Saya mengutip sampah di taman setiap petang.

I pick up trash in the park every evening.

Breakdown of Saya mengutip sampah di taman setiap petang.

• saya: I
• di: in
• setiap: every
• taman: the park
• petang: the evening
• sampah: the trash
• mengutip: to pick up

Questions & Answers about Saya mengutip sampah di taman setiap petang.

What does mengutip mean here?

Mengutip is an active verb meaning “to pick up” or “to collect” items from the ground. In this sentence it specifically means “to pick up trash.” Note the nuance:

• Mengumpul also means “to gather,” but often implies accumulating over time or amassing.
• Mengambil means “to take” in a broader sense (not necessarily from the ground).

How does the meN- prefix work in mengutip?

The meN- prefix marks an active verb in Malay. With the root kutip, the initial consonant “k” undergoes nasal assimilation (k → ng), so meN- + kutip → mengutip. Similar processes happen with other roots:

• mem- before b, p (e.g., “potong” → “memotong”)
• men- before d, t (e.g., “tarik” → “menarik”)
• meny- before s (e.g., “sapu” → “menyapu”)
• meng- before g, h, vowel (e.g., “isi” → “mengisi”)

Why is there no article before sampah?

Malay does not use articles like “a,” “an,” or “the.” Sampah is treated as a mass noun (“garbage/trash”) and can be definite or indefinite based on context. To specify quantity, you add a classifier or measure word, for example:

• sebekas sampah (a container of trash)
• sepotong sampah (a piece of trash)

Can I change the word order—for example, putting setiap petang at the beginning?

Yes. Malay has flexible word order, especially for time expressions. You can say:
Setiap petang, saya mengutip sampah di taman.
Both versions are correct and carry the same meaning; placing setiap petang first simply emphasizes the time.

What does setiap petang mean exactly?

Setiap means “every” or “each,” and petang refers to the late afternoon or early evening (roughly 3 pm to sunset). So setiap petang translates as “every evening.”

Why is it di taman, not ditaman?

In Malay di as a preposition (“at/in”) is always written separately from the noun it governs: di taman (“at the park”). Writing ditaman as one word would suggest a passive verb form (e.g., “was planted”), but ditaman isn’t used for “park” in that way.

What’s the difference between Saya and Aku?

Both are first-person pronouns meaning “I.”

• Saya is formal or neutral and appropriate in almost all situations (work, strangers, media).
• Aku is informal or intimate, used among close friends or family. Using aku in formal contexts can seem rude or overly familiar.