Breakdown of Perpustakaan sains universiti itu lebih sunyi daripada kafe.
adalah
to be
itu
that
lebih
more
kafe
the café
daripada
than
universiti
the university
perpustakaan
the library
sains
the science
sunyi
quiet
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Questions & Answers about Perpustakaan sains universiti itu lebih sunyi daripada kafe.
What does itu mean, and why is it placed at the end of the noun phrase?
itu is a demonstrative meaning that. In Malay, demonstratives like ini (this) or itu (that) follow the noun phrase they modify. So perpustakaan sains universiti itu literally means the science library of that university.
How is perpustakaan sains universiti itu structured? Why not say perpustakaan universiti sains itu?
Malay noun phrases follow a head-modifier order. Here the head noun is perpustakaan (library), modified first by sains (science) to form perpustakaan sains (science library), then by universiti itu (that university) as a possessor. Swapping them would break the natural flow—sains must come right after perpustakaan to show it’s the kind of library.
Why is there no word for is in this sentence?
Malay typically omits the copula in simple descriptive or comparative sentences. Instead of saying X is quiet, you just say X quiet. Here Perpustakaan ... lebih sunyi conveys The library is quieter without an explicit is.
How do comparative structures work in Malay? What does lebih … daripada mean?
lebih … daripada is the standard way to say more … than.
– lebih = more
– daripada = than
So lebih sunyi daripada kafe means quieter than the café.
Can daripada be replaced with dari in comparisons?
Informally, yes—many speakers say lebih sunyi dari kafe. However, daripada is more formal and preferred in writing, especially after adjectives.
What exactly does sunyi mean? Is it just quiet?
sunyi primarily means quiet or silent, but it often carries a nuance of peaceful emptiness or being deserted. It can describe both lack of noise and a somewhat lonely atmosphere.
Why isn’t there an article like the or a before kafe?
Malay has no definite or indefinite articles. Nouns stand alone, and their definiteness is understood from context or added demonstratives (like ini/itu) if needed.
If I wanted to say the quietest library, how would I form the superlative?
Use paling before the adjective:
– Perpustakaan sains universiti itu paling sunyi
This means That university’s science library is the quietest.