Breakdown of Sayur ini dipotong di dapur sebelum dimasak.
ini
this
di
in
sebelum
before
dapur
the kitchen
sayur
the vegetable
dipotong
to be cut
dimasak
to be cooked
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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.
Malay doesn’t use past tense—so how do you know when the cutting took place?
Malay signals sequence and aspect through context and words like sebelum, not tense. Here, sebelum dimasak implies that the cutting happened prior to the cooking, so it’s understood as completed beforehand.
Can I move the sebelum clause to the front of the sentence?
Yes. You can say Sebelum dimasak, sayur ini dipotong di dapur. Fronting sebelum simply shifts the time clause without changing the meaning.
What if I add telah to show completion?
You can insert telah before the passive verb to emphasize that the action is completed: Sayur ini telah dipotong di dapur sebelum dimasak. This is equivalent to “This vegetable has already been cut in the kitchen before cooking.”
How would I express the same idea in active voice?
Choose an agent and use the active verbs: Tukang masak memotong sayur ini di dapur sebelum memasaknya. Here memotong and memasaknya turn the sentence active.