Breakdown of Mari kita minum kopi di kafe kecil.
minum
to drink
kita
we
di
at
kecil
small
kafe
the café
kopi
the coffee
mari
let’s
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Malay grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Mari kita minum kopi di kafe kecil.
What does mari mean in this sentence?
mari is an invitation particle meaning “let’s” or “come on.” It’s used to suggest doing something together.
Why is kita used after mari? Can I omit it?
kita is the inclusive first-person plural pronoun (“we/us,” including the listener). mari kita literally means “let us.” You can omit kita and say mari minum kopi di kafe kecil—it’s slightly more direct but equally natural.
Why isn’t minum marked for tense or person?
Malay verbs are uninflected. minum stays the same regardless of subject or tense. Context or time words indicate when the action happens. Here, mari implies an immediate/future action.
What is the function of di in di kafe kecil, and why not ke kafe kecil?
di is the preposition for location (“at/in/on”). di kafe kecil means “at the small café.”
ke marks direction toward a place (“to”). ke kafe kecil would mean “to the small café,” which doesn’t fit if you’re already there and inviting someone to join you.
Why is kecil placed after kafe?
In Malay, adjectives follow the nouns they modify. So kafe kecil literally is “café small,” i.e. “small café.”
Why isn’t there an article like “a” or “the” before kafe?
Malay has no definite or indefinite articles. Context usually makes clear if something is specific or general. If you must specify “a,” you can add a classifier like sebuah or satu, e.g. sebuah kafe kecil = “a small café.”
Could I use jom instead of mari?
Yes. jom is a colloquial Malaysian equivalent of mari, both meaning “let’s.” mari is more neutral or slightly formal and is understood in both Malaysia and Indonesia.
What’s the overall word order in this sentence?
The structure is:
1) Invitation particle (mari)
2) Subject pronoun (kita)
3) Verb (minum)
4) Object (kopi)
5) Location phrase (di kafe kecil)
This follows the typical Malay pattern for a simple invitation.