Saya menanam sayur di tepi rumah.

I plant vegetables by the side of the house.

Breakdown of Saya menanam sayur di tepi rumah.

• saya: I
• rumah: the house
• sayur: the vegetable
• di tepi: by
• menanam: to plant

Questions & Answers about Saya menanam sayur di tepi rumah.

What does menanam mean, and how is it formed?

menanam means “to plant.” It’s the active verb form of the root tanam (“plant”), created by adding the prefix meN- (here me- + tanam → menanam). This prefix indicates the subject is performing the action.

What does sayur mean? Is it singular or plural?

sayur literally means “vegetable.” Malay doesn’t mark plural with an ‑s ending; context tells you if it’s one or many. To emphasize “vegetables” (multiple), you can say sayur-sayuran.

Why is there no word for “a” or “the” before sayur?

Malay has no definite or indefinite articles. Nouns stand alone, and context or additional words (e.g., ini for “this”) indicate specificity. So sayur can be “vegetable,” “a vegetable,” or “the vegetable” depending on context.

What role does di play in di tepi rumah?

di is a preposition meaning “at,” “in,” or “on” depending on context. In di tepi rumah, it functions as “at” or “by” the side of something.

What does tepi mean, and how does it combine with di?

tepi means “side.” When you attach the preposition di in front, di tepi becomes “at the side of.” Thus di tepi rumah = “at the side of the house.”

Is the word order in this sentence the same as in English?

Yes. Malay typically uses Subject–Verb–Object, just like English. Here it’s:
• Saya (Subject)
• menanam (Verb)
• sayur (Object)
• di tepi rumah (adverbial phrase of place)

Do I have to include saya in the sentence?

No. Subject pronouns like saya (“I”) are often dropped if it’s clear who’s doing the action. Simply saying Menanam sayur di tepi rumah implicitly means “I plant vegetables by the side of the house.”