Breakdown of Nota itu ditampal pada papan kenyataan dekat lif.
itu
that
nota
the note
pada
on
dekat
near
lif
the elevator
tampal
to stick
papan kenyataan
the noticeboard
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Questions & Answers about Nota itu ditampal pada papan kenyataan dekat lif.
What does ditampal mean, and why is it in passive form (with the di– prefix)?
ditampal is the passive form of tampal (“to paste” or “to stick”). In Malay, attaching di– to a verb root turns it into passive voice, showing that the subject (here, nota itu) is the recipient of the action rather than the doer.
Why is it nota itu instead of nota ini? When do you use itu vs ini?
ini means “this” (close to the speaker), while itu means “that” (farther away or already mentioned). nota itu refers to “that note” which both speaker and listener know about. If the note were literally in the speaker’s hand, you might say nota ini.
What exactly is a papan kenyataan? Is it the same as papan pengumuman?
papan kenyataan literally means “statement board” and refers to a notice board where people post announcements or notices. papan pengumuman (“announcement board”) is virtually interchangeable in everyday use.
Why does the sentence use pada papan kenyataan instead of di papan kenyataan? Are both correct?
Both pada and di can mark location. di is the general locative preposition (“at”/“in”/“on”), while pada often emphasizes placement “on” a surface. pada papan kenyataan (“on the notice board”) is slightly more formal but di papan kenyataan would also be understood.
Why is it dekat lif rather than dekat dengan lif?
In colloquial Malay, you can place dekat directly before a noun to mean “near X.” Adding dengan (dekat dengan lif) is more formal but not mandatory. Both forms are acceptable; omitting dengan is very common in everyday speech.
Can I mention who posted the note? How do I include an agent in this passive structure?
You can add oleh + agent after the verb. For example:
Nota itu ditampal oleh pelajar.
That means “That note was posted by a student.”
How do you know when this action happened? Does Malay show tense on the verb?
Malay verbs do not change form for tense. You rely on context or time adverbs. Here, ditampal could mean “was posted,” “has been posted,” or “is posted,” depending on the situation. If you want to be clear about past time, you could add something like semalam (“yesterday”).
What is the typical word order in a passive Malay sentence like this?
Malay passive clauses usually follow: Subject + passive verb + (optional) object or adverbial phrase.
In your sentence:
Subject: Nota itu
Passive verb: ditampal
Adverbial (location): pada papan kenyataan dekat lif
You can move the location phrase for emphasis, but this S-V-Adv pattern is the most common.