Questions & Answers about Petani itu bekerja di sawah setiap pagi.
Why is there no article like the or a before petani?
Malay does not use grammatical articles; nouns appear without the/a. Definiteness (“the farmer”) is often indicated by adding a demonstrative like itu after the noun.
What is the role of itu in petani itu?
itu is a demonstrative pronoun meaning “that.” When attached to a noun, it specifies which one you mean, so petani itu is “that farmer” or “the farmer.”
How does the prefix be- work in bekerja?
The prefix be- turns the root kerja (“work”) into a verb meaning “to work.” Malay verbs are often formed by adding such prefixes.
Why is di used before sawah?
di is the locative preposition equivalent to “in/at.” Placing di before sawah gives the meaning “in the rice field” or “at the paddy field.”
What does sawah mean?
sawah means “rice field” or “paddy field,” the flooded land where rice is grown.