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Bakul plastik itu juga digunakan untuk membawa buah ke taman.

Bakul plastik itu juga digunakan untuk membawa buah ke taman.
That plastic basket is also used to carry fruit to the park.
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Questions & Answers about Bakul plastik itu juga digunakan untuk membawa buah ke taman.

Why does itu come after bakul plastik? In English we would say that plastic basket, with that before the noun.

In Malay, demonstratives like itu (that/the) usually come after the noun phrase they modify.

  • Bakul plastik itu
    = that plastic basket / the plastic basket

So the structure is:

  • bakul (basket) + plastik (plastic) + itu (that)

You can also say itu bakul plastik, but that sounds more like that is a plastic basket (a full sentence), not a noun phrase. For a simple that plastic basket, you normally put itu at the end of the noun phrase: bakul plastik itu.

Is plastik an adjective here (like plastic) or a noun (like plastic as a material)?

Grammatically, plastik is a noun in Malay, meaning plastic (the material).

Malay often uses noun + noun to express what English shows with an adjective:

  • bakul plastik
    literally: basket (of) plastic
    meaning: plastic basket

So even though in English plastic looks like an adjective here, in Malay it’s more like saying basket of plastic. The second noun describes the type or material of the first.

What exactly does juga mean, and where can it go in the sentence?

Juga generally means also / too / as well.

In this sentence:

  • Bakul plastik itu juga digunakan...
    = That plastic basket was also used...

Typical positions:

  1. After the subject:
    • Bakul plastik itu juga digunakan... (very natural)
  2. After the verb (less common here, but possible):
    • Bakul plastik itu digunakan juga untuk membawa buah ke taman.
      (adds slight emphasis to used also rather than the basket itself)

At beginner–intermediate level, the safest and most common pattern to learn is:

  • [Subject] + juga + [verb phrase]
What does digunakan mean exactly, and how is it formed?

Digunakan comes from the root guna (to use).

It has:

  • prefix di- → passive voice marker
  • root guna → use
  • suffix -kan → often marks a verb that takes an object, roughly to use (something) / to make use of (something)

So:

  • menggunakan bakul = to use a basket (active)
  • bakul digunakan = the basket is used (passive, without object)
  • bakul itu digunakan untuk... = that basket is used for... (passive, with a purpose phrase)

In this sentence, digunakan means was used / is used (Malay doesn’t mark tense here; context decides).

Why is the sentence passive (digunakan) instead of active (menggunakan)?

Malay often uses the passive when:

  • you want to focus on the object (here: the basket), or
  • the doer (subject) is unknown, unimportant, or obvious from context.

Passive version (used in your sentence):

  • Bakul plastik itu juga digunakan untuk membawa buah ke taman.
    → That plastic basket was also used to carry fruit to the park.
    (focus: the basket)

Active version:

  • Mereka juga menggunakan bakul plastik itu untuk membawa buah ke taman.
    → They also used that plastic basket to carry fruit to the park.
    (focus: mereka / they)

In many descriptions or narratives, Malay prefers the passive style you see in the example.

Who is doing the action in digunakan? I don’t see any subject like they or we.

In this sentence, the agent (the person who used the basket) is left out. That’s very normal in Malay passive sentences.

  • Bakul plastik itu juga digunakan...
    literally: That plastic basket also is-used...
    → The one who used it could be mereka (they), kami (we), etc., but it’s not stated.

If you wanted to include the agent, you could say:

  • Bakul plastik itu juga digunakan oleh mereka untuk membawa buah ke taman.
    (oleh = by)

But if the agent is obvious or not important, Malay often omits it, just like your sentence does.

What does untuk do here? Does it always mean for?

Untuk typically means:

  • for
  • in order to / to (do something)

In your sentence:

  • digunakan untuk membawa buah ke taman
    = is/was used to carry fruit to the park
    (shows purpose)

Common patterns:

  • untuk + verb:
    • untuk makan = to eat / in order to eat
    • untuk belajar = to study / for studying
  • untuk + noun:
    • untuk Ali = for Ali
    • untuk hadiah = for a gift

So here, untuk introduces the purpose clause with membawa.

Why is it membawa and not just bawa?

Root: bawa = to bring / to carry.

With the meN- prefix (here it becomes mem- before b), you get:

  • membawa = to carry / to bring (standard, transitive verb)

Differences in use:

  • membawa
    • more standard/formal
    • clearly a verb in a sentence
  • bawa
    • common in colloquial or casual speech
    • can appear without prefix:
      • Saya bawa buku. = I carry/bring a book.

In untuk membawa buah ke taman, using membawa sounds more complete and standard, especially in written or neutral style.

Does buah here mean one fruit or fruits in general? Why not buah‑buahan?

Buah on its own can be:

  • a single fruit (if context is clearly singular), or
  • fruit in a general or mass sense (like some fruit / the fruit).

Buah‑buahan means:

  • various fruits / different kinds of fruit, or
  • fruits (plural, often emphasizing variety).

So:

  • membawa buah ke taman
    = carrying fruit to the park (could be one or more, context decides)
  • membawa buah‑buahan ke taman
    = carrying (various) fruits to the park

Your sentence is neutral and can be understood as some fruit without stressing variety.

What does ke in ke taman mean, and how is it different from di?

Ke means to / towards, showing movement or destination.

  • ke taman = to the park

Di means at / in / on, showing location (no movement).

Compare:

  • membawa buah ke taman
    = carrying fruit to the park (movement towards)
  • makan buah di taman
    = eating fruit in/at the park (location)

So in your sentence, ke is correct because you are going to the park.

How can I break down the structure of the whole sentence?

Sentence: Bakul plastik itu juga digunakan untuk membawa buah ke taman.

Structure:

  1. Bakul plastik itu – noun phrase (topic / grammatical subject in English)

    • bakul = basket
    • plastik = plastic (material)
    • itu = that / the

  2. juga – adverb: also / too

  3. digunakan – passive verb: is/was used

    • di- + guna + -kan

  4. untuk membawa buah ke taman – purpose phrase

    • untuk = to / in order to
    • membawa = to carry / bring
    • buah = fruit
    • ke taman = to the park

Natural English:
That plastic basket was also used to carry fruit to the park.

How do we know whether digunakan means is used (present) or was used (past)?

Malay verbs usually do not mark tense (no separate forms for past, present, future). Digunakan is tense‑neutral.

The time reference comes from context (or from separate time words):

  • Semalam, bakul plastik itu juga digunakan untuk membawa buah ke taman.
    = Yesterday, that plastic basket was also used to carry fruit to the park. (past from semalam)

  • Setiap hari, bakul plastik itu juga digunakan untuk membawa buah ke taman.
    = Every day, that plastic basket is also used to carry fruit to the park. (habitual present from setiap hari)

Without extra clues, it can be understood as either is used or was used, depending on the surrounding text.