Breakdown of Perbualan ini sangat bermakna untuk saya.
ini
this
adalah
to be
untuk
for
sangat
very
saya
me
perbualan
the conversation
bermakna
meaningful
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Questions & Answers about Perbualan ini sangat bermakna untuk saya.
What does perbualan mean and what part of speech is it?
Perbualan is a noun meaning “conversation.” It comes from the verb berbual (“to chat”) with the nominalizing prefix per- and suffix -an, which turns the act of chatting into “the conversation” or “an exchange of words.”
Why is ini placed after perbualan instead of before it?
In Malay, demonstrative words like ini (“this”) and itu (“that”) follow the noun they modify. So you say perbualan ini (“this conversation”) rather than ini perbualan.
What part of speech is bermakna, and how is it formed?
Bermakna is an adjective meaning “meaningful.” It is formed from the noun makna (“meaning”) by adding the adjectival verb-prefix ber-, which turns it into “having meaning” or “meaningful.”
Can I use bermaksud instead of bermakna?
No, they’re different. Bermaksud is a verb meaning “to mean” (e.g. “What does this word mean?” = Apa maksud perkataan ini?). Bermakna is an adjective: “This conversation is meaningful” = Perbualan ini bermakna.
Why do we use untuk saya at the end? Could I say bagi saya instead?
Both untuk saya and bagi saya can mean “for me” in this context.
- untuk saya is very common and neutral.
- bagi saya is also correct and sometimes feels slightly more formal or emphatic.
You could even use kepada saya in a formal register, but untuk saya or bagi saya are the usual choices in everyday speech.
Do I need to insert adalah before sangat bermakna?
No. Malay doesn’t require a copula in predicative sentences. You can say:
Perbualan ini sangat bermakna untuk saya.
Adding adalah (as in Perbualan ini adalah sangat bermakna untuk saya) is grammatically acceptable but often unnecessary and can sound a bit formal or stilted.
Are there other ways to emphasize how meaningful it was besides using sangat?
Yes. You can substitute or add intensifiers:
- amat bermakna (“truly/very meaningful”)
- sangat bererti (using bererti = another adjective for “meaningful”)
- sungguh bermakna (“really meaningful”)
Or you could use sekali after the adjective: Perbualan ini bermakna sekali untuk saya.