencuci. The final form depends on the initial consonant of the root (e.g., membaca, menulis).
Why isn’t there an article before garpu?
Malay doesn’t use articles like a or the. Nouns stand alone, and context tells you whether they’re definite or indefinite. Here garpu simply means “forks.”
Could you say Mereka perlu cuci garpu selepas makan?
Yes, colloquially people sometimes drop the prefix and say cuci after a modal:
- Mereka perlu cuci garpu selepas makan.
It’s understandable, but the more standard, formal version uses mencuci.
What does selepas makan mean and why is it placed at the end?
Selepas means “after,” and makan means “eat.” Together selepas makan = “after eating.” In Malay, time-or place-related phrases generally come after the verb (and object if there is one).
Can you use habis instead of selepas?
In casual speech, people say habis makan to mean “after eating,” but habis literally means “finished.” The standard word for “after” is selepas, so selepas makan is more formal and universally correct.
How would you make this sentence passive?
You turn mencuci into dicuci with the prefix di-, and optionally add oleh mereka:
Garpu perlu dicuci (oleh mereka) selepas makan.
This means “The forks need to be washed (by them) after eating.”