Breakdown of Saya berjumpa seorang guru di perpustakaan semalam.
saya
I
di
at
guru
the teacher
semalam
yesterday
berjumpa
to meet
perpustakaan
the library
seorang
a
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Questions & Answers about Saya berjumpa seorang guru di perpustakaan semalam.
What does berjumpa mean and how is it different from jumpa or bertemu?
berjumpa is a Malay verb meaning “to meet.” It features the prefix ber- added to the root jumpa.
- jumpa alone is the colloquial form (“Saya jumpa dia” = “I met him/her”).
- bertemu is a more formal synonym also meaning “to meet.”
Why is seorang used before guru?
seorang is a classifier meaning “one person” or “a,” used before singular human nouns. Malay lacks an indefinite article like “a,” so classifiers serve that function.
- seorang guru = “a teacher”
Can I omit seorang and say Saya berjumpa guru?
Omitting seorang makes it ambiguous:
- Saya berjumpa guru could mean “I met the teacher” (specific) or sound like “I meet teachers” generally.
For “a teacher,” you need seorang guru. For “the teacher,” use guru itu or add context.
What role does di play in di perpustakaan?
di is the preposition for location, meaning “at” or “in.”
- di perpustakaan = “at the library”
For movement toward a place, you use ke instead (e.g. pergi ke perpustakaan).
Why is semalam placed at the end? Can it go elsewhere?
Time expressions like semalam (“yesterday”) can appear at the beginning or end:
- Saya berjumpa … semalam. (neutral)
- Semalam saya berjumpa … (emphasis on the time)
It rarely appears between verb and object.
Is semalam a noun or an adverb?
Here semalam functions as a time adverb indicating when the action took place; it means “yesterday.”
Do I have to start with Saya? Can I drop it?
Saya (“I”) marks the subject. In casual speech you can drop it if context is clear, but in writing or new statements it’s better to include saya to avoid confusion.
Why not say Saya berjumpa dengan seorang guru?
Since berjumpa already implies meeting someone, dengan (“with”) is redundant. However, casual speech often uses it anyway:
- Saya berjumpa dengan seorang guru.
Could I add telah or sudah to indicate past tense?
Yes, you can use telah or sudah to emphasize completion:
- Saya telah berjumpa seorang guru di perpustakaan semalam.
But since semalam (“yesterday”) already signals past time, adding telah/sudah is optional.
What is the difference between perpustakaan and pustaka?
perpustakaan means “library” (the building or place), derived from pustaka (“book” or “collection”).
- pustaka alone refers to books, bibliography, or sources, not the library itself.