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Breakdown of Lapangan terbang antarabangsa itu sangat sibuk.
adalah
to be
itu
that
sangat
very
sibuk
busy
lapangan terbang
the airport
antarabangsa
international
Questions & Answers about Lapangan terbang antarabangsa itu sangat sibuk.
Why is lapangan terbang translated as “airport,” and what are the literal meanings of its parts?
lapangan terbang is a compound noun: lapangan means “field” or “area,” and terbang means “to fly.” Put together, it literally means “flying field,” which corresponds to “airport.”
Why is there no word for “the” or “an” before lapangan terbang?
Malay does not have separate definite or indefinite articles like “the” or “a/an.” Indefiniteness (“a/an”) is sometimes expressed with words like sebuah or satu before the noun. Definiteness (“the”) is often shown by placing a demonstrative like itu after the noun.
What role does itu play in lapangan terbang antarabangsa itu?
itu is a post-nominal demonstrative pronoun meaning “that” (and by extension “the,” when the specific item is known). It makes the noun phrase definite: “that international airport” or simply “the international airport.”
How does the adjective antarabangsa (“international”) relate to the noun lapangan terbang?
In Malay, adjectives typically follow the noun they modify. So lapangan terbang (“airport”) + antarabangsa (“international”) yields lapangan terbang antarabangsa (“international airport”).
Do I ever need yang between a noun and its adjective, as in lapangan terbang yang sibuk?
You can use yang to introduce a relative clause or to emphasize an attribute, as in lapangan terbang yang sibuk (“the airport that is busy”). But for simple noun-adjective pairs, yang is optional and often omitted: lapangan terbang sibuk.
What does sangat mean and why is it placed before sibuk?
sangat is an adverb meaning “very.” It precedes the adjective sibuk (“busy”) to form sangat sibuk (“very busy”).
Are there other ways to say “very” besides using sangat?
Yes. You can use amat or teramat for a more formal or stronger “very,” or colloquially sungguh or betul-betul. E.g., amat sibuk, teramat sibuk, sungguh sibuk, betul-betul sibuk.
Why isn’t there any plural marker on lapangan terbang?
Malay nouns do not change form for singular or plural. Whether you mean one or many is understood from context or by adding words like beberapa (“several”) or banyak (“many”).
How would I say “an international airport” instead of “the international airport”?
Use an indefinite classifier like sebuah or satu before the noun: sebuah lapangan terbang antarabangsa or satu lapangan terbang antarabangsa = “an international airport.”
What’s the difference between using itu and ini after a noun?
Both are demonstratives: ini means “this” (near the speaker) and itu means “that” (far or previously mentioned). They both make the noun definite. E.g., lapangan terbang antarabangsa ini = “this international airport,” lapangan terbang antarabangsa itu = “that international airport.”
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