Breakdown of Tanpa peta, mencari kedai murah itu memang payah.
adalah
to be
itu
that
kedai
the shop
murah
cheap
tanpa
without
peta
the map
mencari
to find
memang
indeed
payah
difficult
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Questions & Answers about Tanpa peta, mencari kedai murah itu memang payah.
What does Tanpa mean and what part of speech is it?
Tanpa is a preposition meaning “without.” It directly introduces a noun (e.g. tanpa peta = “without a map”).
Why isn’t there an article like “a” or “the” before peta?
Malay nouns generally do not use articles. Definiteness is either understood from context or indicated by adding a demonstrative like itu (“that/the”). Here peta is indefinite, so no article appears.
What is the function of itu in kedai murah itu?
itu is a post-nominal demonstrative pronoun meaning “that.” Placed after kedai murah, it turns “cheap shop” into “that cheap shop,” making it definite.
Why does itu come after kedai murah rather than before it?
In Malay, demonstratives follow the noun. So the structure is always [noun phrase] + itu, not itu + [noun phrase].
What does memang mean and why is it used here?
memang is an adverb that adds emphasis, meaning “indeed,” “really,” or “as expected.” In memang payah, it stresses that it is truly difficult.
Can I use sangat instead of memang to say “very difficult”?
You can say sangat payah (“very difficult”), but sangat expresses degree (very), while memang emphasizes certainty or inherent difficulty. The nuance differs.
What’s the difference between payah and susah?
Both mean “difficult.” payah is more colloquial in Peninsular Malay, susah is more formal and also very common. In most contexts they’re interchangeable.
Why is there a comma after Tanpa peta?
The comma separates the introductory adverbial phrase Tanpa peta (“without a map”) from the main clause for clarity. It’s optional in casual writing but helps readability.
Could I reorder the sentence as Mencari kedai murah itu tanpa peta memang payah?
Yes. Malay has flexible word order. Moving tanpa peta after kedai murah itu is fine and the meaning stays the same, though starting with tanpa peta places more emphasis on lacking the map.