Breakdown of Saya beli fabrik lembut di kedai semalam.
Questions & Answers about Saya beli fabrik lembut di kedai semalam.
Malay verbs can appear in two main forms: the unmarked root (e.g. beli) and the standard meN- form (e.g. membeli).
- beli (root) is very common in everyday speech and informal writing.
- membeli is the “full” verb form used in more formal contexts or in dictionaries.
Both mean “to buy,” but using the root makes the sentence feel more casual or conversational.
Yes, you can. Saya membeli is perfectly correct and slightly more formal or textbook-style. Nuances:
- Saya beli… suggests a relaxed, spoken register.
- Saya membeli… sounds more polished, as you might see in news articles or formal letters.
Malay uses a noun–adjective word order. You always say noun + adjective:
• fabrik lembut = “fabric (that is) soft”
If you reversed it (lembut fabrik), it would be ungrammatical or would sound very strange to a Malay speaker.
In this sentence, di is a preposition meaning “at,” “in,” or “to,” indicating location:
• di kedai = “at the shop.”
It’s always written as a separate word when it functions as a preposition. (When di- is attached to a verb, it’s the passive voice marker, but that is spelled without a space: ditulis, dibaca, etc.)
Malay verbs do not change form for tense. Instead, time markers indicate when:
• semalam = yesterday (past)
You could also add aspect words like telah or sudah before the verb to emphasize completion:
• Saya sudah beli… = “I have already bought…”
Absolutely. Malay is flexible with time adverbs. You can say:
• Semalam, saya beli fabrik lembut di kedai.
• Saya semalam beli fabrik lembut di kedai.
All these communicate the same idea—placing the time word earlier just shifts the focus.
Yes, a few common synonyms:
• toko – often used for small specialty shops (e.g. toko buku = bookstore)
• pasar – market (e.g. pasar basah = wet market)
• kedai runcit – grocery shop
Depending on what you bought, you might say kedai kain (“fabric shop”) to be more specific.