Breakdown of Dia berjaya menyiapkan tugasan sebelum mesyuarat.
dia
he/she
sebelum
before
tugasan
the task
menyiapkan
to complete
mesyuarat
the meeting
berjaya
to succeed
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Questions & Answers about Dia berjaya menyiapkan tugasan sebelum mesyuarat.
Why is dia used here, and does it indicate the person’s gender?
Dia is the generic third-person pronoun in Malay, equivalent to he/she in English. It does not indicate gender—context or extra words (e.g. lelaki “man” or perempuan “woman”) are needed if you want to specify.
What part of speech is berjaya, and how is it formed?
Berjaya is a verb (sometimes used adjectivally) meaning to succeed or to be successful. It’s built from the root jaya (“success”) with the prefix ber-, which here conveys “to have/experience success.”
Why do we say berjaya menyiapkan instead of just menyiapkan?
Adding berjaya before menyiapkan emphasizes that the subject managed or succeeded in completing the task. By itself, menyiapkan tugasan simply means complete the assignment, without stressing the achievement.
Can you break down the morphology of menyiapkan?
Certainly. The root is siap (“ready”).
- Add the causative suffix -kan → siapkan (“make ready/finish”).
- Add the active transitive prefix meN- (with sound assimilation) → menyiapkan (“to finish or complete something”).
Why are there no words like “the” or “a” before tugasan and mesyuarat?
Malay does not use definite or indefinite articles. Nouns stand alone—tugasan can be “an assignment,” “the assignment,” or “assignments” depending on context. You add words like itu (“that”) or sebuah (“a/one [for certain nouns]”) only when needed for clarity.
Is it acceptable to move sebelum mesyuarat to the front of the sentence?
Yes. Malay allows flexible placement of time/place phrases. You can say Sebelum mesyuarat, dia berjaya menyiapkan tugasan to foreground the time element without changing the meaning.
What’s the nuance between menyiapkan tugasan and menyelesaikan tugasan?
Both verbs can mean to finish an assignment, but:
- menyiapkan (from siap) stresses making something ready or fully completed.
- menyelesaikan (from selesai) leans toward resolving or concluding something.
In everyday use they’re often interchangeable, with only a slight difference in emphasis.
Could I replace berjaya with boleh, dapat, or other words?
Yes.
- boleh menyiapkan tugasan means could/was able to finish the assignment (neutral ability).
- dia dapat menyiapkan tugasan (colloquial) means he/she managed to finish.
- berjaya is more formal and stronger, highlighting the achievement itself.