Questions & Answers about Gaji di syarikat ini rendah.
Why is there no word for “is” (like “is” in English) in Gaji di syarikat ini rendah?
Malay often drops the copula in simple descriptive sentences. The pattern Noun + (Prepositional Phrase) + Adjective is enough to express “X is Y.” If you want a more formal style, you can insert adalah:
- Gaji di syarikat ini adalah rendah.
But in everyday speech, that adalah is usually omitted.
Why don’t we use “the” before gaji to say “the salary”?
Malay has no definite or indefinite articles (no “a,” “an,” or “the”). The noun gaji by itself can mean “salary,” “a salary,” or “the salary,” depending on context.
What part of speech is rendah, and why does it come after gaji di syarikat ini?
Rendah is an adjective meaning “low.” In Malay, adjectives normally follow the noun or noun phrase they modify:
- Noun + Adjective → gaji rendah (“low salary”)
Here we inserted a location phrase, so the full order is: Noun (Gaji) + Prepositional Phrase (di syarikat ini) + Adjective (rendah).
Could I say Gaji rendah di syarikat ini instead?