Breakdown of Mereka menunggu kereta api di stesen.
mereka
they
di
at
menunggu
to wait
kereta api
the train
stesen
the station
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Questions & Answers about Mereka menunggu kereta api di stesen.
What does mereka mean and how is it used in Malay?
mereka is the third-person plural pronoun “they.” It can refer to people (or animate beings) regardless of gender. Unlike English, Malay pronouns don’t change for subject vs. object position, so mereka works for both “they” (subject) and “them” (object).
What is the root of menunggu, and why does it begin with men-?
The root word is tunggu (“wait”). When you add the prefix meN-, it turns into an active transitive verb “to wait for.” The N assimilates to the initial consonant of the root: t → n, giving you menunggu.
How do you mark the object “the train” in this sentence?
Malay follows a SVO (Subject-Verb-Object) order without extra markers. Here, kereta api (“train”) directly follows menunggu (“wait for”), indicating it’s the object.
Why isn’t there an article like “the” before kereta api or stesen?
Malay has no definite or indefinite articles (“the,” “a,” “an”). Nouns stand alone, and context shows definiteness. If you need to specify “the,” you can add a demonstrative (e.g., kereta apinya with a suffix, or kereta api itu for “that train”).
Why is the preposition di used before stesen, and what does it mean?
di is a locative preposition meaning “at,” “on,” or “in.” In di stesen, it means “at the station” (static location). If you wanted to express movement “to the station,” you’d use ke (e.g., ke stesen).
What does kereta api literally mean, and why is it “train”?
Literally, kereta means “car” or “wagon,” and api means “fire.” Early trains were steam-powered wagons, hence “fire wagon.” Over time it became the fixed compound noun kereta api for “train.”
How do you indicate plurality if you want to say “trains” instead of “train”?
Most Malay nouns don’t change form to show plural. kereta api can mean “train” or “trains.” If emphasis is needed, you can use a quantifier (e.g., beberapa kereta api “several trains”) or reduplication (kereta-kereta api), though that’s less common.
How would you ask “What are they waiting for?” or “Where are they waiting?” in Malay?
To ask “What are they waiting for?” say Apa yang mereka tunggu?
– apa = “what,” yang links it to the verb, and tunggu is the colloquial form of menunggu.
To ask “Where are they waiting?” say Di mana mereka menunggu?
– di mana means “where.”