Saya terpaksa naik basikal kerana kereta saya rosak.

I have to ride a bicycle because my car is broken.

Breakdown of Saya terpaksa naik basikal kerana kereta saya rosak.

• saya: I
• adalah: to be
• kereta: the car
• rosak: broken
• kerana: because
• basikal: the bicycle
• naik: to ride
• terpaksa: to have to

Questions & Answers about Saya terpaksa naik basikal kerana kereta saya rosak.

What does terpaksa mean, and why can’t I just say paksa here?

terpaksa is formed with the prefix ter- plus the root paksa. It conveys that the subject (in this case, Saya) had no choice—“was forced to” or “had to.”

• paksa alone is a verb meaning “to force (someone else).”
• terpaksa expresses involuntary or unavoidable action.

So Saya terpaksa naik basikal = “I had to ride a bicycle,” whereas Saya paksa naik basikal would (ungrammatically) suggest “I forced someone to ride a bicycle.”

How do I know when this happened? There’s no past‐tense ending!

Malay verbs are not inflected for tense. Instead, you rely on:

• Context (the listener/reader assumes past or present)
• Time adverbs (e.g., semalam “yesterday,” tadi “earlier,” nanti “later”)

Without a time word, the sentence is neutral. You might translate Saya terpaksa naik basikal as either “I have to ride a bicycle” or “I had to ride a bicycle,” depending on context. If you want to mark past explicitly, add semalam:
“Saya terpaksa naik basikal semalam kerana kereta saya rosak.”

Why is naik used with basikal? Doesn’t naik literally mean “to go up”?

Yes, naik literally means “to go up,” but in Malay it’s also the general verb for getting on or using a vehicle or mount. Common collocations:

• naik basikal (ride a bicycle)
• naik kereta (take a car)
• naik kapal terbang (fly by plane)

If you want to emphasize the pedaling action on a bicycle, you can use mengayuh basikal, but naik basikal is perfectly natural for “ride a bike.”

What’s the difference between naik and menaiki?

menaiki is the formal meN- verb form (prefix meN- + root naik) used in writing and formal speech. naik is the colloquial shortcut used in everyday conversation. Both mean “to get on/ride.”

Why is kerana used here? Can I use sebab instead?

Both kerana and sebab mean “because,” but:

• kerana is more formal, often in writing or formal speech.
• sebab is more colloquial and common in spoken Malay.

You can say:

• Saya terpaksa naik basikal kerana kereta saya rosak. (formal)
• Saya terpaksa naik basikal sebab kereta saya rosak. (informal)

Why is it kereta saya rosak and not rosak kereta saya?

In Malay, the usual order for a subject-predicate clause is:
Subject (noun) + Predicate (verb/adjective).
Here:

• Subject = kereta saya (“my car”)
• Predicate = rosak (“is broken”)

So kereta saya rosak = “my car is broken.” Reversing it (rosak kereta saya) would sound awkward and is not the standard pattern.

How do I form “my car” in Malay? Is it always kereta saya?

Yes. Possession in Malay is noun first, possessor second:
Head noun + possessor (pronoun or noun).
Examples:

• kereta saya = my car
• buku dia = his/her book
• rumah Ali = Ali’s house

Can I drop the subject Saya in this sentence?

Absolutely. Malay often omits pronouns when context is clear. In informal speech you might hear:
“Terpaksa naik basikal sebab kereta rosak.”
It’s still perfectly natural and understood that you’re talking about yourself.

Could I rearrange the sentence to put the reason first?

Yes, Malay is flexible. You can say:

• Kerana kereta saya rosak, saya terpaksa naik basikal.
• Or even insert jadi (“so”): Kereta saya rosak, jadi saya terpaksa naik basikal.
  All these maintain the same meaning but shift emphasis or style.