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Kedai itu menawarkan promosi menarik untuk pelanggan baharu.

Kedai itu menawarkan promosi menarik untuk pelanggan baharu.
That shop offers attractive promotions for new customers.
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Questions & Answers about Kedai itu menawarkan promosi menarik untuk pelanggan baharu.

What does the word itu add in Kedai itu—does it mean “that” or “the”?
  • itu is a demonstrative placed after the noun. It often means “that,” but in practice it also functions like a marker of definiteness (“the”).
  • So kedai itu = “that shop” or “the shop (already known in context).”
  • Contrast:
    • kedai ini = “this shop”
    • kedai itu = “that/the shop”
    • kedai (with no demonstrative) can be read as “a shop” or “shops” in general.
Why is the adjective after the noun in promosi menarik?
  • In Malay, descriptive adjectives usually follow the noun: promosi menarik = “interesting/attractive promotion.”
  • More examples: kereta baharu (new car), filem bagus (good movie).
  • You can also say promosi yang menarik (see below for “yang”).
Is menarik here the same word as “to pull”?
  • Yes. tarik = pull; menarik = to pull/attract.
  • As an adjective, menarik means “interesting/attractive.”
  • Examples:
    • Verb: Dia menarik pintu. (She pulls the door.)
    • Adjective: Promosi itu menarik. (That promotion is attractive/appealing.)
How is menawarkan formed, and how is it different from menawar?
  • Root: tawar. With the meN- prefix and -kan suffix → menawarkan = “to offer (something).”
  • meN- causes initial t to drop: tawar → menawarkan.
  • menawar (without -kan) usually means “to bargain/haggle,” e.g., menawar harga (to bargain the price).
  • Related noun: tawaran = “an offer.”
Should it be kepada instead of untuk after “menawarkan”?
  • Pattern with recipients: menawarkan [something] kepada [someone] is the careful, textbook pattern.
  • untuk = “for” (intended for). It’s fine here, especially in marketing: the promotion is “for” new customers.
  • So both are acceptable:
    • … menawarkan promosi menarik kepada pelanggan baharu.
    • … menawarkan promosi menarik untuk pelanggan baharu.
  • You may also see bagi (formal “for”): … promosi … bagi pelanggan baharu.
Does pelanggan baharu mean one new customer or multiple?
  • Malay doesn’t mark plural by default. pelanggan baharu can mean “a new customer” or “new customers.”
  • To be explicit:
    • Singular: seorang pelanggan baharu
    • Plural (people): para pelanggan baharu
    • Plural (emphatic/reduplicated): pelanggan-pelanggan baharu
    • With numbers: dua orang pelanggan baharu, etc.
What’s the difference between baharu and baru?
  • Standard Malay often prefers baharu as the adjective “new.” baru is extremely common in speech and also means “just/recently.”
  • Examples:
    • Adjective: telefon baharu / telefon baru (a new phone; both used, baharu is more formal).
    • Adverb: Saya baru tiba. (I just arrived.) Here baharu is also possible in formal style: Saya baharu tiba.
Can promosi also mean a job promotion? Is there ambiguity?
  • promosi in marketing = “promotion” (sales campaign, deals).
  • For job promotion, Malay commonly uses kenaikan pangkat. You may also see promosi pangkat, but kenaikan pangkat is clearer.
  • In your sentence, context makes it clearly a marketing promotion.
Is menawarkan promosi idiomatic, or is mengadakan promosi better?
  • Both are used and acceptable:
    • menawarkan promosi = “offer a promotion” (very common in ads).
    • mengadakan/menganjurkan/menjalankan promosi = “run/hold a promotion” (also common, sometimes preferred in formal/corporate writing).
  • If you want to be more specific, you can say menawarkan diskaun/tawaran/pakej menarik.
Do I need an article like “a” before promosi? How do I say “one promotion” or “some promotions”?
  • Malay has no articles. promosi menarik can be “an attractive promotion” or “attractive promotions” depending on context.
  • To be explicit:
    • “one”: satu promosi menarik
    • “some/several”: beberapa promosi menarik
    • “many/various”: pelbagai promosi menarik
    • Plural emphasis: promosi-promosi menarik
Can I add yang—as in promosi yang menarik—and does it change the meaning?
  • yang turns the following description into a relative/explicit descriptor: promosi yang menarik ≈ “promotion that is attractive.”
  • With a single short adjective, both promosi menarik and promosi yang menarik are fine; yang can add a slight emphasis or make room for a longer description (e.g., promosi yang sangat menarik).
What is the sentence structure here?
  • It’s S–V–O + prepositional phrase:
    • Subject: Kedai itu (the shop)
    • Verb: menawarkan (offers)
    • Object: promosi menarik (attractive promotions)
    • Prepositional phrase: untuk pelanggan baharu (for new customers)
How would I make this passive?
  • Passive with the object fronted:
    • Promosi menarik untuk pelanggan baharu ditawarkan oleh kedai itu.
  • In many contexts, oleh (by) can be omitted if the agent is clear:
    • Promosi menarik untuk pelanggan baharu ditawarkan kedai itu.
  • Active voice like your original is more common in everyday writing.
How do I refer back to “it” (the promotion) with a pronoun?
  • Use the clitic -nya attached to the verb:
    • Kedai itu menawarkannya kepada pelanggan baharu. = “The shop offers it to new customers.”
  • Here -nya = “it.”
Any false friends or common pitfalls with tawar?
  • tawar can mean:
    • “to bargain” (as a verb when used with menawar)
    • “bland” (no sweetness/salt): kopi tawar (unsweetened coffee)
  • Don’t confuse menawar (to haggle) with menawarkan (to offer).
Pronunciation tips for key words?
  • kedai: roughly “kə-dai” (first vowel like a schwa)
  • menawarkan: “mə-na-war-kan”
  • promosi: “pro-mo-si”
  • pelanggan: “pə-lang-gan”
  • baharu: “ba-ha-ru”
  • itu: “i-tu”
  • Stress is generally even; vowels are clear and not reduced as much as in English.