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Breakdown of Kantin di pejabat itu memberi air percuma setiap pagi.
air
the water
itu
that
di
in
setiap
every
pagi
the morning
pejabat
the office
kantin
the canteen
percuma
free
memberi
to provide
Questions & Answers about Kantin di pejabat itu memberi air percuma setiap pagi.
Why isn’t there an English article like the or a before kantin?
Malay doesn’t use separate articles. Definiteness (“the canteen”) is shown by context or by adding demonstratives like itu (“that”).
What does di mean in di pejabat?
di is the preposition for location, equivalent to “in/at.” So di pejabat means “at the office.”
Why is itu (“that”) placed after pejabat and not before it?
Malay demonstratives (ini, itu) come after the noun they modify. pejabat itu means “that office.”
Why is air percuma ordered as noun–adjective, not “percuma air”?
Adjectives in Malay follow the noun. So “free water” is air percuma, with air (water) first and percuma (free) after.
What is memberi and why not just beri?
memberi is the formal verb “to give” with the meN- prefix. beri is the colloquial root form you’ll hear in casual conversation.
Where does setiap pagi (“every morning”) go, and can I move it?
It’s a time adverbial placed at the end by default. You can front it for emphasis:
Setiap pagi, kantin di pejabat itu memberi air percuma.
How do I turn this into a yes/no question?
You can simply use a rising intonation in speech, or add Adakah for formality:
Adakah kantin di pejabat itu memberi air percuma setiap pagi?
How do I make the sentence negative (“doesn’t give free water”)?
Insert tidak before the verb:
Kantin di pejabat itu tidak memberi air percuma setiap pagi.
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