Breakdown of Rasa manis roti itu tidak terlalu kuat.
adalah
to be
itu
that
roti
the bread
tidak
not
terlalu
too
manis
sweet
kuat
strong
rasa
the taste
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Questions & Answers about Rasa manis roti itu tidak terlalu kuat.
What is the structure of Rasa manis roti itu and how should I understand it?
Rasa is a noun meaning taste, manis is an adjective meaning sweet. Together, rasa manis = sweetness, and roti itu = that bread. So rasa manis roti itu literally means the sweetness of that bread. Malay often places the head noun (rasa manis) before its possessor (roti itu).
Why do we use rasa manis instead of simply manis roti itu?
Manis roti itu would read more like “the bread is sweet.” By using rasa manis, you turn manis into a noun (sweetness) so you can talk about the degree or intensity of that sweetness. It’s a way to nominalize an adjective. An alternative nominalization is kemanisan roti itu.
Why is there no verb equivalent to “is” in this Malay sentence?
Malay often omits the copula (the “to be” verb) in descriptive sentences. You simply place the subject first and follow it with the predicate. Here, Rasa manis roti itu is the subject and tidak terlalu kuat is the predicate, so no linking verb is needed.
What role does itu play in roti itu, and can it be omitted or moved?
Itu means that and follows the noun it modifies: roti itu = that bread. You can omit itu if context already identifies which bread you mean, but you cannot move itu before roti (i.e., *itu roti) unless you’re using it as a standalone demonstrative pronoun.
How do tidak and terlalu work together here? Why this order?
Tidak is the negator not, and terlalu means too or overly. In Malay, the typical order is tidak + terlalu + adjective. So tidak terlalu kuat = not too strong. Swapping them (e.g., terlalu tidak kuat) would sound unnatural.
Could I instead say Roti itu tidak terlalu manis? What’s the difference?
Yes. Roti itu tidak terlalu manis means “that bread is not too sweet.” This phrasing directly calls manis an adjective of the bread. The original sentence emphasizes the intensity of its sweetness (the sweetness itself isn’t very strong) by nominalizing it.
Why do we use kuat (“strong”) to describe sweetness? I thought kuat was about physical strength.
In Malay, kuat extends to the intensity of sensory perceptions—taste, smell, sound, etc. So rasa manis … tidak terlalu kuat = the sweetness … isn’t very intense. It’s analogous to English “strong flavor.”
Are there alternatives to rasa manis for nominalizing manis?
Yes. Besides rasa manis, you can use the ke-…-an form: kemanisan. For example: Kemanisan roti itu tidak terlalu kuat (“The bread’s sweetness is not too strong”). This form is often a bit more formal.