Saya belajar tanpa nota.

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Breakdown of Saya belajar tanpa nota.

• nota: the note
• belajar: to study
• tanpa: without

Questions & Answers about Saya belajar tanpa nota.

What does the word tanpa mean in this sentence?

tanpa is a preposition meaning “without.” It indicates that something is absent or not used. So tanpa nota = “without notes.”

Why is there no article (like “the” or “a”) before nota?

Malay does not have definite or indefinite articles. Nouns stand alone, and context tells you if it’s singular or plural, specific or general. Thus nota can mean “a note,” “the note,” or “notes,” depending on context.

How would you express “notes” in the plural if you really needed to?

You can reduplicate the noun for emphasis or plurality:

• nota-nota = “notes” (several distinct notes)
  But often you just leave it as nota, and add a numeral or quantifier if necessary (e.g., dua nota = “two notes”).

Can I drop Saya and just say Belajar tanpa nota?

Yes. Malay frequently omits the subject pronoun when it’s clear from context.

• Belajar tanpa nota still means “(I) study without notes.”
• In a group context you could also infer “we” or “you” as the subject.

What part of speech is belajar, and does it mean “study” or “learn”?