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Farmasi itu berhampiran pusat kesihatan.

Farmasi itu berhampiran pusat kesihatan.
That pharmacy is near the health center.
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Questions & Answers about Farmasi itu berhampiran pusat kesihatan.

What does itu mean here? Is it the or that, and do I have to use it?

Itu literally means that, but in many sentences it works like the English the.

In Farmasi itu berhampiran pusat kesihatan:

  • Farmasi itu ≈ the pharmacy / that pharmacy
  • It refers to a specific pharmacy that both speaker and listener know about.

Is it required?

  • If you say Farmasi berhampiran pusat kesihatan, it sounds more like a pharmacy near the health centre (less specific or more generic).
  • If you mean a particular, known pharmacy, itu is natural and common.

So:

  • Farmasi itu = that specific pharmacy / the pharmacy
  • Farmasi (without itu) = a pharmacy (in general), or the idea of “pharmacies” more generally, depending on context.
Where is the verb is? Why can Malay say this sentence without a verb?

Malay often omits “to be” (am/is/are) before adjectives or location expressions.

In English we say:

  • The pharmacy is near the health centre.

In Malay:

  • Farmasi itu (subject)
  • berhampiran pusat kesihatan (predicate: “near the health centre”)

There is no separate word for is; the link is understood:

  • Farmasi itu berhampiran pusat kesihatan.
    • Literally: That pharmacy near the health centre.
    • Natural meaning: The pharmacy is near the health centre.

You only normally use adalah (a kind of “is/are”) in more formal or special structures, not in a simple sentence like this.

What exactly does berhampiran mean, and how is it different from dekat or berdekatan?

All three relate to closeness / nearness, but usage and feel differ slightly.

  • berhampiran

    • Meaning: to be near / in the vicinity of
    • Register: slightly more formal or neutral
    • Example: Farmasi itu berhampiran pusat kesihatan.
      • The pharmacy is near the health centre.

  • dekat

    • Meaning: near / close (to)
    • Very common in speech. Often followed by dengan (with).
    • Example: Farmasi itu dekat (dengan) pusat kesihatan.

  • berdekatan

    • Very similar to berhampiran, also “to be close/near”
    • Example: Farmasi itu berdekatan pusat kesihatan.

In this sentence you could replace berhampiran with dekat (dengan) or berdekatan without changing the basic meaning:

  • Farmasi itu dekat dengan pusat kesihatan.
  • Farmasi itu berdekatan pusat kesihatan.
Can I change the word order? For example, can I say Pusat kesihatan itu berhampiran farmasi?

Yes, but the focus shifts slightly.

  • Original: Farmasi itu berhampiran pusat kesihatan.

    • Neutral English: The pharmacy is near the health centre.
    • Focus: we are talking about the pharmacy; its location is given relative to the health centre.

  • Swapped: Pusat kesihatan itu berhampiran farmasi.

    • English: The health centre is near the pharmacy.
    • Now the main topic is the health centre.

You can also front the location phrase in more formal or written Malay:

  • Berhampiran pusat kesihatan itu terdapat sebuah farmasi.
    • Near that health centre there is a pharmacy.

So yes, you can change the order, but expect the topic/focus to change similarly to English.

Is farmasi singular or plural? How do I say pharmacies in Malay?

Malay usually does not mark singular vs plural with word endings.

  • farmasi can mean pharmacy or pharmacies, depending on context.
  • In your sentence, Farmasi itu berhampiran pusat kesihatan, because you have itu (“that / the”), it clearly refers to one specific pharmacy.

To show plural more clearly, you have a few options:

  • Use a number:
    • tiga farmasi = three pharmacies
  • Use a plural word like banyak (many), beberapa (several):
    • banyak farmasi = many pharmacies
    • beberapa farmasi = several pharmacies

There is no plural ending like -s in English.

What does pusat kesihatan mean exactly? Is it the same as clinic or hospital?

Pusat kesihatan literally means health centre:

  • pusat = centre
  • kesihatan = health

It usually refers to a government-run health centre or community clinic where:

  • basic medical services are provided
  • there may be doctors, nurses, vaccination services, maternal health, etc.

Differences:

  • pusat kesihatan / klinik kesihatan = health centre / public clinic
  • klinik = clinic (can be private or public; more general word)
  • hospital = hospital (larger facility, more specialized services)

So:

  • Farmasi itu berhampiran pusat kesihatan.
    • The pharmacy is near the health centre.

If you wanted “clinic” in a more general sense, you could also say:

  • Farmasi itu berhampiran klinik.
How is berhampiran different from using a preposition like di?

Berhampiran already contains the idea of being near, so it replaces a preposition.

Pattern with berhampiran:

  • [Subject] + berhampiran + [reference place]
    • Farmasi itu berhampiran pusat kesihatan.
      • The pharmacy is near the health centre.

Pattern with di:

  • [Subject] + di + [place]
    • Farmasi itu di pusat kesihatan. = The pharmacy is at/in the health centre (inside or part of it).

So:

  • berhampiran = near / in the vicinity (not at the exact place)
  • di = at / in / on (at the location itself)
Can I omit itu and just say Farmasi berhampiran pusat kesihatan?

You can, and it will still be grammatically correct, but the nuance changes:

  • Farmasi itu berhampiran pusat kesihatan.

    • Refers to a specific, known pharmacy (the / that pharmacy).

  • Farmasi berhampiran pusat kesihatan.

    • Sounds more like a description or headline:
      • Pharmacy near the health centre
      • Could be a sign, a label on a map, or a generic title.

In normal conversation, if you are talking about a particular pharmacy, itu is natural:

  • Saya pergi ke farmasi itu yang berhampiran pusat kesihatan.
    • I went to that pharmacy near the health centre.
How would I change this sentence to talk about past or future (was near / will be near)?

The verb/adjective berhampiran itself does not change for tense. Malay usually shows time using time words (yesterday, later, next week, etc.), not verb changes.

Examples:

  • Past (was near):

    • Semalam, farmasi itu berhampiran pusat kesihatan.
      • Yesterday, the pharmacy was near the health centre.
        (Context or time word semalam tells you it’s past.)

  • Future (will be near):

    • Minggu depan, farmasi itu akan berhampiran pusat kesihatan yang baru.
      • Next week, the pharmacy will be near the new health centre.
    • akan explicitly marks future.

So the structure stays the same; you add time words or akan for future if needed.

Is Farmasi itu berhampiran pusat kesihatan formal, or is it also used in everyday speech?

The sentence is neutral and perfectly fine in both spoken and written Malay.

In everyday conversation, people might also say:

  • Farmasi itu dekat dengan pusat kesihatan.
  • Farmasi itu dekat pusat kesihatan.

These versions with dekat (dengan) are very common in speech and slightly more casual.
Berhampiran is a bit more formal or “bookish,” but still completely natural in daily use.

How do I pronounce farmasi itu berhampiran pusat kesihatan naturally?

Pronunciation tips (rough guide):

  • farmasi: far-MA-see
  • itu: EE-too
  • berhampiran: bər-ham-PEE-ran
  • pusat: POO-sat
  • kesihatan: kə-see-HA-tan

Some key points:

  • Stress is usually on the second-to-last syllable: far-MA-see, ber-ham-PEE-ran, ke-si-HA-tan.
  • r is tapped/flipped (like Spanish r in pero).
  • All vowels are clearly pronounced; there are no silent letters.
  • In fluent speech, words connect smoothly:
    • farmasiitu (you may barely hear the break between farmasi and itu).