Jom minum air sejuk di taman.

Let's drink cold water in the park.

Breakdown of Jom minum air sejuk di taman.

• air: the water
• minum: to drink
• di: in
• taman: the park
• sejuk: cold
• jom: let's

Questions & Answers about Jom minum air sejuk di taman.

What does jom mean, and where is it used?

jom is a friendly, inclusive way to say “let’s” in Malay, especially in Malaysia and Singapore. It introduces a suggestion or invitation, often at the start: Jom minum... You can also use Jom! on its own to mean “let’s go/let’s do it.”

Is jom formal? What are politer alternatives?

jom is informal. Politer or neutral options:

• mari (neutral/polite): Mari kita minum...
• ayuh (formal/encouraging): Ayuh kita...
• Indirect suggestions: Apa kata kita... “How about we…”, Bolehkah kita... “Could we…”.

What’s the difference between Jom minum... and Jom kita minum...?

Both invite the listener to join. Jom minum... is casual and already inclusive. Jom kita minum... explicitly adds kita (“we,” inclusive), which can feel slightly more deliberate/emphatic or polite.

Can I say jom kami minum?

No. jom is inclusive, so pairing it with kami (we, excluding the listener) is contradictory. Use jom kita... to include the listener. If you want to state your plan without inviting, say Kami nak/pergi minum....

Does air mean only “water,” or any drink?

In Malay, air literally means “water,” but in everyday Malaysian usage it can also mean “a drink” (usually non-alcoholic). However, air sejuk is commonly understood as “cold water (plain).” For “cold drinks” generally, use minuman sejuk.

How do I say “a glass of cold water” or “some cold water”?

Use classifiers:

• segelas air sejuk = a glass of cold water
• secawan (a cup), sebotol (a bottle)
• “some” = sedikit air sejuk; casual: air sejuk sikit

Why is it air sejuk (noun + adjective) and not sejuk air?

In Malay, adjectives usually follow the noun: air sejuk, rumah besar. To say “very cold water,” use air yang sangat sejuk (neutral) or, colloquially, air sejuk sangat.

What exactly does di taman mean—“at” or “in”?

di covers “at/in/on,” so di taman can be “at the park” or “in the park.” Malay has no articles like “the/a,” so definiteness comes from context or words like itu/ini (e.g., di taman itu = at that park).

What’s the difference between di taman and ke taman?

• di taman = location (at/in the park).
• ke taman = movement (to the park). Your sentence places the activity in the park. If you want to emphasize going there, say Jom ke taman minum air sejuk or Jom pergi ke taman untuk minum air sejuk.

Is the spacing of di correct? I’ve seen di- attached to words.

Yes. The preposition di (at/in/on) is written separately: di taman. The prefix di- (passive voice) attaches to verbs: ditulis (written). So di taman must be two words.

Why is there no subject like “we” in the sentence?

jom already implies “let’s (we).” Malay often drops pronouns when they’re obvious. If you want to be explicit, Jom kita minum... is common and perfectly natural.

How can I make the invitation more polite or softer?

• Mari kita minum air sejuk di taman.
• Apa kata kita minum air sejuk di taman?
• Bolehkah kita minum air sejuk di taman? You can also soften with -lah: Jomlah minum...

Any quick pronunciation tips for the words here?

• jom: “johm” (o as in “go”).
• minum: “mee-noom.”
• air: two syllables “ah-eer,” not English “air.”
• sejuk: “suh-jook,” with a short, clipped ending; final -k is often a glottal stop.
• di: “dee.”
• taman: “TAH-man” (both a’s like “ah”).

Does taman mean “park” or “garden”? Could it be a housing area?

taman can mean “park/garden.” In Malaysia it’s also used in names of residential areas (e.g., Taman Melati). Without context, di taman is usually understood as “in the park.”

Can I use dekat/kat instead of di in casual speech?

Yes, informally: Jom minum air sejuk dekat/kat taman. In writing or formal speech, stick with di.

How do I mark time, like “now,” “later,” or “tomorrow”?

Malay verbs don’t change for tense. Add time words:

• sekarang (now), nanti (later), lepas ini (after this), petang ini (this afternoon), esok (tomorrow). Example: Jom minum air sejuk di taman nanti.

Is sejuk the only word for “cold”? What about “iced”?

sejuk covers “cold/cool.” Other words:

• dingin (more formal/poetic; common in Indonesia).
• ais = ice. “Iced water” is air ais; “iced tea” is teh ais.
• sejuk beku = frozen.

Why not use meminum instead of minum?

minum is the everyday base verb. meminum is a formal transitive form and sounds stiff in casual speech. In an invitation like this, minum is natural.

Is Malay air a false friend with English “air”?

Yes. Malay air = water/liquid. The word for the air we breathe is udara.