Questions & Answers about Buku sains ini menarik.
Word by word:
- buku = book
- sains = science
- ini = this
- menarik = interesting / to attract
So the structure is roughly: book science this interesting → This science book is interesting.
In Malay, demonstratives like ini (this) and itu (that) usually come after the noun phrase they modify:
- buku ini = this book
- buku sains ini = this science book
- kawan saya itu = that friend of mine
So buku sains ini literally means book science this = this science book.
Putting ini before the noun (e.g. ini buku sains) is also possible, but it slightly shifts the focus to “this” (more like “this is a science book”), not “this science book is …”
It can be both, depending on context.
- As a verb: Dia menarik pintu. = He/She pulls the door.
- As an adjective / stative verb: Buku sains ini menarik. = This science book is interesting.
In Buku sains ini menarik, menarik functions like an adjective meaning interesting, but grammatically Malay doesn’t always separate adjectives and stative verbs the way English does; many “adjectives” are actually stative verbs (“to be X”). Here, you can think of it as “(is) interesting.”
Malay normally omits a linking verb (like is/are) when connecting a noun and an adjective:
- Buku itu bagus. = That book (is) good.
- Makanan ini sedap. = This food (is) delicious.
- Buku sains ini menarik. = This science book (is) interesting.
The word adalah exists, but it is used differently:
- More often to link two noun phrases (definition/equation):
- Dia adalah doktor. = He/She is a doctor.
- Or for emphasis / formal style.
Saying Buku sains ini adalah menarik is grammatically possible but sounds formal, heavy, or awkward in everyday speech. The natural sentence is simply Buku sains ini menarik.
buku sains is a noun + noun combination and usually means “science book” (a book whose topic is science).
In Malay, noun 1 + noun 2 often works like English “noun 2 + noun 1” or “noun 1 of noun 2,” depending on context:
- buku sains = science book
- guru matematik = math teacher
- kedai buku = bookshop (shop for books)
So buku sains ini = this science book.
The ini attaches to the whole noun phrase: (buku sains) ini = this (science book).
Malay usually doesn’t mark plural on nouns. buku sains ini can mean:
- this science book (singular), or
- these science books (plural),
depending on context.
To make the plural more explicit, you can:
Use reduplication:
- Buku-buku sains ini menarik. = These science books are interesting.
Add a plural word like banyak (many) or a number:
- Banyak buku sains ini menarik. = Many of these science books are interesting.
- Tiga buku sains ini menarik. = These three science books are interesting.
But in everyday speech, context usually tells you whether it’s singular or plural.
Yes, you can say Buku sains itu menarik.
- ini = this (near the speaker, or just mentioned by the speaker)
- itu = that (farther away, or already known/mentioned in the conversation)
So:
- Buku sains ini menarik. = This science book (near me / I’m holding it / I just introduced it) is interesting.
- Buku sains itu menarik. = That science book (maybe on the shelf over there / the one we talked about earlier) is interesting.
Meaning is very similar; it’s mainly about distance or discourse context (which one we’re pointing to in space or in conversation).
Not exactly, and that word order is not natural for “This science book is interesting.”
- Ini buku sains. = This is a science book.
(Here ini is functioning like “this is …”)
If you say Ini buku sains menarik, it sounds like you are trying to say something like “This (is) an interesting science book”, but the structure is off and it’s awkward.
For This science book is interesting, you should keep:
- [Noun phrase] + [adjective]
- Buku sains ini menarik. ✔️
If you want the “this is …” structure, you can say:
- Ini buku sains yang menarik. = This is a science book that is interesting.
No, those orders are unnatural or wrong for the intended meaning.
Malay generally follows:
- [Noun] + [modifiers] inside a noun phrase,
but predicate adjectives usually come after the whole noun phrase.
In Buku sains ini menarik:
- buku sains ini = noun phrase (“this science book”)
- menarik = predicate (“is interesting”)
If you say buku sains menarik ini, it sounds odd and potentially ambiguous, like “this interesting science(?) book,” but isn’t how a native would normally say it.
To keep it simple:
- Use Buku sains ini menarik. for “This science book is interesting.”
- Use buku sains yang menarik inside a larger noun phrase if you need “science book that is interesting,” e.g.:
- Saya mahu beli buku sains yang menarik. = I want to buy a science book that is interesting.
Yes. menarik comes from the base verb tarik, which means “to pull”.
- tarik = pull
- menarik = to pull / to attract / (is) interesting
Over time, menarik also developed the meaning “interesting”, in the sense of “attractive (to the mind)”.
You’ll see this pattern a lot in Malay:
base verb + meN- prefix → verb that can also be used as a stative form (something “is X”):
- tarik → menarik (pull → attract / be interesting)
- hairan → menghairankan (to wonder → surprising / astonishing)
Yes. In informal spoken Malay, ini often becomes ni:
- Buku sains ni menarik.
This is very common in everyday conversation. The meaning is the same; it’s just more casual and colloquial. In writing (especially formal writing), stick with ini.