Breakdown of Penyanyi terkenal itu berdiri atas pentas sambil menyapa peminatnya.
itu
that
sambil
while
nya
his/her
penyanyi
the singer
terkenal
famous
berdiri
to stand
atas
on
pentas
the stage
menyapa
to greet
peminat
the fan
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Questions & Answers about Penyanyi terkenal itu berdiri atas pentas sambil menyapa peminatnya.
Why does itu come after penyanyi terkenal, and what does it mean?
In Malay, demonstratives like itu (“that” or “the” in context) typically follow the noun phrase they modify. So penyanyi terkenal itu literally is “singer famous that,” i.e. “that famous singer” or simply “the famous singer.”
Why is it atas pentas instead of di atas pentas, and can I use di atas?
Both atas pentas and di atas pentas are correct. di atas is the full locative preposition “on top of,” but in many spoken or written Malay contexts the di is dropped in fixed phrases like berdiri atas pentas (“stand on stage”). Including di is more explicit: berdiri di atas pentas.
What role does sambil play here?
sambil means “while” or “as” and links two simultaneous actions performed by the same subject. In this sentence, the singer does two things at once: stand on stage and greet fans.
How is peminatnya formed, and whose fans are they?
The base word peminat means “fan.” The suffix -nya is a third-person possessive pronoun (“his/her/their”) and also serves like a definite article if context allows. So peminatnya = “his/her fans” (or “the fans” of that singer).
Why is the adjective terkenal placed after penyanyi and not before, as in English?
Malay adjectives normally follow the noun they modify. Hence penyanyi terkenal = “singer famous,” equivalent to English “famous singer.”
Can berdiri take an object, or is it intransitive?
berdiri is intransitive (“to stand”) and doesn’t take a direct object. You can add location phrases (e.g. atas pentas) or other adverbials, but there’s no object.
What is the root form of menyapa, and how does the meN- prefix work?
The root is sapa (“greet”). To form the active verb you add the meN- prefix, which assimilates to the initial consonant of the root (here s → ny), yielding menyapa (“to greet”).
Could I use ketika or sementara instead of sambil?
Yes.
- ketika
- noun: “ketika dia berdiri” = “when he/she stands,” more formal and often written.
- sementara also means “while,” but feels slightly more formal or neutral.
However, sambil is the most natural for “doing X while doing Y” with the same subject.
Can I say berdiri di pentas without atas?
You could say berdiri di pentas, but it’s less idiomatic. Native speakers prefer di atas pentas or simply atas pentas to convey “on the stage.”
If I drop terkenal, does the sentence still make sense?
Yes. Without terkenal, Penyanyi itu berdiri atas pentas sambil menyapa peminatnya simply means “The singer stood on stage while greeting his/her fans,” omitting the idea that the singer is famous.