Breakdown of Dapur gas digunakan untuk memasak nasi.
nasi
the rice
untuk
to
memasak
to cook
digunakan
to be used
dapur gas
the gas stove
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Questions & Answers about Dapur gas digunakan untuk memasak nasi.
What does dapur gas mean, and why is the word order different from English?
dapur means stove (or kitchen) and gas means gas. In Malay noun compounds the head noun comes first and the modifier follows. So dapur gas literally means stove gas, which corresponds to gas stove in English.
Why is digunakan in the passive voice, and how is the passive formed in Malay?
digunakan is the passive form of gunakan (to use). In Malay you create the passive by adding the prefix di- to the verb root. Here guna (use) becomes diguna plus -kan, giving digunakan (is used). This structure focuses on the object being used (the gas stove) rather than on who uses it.
What is the root word of digunakan, and how does it relate to menggunakan and guna?
The root is guna, meaning use.
Adding the suffix -kan yields gunakan, the basic transitive verb to use.
Prefixing di- makes digunakan (is/are used, passive).
Prefixing meng- makes menggunakan (to use, active).
Why is untuk used before memasak nasi, and what role does it play?
untuk introduces purpose, equivalent to English to or in order to. It links the passive verb with the intended action. In this sentence, dapur gas digunakan untuk memasak nasi means the gas stove is used in order to cook rice.
Why is the verb masak prefixed with meN- to become memasak, and can we just say masak nasi?
The prefix meN- forms the active verb in Malay, so memasak means to cook. After untuk, standard Malay prefers the full active form memasak nasi. In casual speech you might hear untuk masak nasi, but in formal writing you use memasak nasi.
What is the difference between nasi and beras, and why is nasi used here?
beras refers to raw, uncooked rice grains. nasi is cooked rice. Since the sentence talks about the act of cooking and its result, you say memasak nasi even though you start with beras.
Why are there no words for “the” or “a” in this Malay sentence?
Malay does not use definite or indefinite articles. Nouns stand alone, and context or additional words (like demonstratives) indicate specificity. If you wanted the gas stove, you could say dapur gas itu.
How do you express past or future time here, since Malay verbs don’t change form?
Malay verbs are not conjugated for tense. You signal time with adverbs or aspect markers:
- Past: Dapur gas telah digunakan untuk memasak nasi or add semalam (yesterday).
- Future: Dapur gas akan digunakan untuk memasak nasi.
How would you say I use the gas stove to cook rice in active voice?
Use the active verb menggunakan and the pronoun saya: Saya menggunakan dapur gas untuk memasak nasi.