Breakdown of Remaja di pulau itu menjaga bot kecil keluarga mereka.
itu
that
di
at
kecil
small
keluarga
the family
pulau
the island
remaja
the teenager
menjaga
to take care of
bot
the boat
mereka
their
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Questions & Answers about Remaja di pulau itu menjaga bot kecil keluarga mereka.
Why is there no word for the before remaja in the sentence?
Malay does not use definite or indefinite articles like the or a/an. Nouns stand on their own, and context tells you if they are definite or not. So Remaja can mean (the) teenagers or teenagers depending on context.
How do we know remaja is plural here—why don’t we say remaja-remaja?
Many Malay nouns are unmarked for plurality; they can be singular or plural from context. Remaja can mean “youth” collectively or “teenagers.” You only use reduplication (remaja-remaja) to emphasize plurality or refer to several distinct groups.
Why is it di pulau itu instead of something like di pulau tersebut or just di sana?
- di is the preposition for “in/on/at.”
- itu is a demonstrative meaning “that,” so pulau itu = “that island.”
- pulau tersebut is more formal and also means “that island,” but itu is more common in speech.
- di sana means “there,” but doesn’t specify which island—di pulau itu pinpoints one particular island.
What role does itu play after pulau?
itu functions as a postposed demonstrative, equivalent to “that.” Placed after a noun, it makes it definite and points to something specific: pulau itu = that island.
Why is it bot kecil keluarga mereka and not bot keluarga kecil mereka?
Malay word order is generally:
1) Noun (bot)
2) Adjective (kecil)
3) Possessive phrase (keluarga mereka)
So you get bot kecil keluarga mereka for “their family’s small boat.” Swapping the adjective and noun or splitting the possessive would be ungrammatical.
Do we need yang before kecil (i.e. bot yang kecil)?
No, yang (“which/is”) is optional when directly attaching an adjective.
- bot kecil is perfectly natural.
- bot yang kecil is also correct but slightly more emphatic or formal.
Could we just say bot kecil mereka to mean “their small boat”?
Yes, bot kecil mereka literally means “their small boat,” but it implies the boat belongs directly to the teenagers. bot kecil keluarga mereka clarifies it belongs to their family as a unit.
What does menjaga mean here—“guard,” “take care of,” or something else?
menjaga can mean “to guard,” “to look after,” or “to take care of.” In this context, it suggests the teens are responsible for looking after or tending the family’s small boat.