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Questions & Answers about Saya beli lampu baru di kedai.
Why is there no word for the or a before lampu or kedai?
Malay does not use articles. Definiteness or indefiniteness is understood from context or added with words like sebuah (a) or itu (the).
Why does beli remain unchanged even though it refers to a past action?
Malay verbs are not inflected for tense. Time is indicated by context or optional aspect markers such as sudah (already) or telah (has).
What is the basic word order in this sentence?
It follows Subject–Verb–Object, with any locative phrase (like di kedai) coming after:
1. Subject: Saya
2. Verb: beli
3. Object: lampu baru
4. Locative: di kedai
Why is the adjective baru placed after lampu?
In Malay, adjectives typically follow the noun they modify. Hence lampu baru = “new lamp.”
What role does di play in di kedai?
di is a locative preposition meaning “at” or “in.” di kedai = “at the shop.”
If I wanted to say “to the shop,” what preposition would I use?
You would use ke for movement toward a place: ke kedai = “to the shop.”
What’s the difference between beli and membeli?
beli is the bare root/formal colloquial verb “buy.” membeli adds the verb prefix mem-, making it the more formal or written equivalent.
How do you express plurality, e.g. “two new lamps”?
You can insert a numeral before the noun:
• Saya beli dua lampu baru
Or add a classifier:
• Saya beli dua buah lampu baru
Both mean “I bought two new lamps.”