Kita menunggu bas di sempadan malam ini.

we

Breakdown of Kita menunggu bas di sempadan malam ini.

• di: at
• malam ini: tonight
• bas: the bus

Questions & Answers about Kita menunggu bas di sempadan malam ini.

What does kita mean, and how is it different from kami?

kita means “we” including both the speaker and the listener. In contrast, kami means “we” excluding the listener. Use kita when you want to involve your listener in the group; use kami when you’re referring to a group that does not include them.

Why is the verb menunggu used instead of just tunggu?

Malay forms active transitive verbs by adding the meN- prefix to a root. Here:
• Root: tunggu (“wait for”)
• Prefix: meN-
Results in menunggu = “to wait for” (with a direct object, e.g. the bus).

Why is bas spelled with an a rather than bus like in English?

Malay adapts borrowed words to its own spelling and sounds. English “bus” becomes bas. There’s no article “the” or “a,” so bas can mean “bus,” “a bus,” or “the bus” depending on context.

What role does di play in di sempadan?

di is the preposition for location, equivalent to “at,” “in,” or “on.” So di sempadan means “at the border.” If you express movement to a place, you’d use ke instead (e.g. ke sempadan = “to the border”).