Di kanan jalan pula, ada kafe yang menjual kopi pahit tetapi sedap.

Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Malay grammar and vocabulary.

Start learning Malay now

Questions & Answers about Di kanan jalan pula, ada kafe yang menjual kopi pahit tetapi sedap.

What does the phrase di kanan jalan pula convey in this sentence?
  • di kanan jalan means “on the right side of the road.”
  • The particle pula adds a sense of shift or contrast, roughly “meanwhile,” “on the other hand,” or “in turn.”
  • Altogether, di kanan jalan pula = “Meanwhile, on the right side of the road” or “On the other hand, on the right side of the road.”
Why is ada needed before kafe?
  • ada here functions as an existential verb: “there is” or “there are.”
  • It introduces the existence of the café.
  • Without ada, the sentence would lack that “there is a café” meaning.
What role does yang play in kafe yang menjual kopi pahit tetapi sedap?
  • yang is a relative pronoun (“that” or “which”).
  • It links kafe to the descriptive clause menjual kopi pahit tetapi sedap.
  • It tells us which café is being talked about: the one that sells bitter but delicious coffee.
How does the verb menjual form from its root, and what does it mean?
  • The root word is jual (“sell”).
  • With the active prefix meN-, it becomes menjual, meaning “to sell.”
  • So menjual kopi = “selling coffee.”
Why are the adjectives ordered as kopi pahit tetapi sedap rather than the other way around?
  • Malay allows flexible adjective order, but placing pahit first highlights the bitterness.
  • tetapi is the conjunction “but.”
  • This order emphasizes: “It’s bitter, but (on the flip side) it’s delicious.”
Can we use tapi instead of tetapi, and is there any difference?
  • Yes. tapi is an informal or colloquial variant of tetapi.
  • tetapi is slightly more formal or written.
  • Both mean “but” and are interchangeable in most contexts.
Is it possible to omit yang before menjual and still be correct?
  • In casual spoken Malay, yes: ada kafe menjual kopi… is commonly heard.
  • In formal or written Malay, it’s better to include yang to clearly link the clause.
Why isn’t there any article (like “the” or “a”) before kafe or kopi?
  • Malay does not use an indefinite or definite article like English a or the.
  • Nouns stand alone, and context tells you whether you mean “a café,” “the café,” “some coffee,” or “the coffee.”