……
Breakdown of Di kanan jalan pula, ada kafe yang menjual kopi pahit tetapi sedap.
yang
that
ada
to have
menjual
to sell
di
on
jalan
the road
tetapi
but
kafe
the café
kopi
the coffee
kanan
right
pula
also
pahit
bitter
sedap
tasty
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.”
More from this lesson
AI Language TutorTry it ↗
“What's the best way to learn Malay grammar?”
Malay grammar becomes intuitive with practice. Focus on understanding the core patterns first — how sentences are structured, how verbs change form, and how words relate to each other. Our course breaks these concepts into small lessons so you can build understanding step by step.
Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor
Start learning MalayMaster Malay — from Di kanan jalan pula, ada kafe yang menjual kopi pahit tetapi sedap to fluency
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods.
- ✓ Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
- ✓ Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
- ✓ Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
- ✓ AI tutor to answer your grammar questions