Breakdown of Nota penting tersorok di dalam buku sejarah saya.
di
in
dalam
inside
buku
the book
penting
important
nota
the note
saya
my
sejarah
history
tersorok
to be hidden
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Questions & Answers about Nota penting tersorok di dalam buku sejarah saya.
Why is there no word for “an” or “a” in this sentence? How do you express indefiniteness in Malay?
Malay does not use articles like “an,” “a,” or “the.” Indefiniteness or definiteness is shown by context or by adding demonstratives:
- nota penting can mean an important note or the important note, depending on context.
- To specify, you can say nota penting ini (this important note) or nota penting itu (that important note).
Why is the adjective penting placed after the noun nota? In English it usually comes before.
In Malay, adjectives follow the nouns they modify.
- nota penting literally reads note important.
- This pattern is consistent: rumah besar = big house, ikan masin = salty fish.
What does the prefix ter- in tersorok mean? How is it different from using di- as in disorok?
ter- and di- are two different passive or stative markers:
- ter- often indicates a spontaneous, accidental, or resulting state: tersorok = “ended up hidden” or “is in a hidden state.”
- di- marks a straightforward passive: disorok = “is/was hidden (by someone).”
So nota penting tersorok suggests the note wound up hidden (perhaps by chance), whereas nota penting disorok implies someone actively hid it.
Why do we say di dalam instead of simply dalam?
Both mean “in” or “inside,” but with a nuance:
- dalam buku = “in a/the book.”
- di dalam buku = “inside the book” with extra emphasis on location.
In many cases you can drop di, but di dalam stresses the interior space.
Why is saya placed after buku sejarah rather than before it?
Malay marks possession by placing the possessor after the noun:
- buku saya = “my book.”
- For compound nouns, buku sejarah saya = “my history book.”
You would not say saya buku sejarah; the pronoun always follows.
There’s no subject in the sentence. Is that acceptable in Malay?
Yes. Malay frequently omits the subject if it’s obvious or the focus is on the action or state. Here, the emphasis is on the note being hidden. If you needed a subject, you could add ia or nota penting itu:
- Nota penting itu tersorok di dalam buku sejarah saya.
How would I express the same idea in an active voice, like “I hid an important note in my history book”?
Use the me- verb form for an active construction:
- Saya menyorok nota penting di dalam buku sejarah saya.
Here, menyorok is the active verb “to hide,” and Saya clearly marks the subject “I.”