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Saya suka iklan yang ringkas dan jujur di televisyen.

Saya suka iklan yang ringkas dan jujur di televisyen.
I like simple and honest advertisements on television.
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Questions & Answers about Saya suka iklan yang ringkas dan jujur di televisyen.

What does saya mean, and is it the only way to say I in Malay?

Saya means I or me and is the polite, neutral form used in most situations (with strangers, at work, in writing, etc.).

It’s not the only way to say I:

  • Aku – informal, used with close friends, siblings, or in song lyrics. Using aku with someone you don’t know well can sound rude or too casual.
  • Kami and kita both mean we, not I, but:
    • kami = we (not including the listener)
    • kita = we (including the listener)

In this sentence, Saya suka iklan…, saya is the correct, polite choice.

Why is it saya suka iklan and not something like saya suka akan iklan or saya suka dengan iklan?

In Malay, suka (to like) usually takes its object directly, without a preposition.

So:

  • Saya suka iklan itu. = I like that advertisement.
  • Saya suka kopi. = I like coffee.

You can see:

  • suka akan or suka akan sesuatu in very formal/written style (sounds literary or old-fashioned).
  • suka dengan is sometimes heard in speech, but more often it means more like to be fond of / to have feelings for (someone), especially with people.

For everyday, natural Malay about preferences for things, saya suka + noun is the normal pattern.

Does iklan mean advertisement or advertisements here? Where is the plural?

Malay usually does not mark plural with -s like English.

Iklan can mean:

  • an advertisement
  • advertisements (in general)
  • advertising (as a concept, depending on context)

In Saya suka iklan yang ringkas dan jujur di televisyen, it’s understood as:

  • I like advertisements that are simple and honest on television. or
  • I like simple and honest TV ads.

If you really want to stress plurality, you can say:

  • iklan-iklan (reduplication), but this is often only used when you need to be very clear it’s plural. Most of the time, just iklan is fine and understood from context.
What is the function of yang in iklan yang ringkas dan jujur?

Yang introduces a descriptive/relative clause. It links a noun to the words that describe or define it.

Pattern:

  • NOUN + yang + description

Here:

  • iklan = advertisements
  • yang ringkas dan jujur = that are simple and honest

So iklan yang ringkas dan jujur literally means:

  • advertisements that are simple and honest

Without yang, ringkas dan jujur would feel like just loose adjectives. Yang makes it clear this is a specific type of advertisement (those which are simple and honest), not just piling adjectives onto iklan.

Could I say Saya suka iklan ringkas dan jujur without yang? Is that wrong?

You can sometimes drop yang, especially when using very short, common adjectives and the meaning is still clear. Saya suka iklan ringkas dan jujur would usually still be understood.

However:

  • Saya suka iklan yang ringkas dan jujur is more natural and clear, especially in standard Malay.
  • With more complex descriptions, yang is strongly preferred or necessary.

So:

  • Correct and natural: Saya suka iklan yang ringkas dan jujur.
  • Possible but a bit less standard/formal: Saya suka iklan ringkas dan jujur.
What is the difference between ringkas and other words like pendek or simple?

All three relate to the idea of short/simple, but they’re used differently:

  • ringkas

    • Means concise, brief, to the point.
    • Often used for explanations, writing, designs, or ads that don’t have unnecessary details.
    • iklan yang ringkas = an advertisement that is concise and not overloaded.

  • pendek

    • Literally short (in length, height, duration).
    • cerita pendek = a short story
      rambut pendek = short hair
      masa yang pendek = a short time
    • If you say iklan yang pendek, you’re emphasizing the duration (short in time), not the style.

  • simple (loanword from English, often written simple or simpel)

    • Used in casual speech, especially among younger speakers.
    • More like English simple, but can sound informal or “trendy”.

In this sentence, ringkas is a good, standard choice for simple/concise ads.

Does jujur only mean honest, or can it also mean sincere?

Jujur primarily means honest, but it also overlaps with sincere in many contexts.

Examples:

  • Dia sangat jujur. = He/She is very honest.
  • Jawapan yang jujur. = An honest answer.
  • Iklan yang jujur. = Honest ads (they don’t lie or exaggerate).

For sincere (as in genuinely caring), Malay also uses:

  • ikhlas – sincere (pure intentions, not expecting reward)
  • tulus – sincere, heartfelt (more literary/formal)

But in everyday speech, jujur can feel like honest and straightforward, which fits ads that don’t mislead consumers.

Why is it di televisyen and not just televisyen? What does di do?

Di is a preposition of place, similar to at/on/in in English.

  • di sekolah = at school
  • di rumah = at home
  • di televisyen = on television

So:

  • iklan di televisyen = advertisements on television.

You generally need a preposition like di before location-type nouns if you’re expressing place. Just saying televisyen after jujur would sound incomplete or like another noun in the list, not a location.

Is televisyen the same as TV or televisyen in Indonesian?

Yes, they refer to the same thing, but there are spelling and usage differences:

  • Malay (Malaysia/Brunei/Singapore):

    • televisyen (formal spelling)
    • TV / tivi (very common in speech and informal writing)

  • Indonesian:

    • televisi is the standard spelling.
    • TV is also very common informally.

In Malay, you could also say:

  • di TV (very common in speech)
  • di kaca televisyen (more poetic/literary: literally “on the glass of the television”).

In standard, neutral Malay, di televisyen is perfectly correct and natural.

Where does the stress usually fall when pronouncing this sentence?

Malay has relatively even stress, but normally the second-to-last syllable of a word is slightly stressed.

Breakdown:

  • Sa-ya → stress on Sa (SA-ya)
  • su-ka → SU-ka
  • ik-lan → IK-lan
  • yang → single syllable
  • ring-kas → RING-kas
  • dan → single syllable
  • ju-jur → JU-jur
  • te-le-vis-yen → VIS is slightly stronger: te-le-VIS-yen

Spoken smoothly: > SA-ya SU-ka IK-lan yang RING-kas dan JU-jur di te-le-VIS-yen.

No word is heavily stressed the way English sometimes does; it’s a fairly even, relaxed rhythm.

How would I say I don’t like simple and honest advertisements on television?

You make the sentence negative by putting tidak before the verb suka:

  • Saya tidak suka iklan yang ringkas dan jujur di televisyen.
    = I don’t like simple and honest advertisements on television.

Structure:

  • Saya (I)
  • tidak suka (do not like)
  • iklan yang ringkas dan jujur (ads that are simple and honest)
  • di televisyen (on television)
Is it okay to drop saya and just say Suka iklan yang ringkas dan jujur di televisyen?

In casual spoken Malay, subjects like saya are sometimes dropped if they are obvious from context.

So in a conversation where it’s clear you are talking about your preferences, you might hear or say:

  • Suka iklan yang ringkas dan jujur di televisyen.

This sounds informal and a bit like spoken shorthand. In:

  • formal speech
  • writing
  • or when there might be confusion about who the subject is

…it’s better to keep saya:

  • Saya suka iklan yang ringkas dan jujur di televisyen.