Questions & Answers about Sayur ini dipotong di dapur sebelum dimasak.
What does sayur ini mean and why is ini placed after sayur?
Sayur ini translates to this vegetable. In Malay, the demonstrative ini (this) normally follows the noun it describes, so you get noun + ini instead of ini + noun in English.
How is the passive voice formed in Malay with dipotong and dimasak?
Malay forms the passive voice by adding the prefix di- directly to the verb root. Thus potong (to cut) becomes dipotong (to be cut) and masak (to cook) becomes dimasak (to be cooked).
How can I distinguish when di is the passive prefix versus the preposition in or at in di dapur?
If di is attached to a verb (no space), it’s the passive prefix (e.g. dipotong, dimasak). If di stands alone before a noun, it’s the preposition meaning in or at (e.g. di dapur = in the kitchen).
What role does sebelum play in the sentence?
Sebelum is a conjunction meaning before. It introduces the action that follows, linking the main clause (the cutting) to the subordinate clause (the cooking) and showing that cutting happens first.