Questions & Answers about Anak kecil itu memeluk ibu apabila dia takut.
Why is kecil after anak instead of before it?
In Malay, adjectives usually come after the noun they describe.
So:
- anak = child
- kecil = small, little
Therefore anak kecil literally looks like child small, but it means small child or little child.
This is a very common word order in Malay:
- rumah besar = big house
- kereta merah = red car
- budak baik = good kid
What does itu mean in anak kecil itu?
Itu literally means that, but in many sentences it also helps mark something as specific/known, so anak kecil itu can mean:
- that little child
- or, depending on context, the little child
Malay does not have articles like the and a/an in the same way English does, so words like itu often help show definiteness.
Compare:
- anak kecil = a little child / little children in general / little child
- anak kecil itu = that little child / the little child
Why is the verb memeluk and not just peluk?