Breakdown of Masalah utama kami ialah alamat penghantaran tidak lengkap.
adalah
to be
tidak
not
utama
main
kami
our
lengkap
complete
masalah
the problem
alamat penghantaran
the delivery address
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Questions & Answers about Masalah utama kami ialah alamat penghantaran tidak lengkap.
Why is ialah used here instead of adalah?
Traditional guidance: use ialah before a noun phrase (equating two nouns) and adalah before adjectives or prepositional phrases. Here the complement starts with a noun (alamat penghantaran) so ialah is natural. Many speakers also accept adalah, especially if you add yang to make it a clear noun phrase: Masalah utama kami adalah alamat penghantaran yang tidak lengkap. Both are widely understood; the version with ialah feels a bit more textbook-standard in Malaysia.
Can I omit ialah?
Yes, Malay often drops a copula. In writing you can use a colon or a pause: Masalah utama kami: alamat penghantaran tidak lengkap. In careful speech, a slight pause works. If you keep it as one sentence without punctuation, many prefer keeping ialah for clarity.
Should there be yang before tidak lengkap?
If you want the phrase to be a single noun phrase with an attributive adjective, use yang: alamat penghantaran yang tidak lengkap. Without yang, it reads more like a mini-clause: alamat penghantaran + predicate tidak lengkap. Both are common; formal writing tends to prefer yang when the adjective is negated or extended.
Is tidak correct here, or should it be bukan, tak, or belum?
- tidak negates adjectives and verbs, so tidak lengkap is correct.
- bukan negates nouns: Itu bukan alamat.
- tak is the informal contraction of tidak: tak lengkap (casual).
- belum means not yet: belum lengkap = not complete yet (but expected to be).
- tiada means there is no/none; not used before adjectives here.
What does alamat penghantaran literally mean, and how is it formed?
It’s a noun–noun compound: alamat (address) + penghantaran (delivery/shipping) → delivery address. Malay often expresses English of-constructions by placing nouns back-to-back without a preposition.
Where does penghantaran come from morphologically?
Root: hantar (to send, deliver). The nominalizer peN- + root + -an forms an action/abstract noun: peN + hantar + an → penghantaran. Before h-, peN- surfaces as pengh-.
Is alamat pengiriman also correct?
In Indonesian, alamat pengiriman is standard. In Malaysian Malay, alamat penghantaran is the usual choice; alamat pengiriman is understood but sounds Indonesian. You may also see alamat serahan in Malaysia in logistics contexts.
Why use kami and not kita?
Both mean we/our, but:
- kami = we (excluding the person addressed).
- kita = we (including the person addressed). Here, the speaker likely excludes the listener, so kami fits.
Where do possessives like kami go in Malay?
They follow the noun phrase: masalah utama kami (our main problem), alamat kami (our address). Don’t place them before the noun like in English.
Why does the adjective follow the noun (as in masalah utama)?
In Malay, descriptive adjectives typically come after the noun: masalah utama, alamat lengkap, stok terhad. If the adjective is more complex or negated, you can use yang: alamat yang tidak lengkap.
How can I make the sentence more formal or more casual?
- More formal: Masalah utama kami ialah alamat penghantaran yang tidak lengkap.
- Neutral: the original sentence is fine.
- More casual: Masalah utama kami: alamat penghantaran tak lengkap.
How do I flip the order to say The incomplete shipping address is our main problem?
Say: Alamat penghantaran yang tidak lengkap ialah masalah utama kami. This keeps the same meaning but foregrounds the address.
How do I turn it into a yes–no question?
Use Adakah or just question intonation:
- Adakah masalah utama kami alamat penghantaran yang tidak lengkap?
- With intonation alone in speech: Masalah utama kami alamat penghantaran yang tidak lengkap?
Do I need articles like the/a in Malay?
Malay has no articles. Definiteness is inferred from context or shown with demonstratives (itu/ini) or possession. If you want to be explicit: alamat penghantaran itu = that/the delivery address.
Do I need a classifier with alamat if I mean one address?
Usually no. You can say satu alamat penghantaran if you must specify one. A general classifier like buah is not typical with alamat.
How do I express plural (problems) here?
Malay often leaves plurality unmarked unless needed. You can add context or repeat the noun for emphasis: masalah-masalah. Example: Masalah utama kami ialah alamat penghantaran yang tidak lengkap dan stok terhad.
What’s the nuance difference between masalah utama kami and masalah kami yang utama?
Both can mean our main problem. Masalah utama kami is the default, compact form. Masalah kami yang utama subtly highlights utama as a focus among our problems.
Is there a way to say our main problem is that… with a word like that?
Malay seldom uses bahawa after ialah. Prefer a noun phrase or a clause: Masalah utama kami ialah alamat penghantaran yang tidak lengkap. If you really want bahawa, use a verb of saying/thinking: Kami menyatakan bahawa alamat penghantaran itu tidak lengkap.
Any pronunciation tips for penghantaran?
Break it as roughly pəng-han-ta-ran. The e in peng- is a schwa. Malay syllables are evenly timed; don’t stress any syllable too strongly. Pronounce the h clearly in -han-.