Breakdown of Lif di hotel ini laju dan senang digunakan.
ini
this
adalah
to be
di
in
dan
and
hotel
the hotel
laju
fast
lif
the elevator
senang
easy
digunakan
to be used
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Questions & Answers about Lif di hotel ini laju dan senang digunakan.
Why isn’t there a verb like is (or adalah) in this sentence?
In Malay, the copula “is/are” (often adalah) is frequently omitted in simple descriptive sentences. You can say Lif ini laju and it’s understood as “This elevator is fast” without inserting a separate word for “is.”
Why do the adjectives laju (fast) and senang digunakan (easy to use) come after the noun lif (elevator)?
Malay adjective order is noun + adjective. English places adjectives before nouns (“fast elevator”), but Malay places them after (“lif laju”). The same goes for phrases: lif senang digunakan means “elevator easy to use.”
What does di hotel ini literally mean, and why is di used?
di is the preposition “at/in.” So di hotel ini literally means “at this hotel.” In Malay, locative phrases put di before the place name, and the demonstrative ini follows the noun (“hotel ini” = “this hotel”).
Why does ini come after hotel, unlike English where “this” comes before the noun?
Malay demonstratives (ini = “this,” itu = “that”) follow the noun they modify. So you say hotel ini (“hotel this”) rather than ini hotel.
Is laju the same as cepat? Which should I use?
Both mean “fast/quick,” but laju is often used for speed or pace (vehicles, machines, elevators). Cepat can describe actions or personal quickness (“cepat belajar” = “learn quickly”). Here, laju fits because you’re describing the elevator’s speed.
Why is digunakan in senang digunakan a passive form?
digunakan comes from the root guna (“use”) with the passive prefix di-, so it literally means “to be used.” senang digunakan is “easy to be used,” which we naturally translate as “easy to use.”
Could you switch the order to senang digunakan dan laju?
Grammatically it’s possible, but native speakers usually mention speed first (“laju”) then usability. So laju dan senang digunakan sounds more natural than senang digunakan dan laju.
How would you emphasize “very”? For example, “the elevator is very fast and very easy to use”?
Insert sangat (“very”) before each adjective or phrase:
Lif di hotel ini sangat laju dan sangat senang digunakan.
Why isn’t there any article like “the” before “lift”?
Malay doesn’t have definite or indefinite articles equivalent to “the/a.” Context tells you whether something is specific. Here, lif di hotel ini makes it clear you’re talking about the elevator at that hotel.