Feri malam bergerak laju ke bandar tetapi lampunya agak malap.

The night ferry moves quickly to the city but its lights are rather dim.

Breakdown of Feri malam bergerak laju ke bandar tetapi lampunya agak malap.

• ke: to
• bandar: the city
• tetapi: but
• agak: rather
• malam: night
• laju: fast
• bergerak: to move
• nya: its
• lampu: the light
• malap: dim
• feri: the ferry

Questions & Answers about Feri malam bergerak laju ke bandar tetapi lampunya agak malap.

Why is malam placed after feri instead of before, as in English “night ferry”?

In Malay, when one noun modifies another (like “night” modifying “ferry”), the modifier noun generally follows the main noun. So feri malam literally reads “ferry night,” but it means “night ferry.” English puts the modifier first; Malay usually puts it second in these compounds.

What does the prefix ber- do in bergerak, and what’s the root word?

The root is gerak meaning “move.” The prefix ber- turns it into an intransitive verb indicating that the subject is performing that action by itself. So bergerak means “to move” or “to set off,” whereas gerak on its own is the noun/verb “movement.”

What role does ke play before bandar? Could I use kepada instead?

Ke is the preposition meaning “to” when indicating direction toward a place: ke bandar = “to the city.” You cannot replace it with kepada here, because kepada is used for indirect objects (“to someone”), not for geographical direction.

What does agak add to malap, and can I use sangat or sedikit instead?

Agak means “rather,” “somewhat,” or “quite,” giving a moderate degree.

• agak malap = “somewhat dim”
• sangat malap = “very dim” (stronger)
• sedikit malap = “a little dim” (weaker)
  So you can swap in sangat or sedikit but the nuance changes.

What’s the difference between malap and gelap?

Malap describes a light source that is “dim” or “faint.”
Gelap means “dark” or “lack of light.”
Use malap for low light levels (e.g., a dim lamp), and gelap for places or times when it’s dark (e.g., a dark room).

Why is -nya attached to lampu, making lampunya, rather than just saying lampu?

The suffix -nya can mark possession or make something definite. Here lampunya means “its/the ferry’s light.” Without -nya, lampu would just be “light” in general, with no indication of whose or which light.

Why is tetapi used to join the clauses, and is tapi acceptable instead?

Both tetapi and tapi mean “but.”

• Tetapi is slightly more formal or emphatic.
• Tapi is more colloquial.
  In this sentence you can use either; tetapi simply sounds a bit more “written” or formal.