Mereka memulakan perniagaan kecil.

they

Breakdown of Mereka memulakan perniagaan kecil.

• kecil: small
• memulakan: to start
• perniagaan: business

Questions & Answers about Mereka memulakan perniagaan kecil.

What does mereka mean here?

Mereka is the standard Malay word for they. In this sentence, it is the subject, so it means they rather than them.

A useful note: mereka is very normal in standard written Malay and formal speech. In casual everyday conversation, especially in Malaysia, speakers often use more colloquial alternatives instead.

Why is the verb memulakan instead of just mula?

Because memulakan means to start something, while mula by itself is just the basic idea of begin/start.

• mula = begin, start
• memulakan = start something, initiate something

Here, the thing being started is perniagaan kecil, so the transitive form memulakan fits well.

Compare:

• Mereka mula. = They began.
• Mereka memulakan perniagaan kecil. = They started a small business.

What is the function of meN- ... -kan in memulakan?