Breakdown of Dia mahu rehat sekurang-kurangnya sepuluh minit.
dia
he/she
mahu
to want
rehat
to rest
minit
the minute
sekurang-kurangnya
at least
sepuluh
ten
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Questions & Answers about Dia mahu rehat sekurang-kurangnya sepuluh minit.
Is the pronoun dia gendered? How do I make it clear if it’s he or she?
- dia is gender-neutral; context tells you if it’s “he” or “she.”
- To be explicit, add a noun: dia lelaki (he), dia perempuan (she).
- For respectful reference (teachers, officials), use beliau.
- Avoid ia for people in everyday speech; it’s mostly literary or for animals/objects.
Is mahu the same as hendak, nak, or ingin?
- mahu: neutral, common.
- hendak: neutral–formal; can also mean “be about to.”
- nak: very colloquial (Malaysia), from hendak/mahu.
- ingin: “would like”/“desire,” a bit more formal/polite.
- Indonesian uses mau for mahu. All can fit here: Dia mahu/nak/hendak berehat…, Saya ingin berehat…
Should it be berehat instead of rehat?
- rehat = noun (“rest”), berehat = verb (“to rest”).
- Dia mahu rehat… = “wants (a) rest.”
- Dia mahu berehat… = “wants to rest.” This is slightly more standard for the action.
- Both are idiomatic in Malaysia; with a duration, either works.
Do I need untuk before the verb, like mahu untuk (be)rehat?
No. After verbs of desire (mahu/hendak/ingin), use a bare verb/noun:
- Natural: Dia mahu berehat… / Dia mahu rehat…
- Use untuk to express purpose after another verb: Dia berhenti untuk berehat.
How do I clearly mark “for ten minutes”?
Add selama (duration):
- Dia mahu (be)rehat selama sekurang-kurangnya sepuluh minit. Without selama is still correct and common.
Is the spelling sekurang-kurangnya correct? Why the hyphens?
Yes. It’s a reduplicated form of kurang with se- and -nya; standard spelling uses hyphens: sekurang-kurangnya (“at least”). Indonesian more often says setidaknya (though sekurang-kurangnya also exists).
What are common synonyms for “at least”?
- paling kurang (very common in speech)
- sekurang-kurangnya (standard/formal)
- setidak-tidaknya (formal)
- Indonesian: setidaknya All fit in this sentence.
Where should sekurang-kurangnya go?
Put it right before the amount it limits:
- Best: Dia mahu (be)rehat sekurang-kurangnya sepuluh minit.
- Also OK: Dia mahu sekurang-kurangnya sepuluh minit rehat. Avoid: Dia sekurang-kurangnya mahu berehat… (means “at the very least, he wants to rest”).
Do I need a classifier with minit?
No. Time units don’t take classifiers. Say sepuluh minit (not sepuluh buah minit). Classifiers like orang/buah are for people/objects, not minutes.
Can I move the time phrase to the front?
Yes, for emphasis:
- Sekurang-kurangnya sepuluh minit, dia mahu (be)rehat. In writing, the original order or the version with selama usually reads smoother.
What changes in Indonesian?
Malaysian Malay: Dia mahu (be)rehat sekurang-kurangnya sepuluh minit. Indonesian: Dia mau istirahat setidaknya sepuluh menit. Differences: mahu/mau, (be)rehat/istirahat, minit/menit, sekurang-kurangnya/setidaknya.
Any pronunciation tips (dia, ny, ng, etc.)?
- dia ≈ “dee-ya” (with a y-glide).
- rehat ≈ “ray-hut” (flapped r; final t often unreleased).
- sekurang-kurangnya: ny = /ɲ/ like “ny” in “canyon”; ng = /ŋ/ as in “sing.”
- minit ≈ “mee-neet.”
How do I negate it?
Use tidak with verbs/adjectives:
- Dia tidak mahu (be)rehat sekurang-kurangnya sepuluh minit. To mean “not even ten minutes,” say: Dia tidak mahu berehat walaupun sepuluh minit.
Could I use berhenti instead of (be)rehat?
They differ:
- (be)rehat = take a rest.
- berhenti = stop (an activity). Example combining them: Dia berhenti bekerja selama sekurang-kurangnya sepuluh minit untuk berehat.
Is writing the number as a digit okay?
Yes informally: Dia mahu (be)rehat sekurang-kurangnya 10 minit. In formal writing, spell out small numbers: sepuluh minit.