Bos memberikan nota penting kepada saya sebelum mesyuarat.

The boss gives me an important note before the meeting.

Breakdown of Bos memberikan nota penting kepada saya sebelum mesyuarat.

• sebelum: before
• penting: important
• kepada: to
• bos: the boss
• nota: the note
• mesyuarat: the meeting
• saya: me
• memberikan: to give

Questions & Answers about Bos memberikan nota penting kepada saya sebelum mesyuarat.

Why is the adjective penting placed after the noun nota instead of before, as in English?

In Malay, adjectives usually follow the noun they describe. So nota penting literally means “note important.” This noun–adjective order is standard.

What is the difference between memberi and memberikan?

Both come from the root beri (“to give”). Memberi is the basic verb form, while memberikan adds the suffix -kan, making the action more result-oriented or benefactive. Memberikan often sounds more formal or emphasises the act of giving, but in many contexts they’re interchangeable.

Why do we need kepada before saya? Can we drop it and say Bos memberikan saya nota penting sebelum mesyuarat?

Standard Malay uses kepada (“to”) for the indirect object: memberikan nota kepada saya. In casual speech you might omit kepada, but in formal writing it’s clearer and preferred to include it. Without kepada, the sentence can sound less formal or slightly ambiguous.

There’s no word for “the” or “an” in the sentence. How do we tell if nota penting is “an important note” or “the important note”?

Malay has no definite or indefinite articles. Nota penting can mean “a/an important note” or “the important note” depending on context. If you need to specify “that important note,” you can add itu (that): nota penting itu.

Why is Bos capitalised in the example?

It’s simply the first word of the sentence, so it takes a capital letter. In Malay, common nouns aren’t normally capitalised mid-sentence, so if you wrote it in the middle as bos, it would be lowercase.

Can we move the time phrase sebelum mesyuarat to the front of the sentence?

Yes. Malay is flexible with adverbials. You can say Sebelum mesyuarat, bos memberikan nota penting kepada saya without changing the meaning.

How do you form the passive voice for this sentence?

You can use the di- passive or include the agent with oleh. For example:

• Nota penting diberikan kepada saya oleh bos sebelum mesyuarat.
• Saya diberikan nota penting oleh bos sebelum mesyuarat.

What’s the difference between mesyuarat and pertemuan?

Both can translate as “meeting,” but mesyuarat implies a formal session (with agenda, minutes, etc.), while pertemuan is more general—a gathering, appointment or informal get-together.