Kesihatan kita penting.

Our health is important.

Breakdown of Kesihatan kita penting.

• adalah: to be
• penting: important
• kesihatan: the health

Questions & Answers about Kesihatan kita penting.

What does kesihatan mean in Malay?

Kesihatan is a noun meaning health. It comes from the root sehat (healthy) plus the suffix -an, which turns an adjective into an abstract noun.

Why is there no word for “is” (a copula) in this sentence?

In Malay, linking verbs like “is” are often omitted in simple present-tense statements. The structure [Subject] + [Predicate Adjective] inherently means “Subject is Adjective.” If you need to be more formal or explicit, you can insert adalah (is):
• Kesihatan kita adalah penting.

Why does kita mean “our” here, and how is it different from kami?

Kita is the first-person plural inclusive pronoun—it means “we/us” including the person you’re speaking to, so kita = “our” (including you).
Kami is first-person plural exclusive, excluding the listener, so kami = “our” (not including you).

Why is the possessive pronoun placed after the noun in kesihatan kita?

Malay uses the order [Noun] + [Possessive Pronoun] for possession. Unlike English (“our health”), Malay puts the pronoun after the noun: kesihatan (health) + kita (our).

How would you say “very important” in Malay?

You can intensify penting by adding an adverb before it, for example:

• sangat (very): Kesihatan kita sangat penting.
• amat (extremely): Kesihatan kita amat penting.
  You can also add the particle lah for emphasis: Kesihatan kita pentinglah.

How can I turn this sentence into a question?

For a yes/no question you can either:
• Add tak at the end (colloquial): Kesihatan kita penting tak?
• Use the question marker Adakah: Adakah kesihatan kita penting?

If I want to say “my health is important,” what changes?

Replace kita with the first-person singular pronoun:
• Formal: Kesihatan saya penting.
• Informal: Kesihatan aku penting.