Breakdown of Gas itu digunakan untuk memasak kari.
itu
that
untuk
to
memasak
to cook
kari
the curry
digunakan
to be used
gas
the gas
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Malay grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Gas itu digunakan untuk memasak kari.
What does itu mean in this sentence, and why is it placed after Gas?
In Malay, itu is a demonstrative pronoun meaning that (and often functions like the in context). Demonstratives always follow the noun they modify, so Gas itu literally-speaking is that gas, but in translation you’d usually say the gas.
Why is digunakan used here instead of menggunakan?
digunakan is the passive form (marked by the di- prefix on the root guna, “use”) and translates as is used. menggunakan is the active form (with the meN- prefix and -kan suffix) meaning to use or uses. Since the focus is on what happens to the gas (it is being used), the passive digunakan is appropriate.
Is this sentence in passive voice, and how does the passive work in Malay?
Yes—Malay marks the passive with di- on the verb. The thing being “used” becomes the grammatical subject (Gas itu), and the doer (agent) is omitted (or can be added with oleh if needed). So Gas itu digunakan… = The gas is used…
How does the prefix me- in memasak function?
The prefix me- turns the root masak (“cook”) into an active verb (memasak = “to cook” or “cooking”). Because masak starts with m, the prefix assimilates to mem- (one of several phonological adjustments in Malay’s verbal system).
What role does untuk play in this sentence?
untuk introduces purpose or intent. Here untuk memasak kari means for cooking curry or to cook curry—it explains why the gas is used.
Why is there no word for “the” or “a” before kari?
Malay doesn’t have articles like a, an, or the. Definiteness or specificity is understood from context or added words (e.g., itu). So kari alone can mean curry, a curry, or the curry, depending on the situation.
What is the word order in Gas itu digunakan untuk memasak kari?
The structure is
Subject (Gas itu) + Passive Verb (digunakan) + Purpose Phrase (untuk memasak kari).
Malay generally follows S-V-O order, with any purpose or manner phrases added afterward.
Could you say Gas itu guna untuk masak kari? What’s the difference?
Yes, in informal speech you might hear Gas itu guna untuk masak kari, dropping the passive and some affixes. However, it’s colloquial. The standard, more formal form is Gas itu digunakan untuk memasak kari, which uses proper passive morphology (di-guna) and the full verb (memasak).