The Malay language is quite interesting, more so if you consider its grammar. In this article, we’ll walk you through the Malay conjunctions or kata hubung and their meanings. After all, these simple words can significantly help you craft better sentences and express your thoughts more effectively. If you’re ready for that, then keep reading below!
So let’s start with the basics. What exactly is a conjunction? Like in many languages, conjunctions are known as “joiners” as they are mainly used to connect words, phrases, or sentences together. To put it simply, they can help you in forming complex sentences without affecting the meaning you want to communicate. In addition, they are also used to show contrast or make comparisons with each other. This is what makes them such a powerful tool in our language and why it’s important for us to know their meanings.
In the Malay language, it is known as kata hubung. Let’s break down further what this word means. Basically, kata refers to words, while hubung means connect. When it comes to sentence placements, the position of conjunctions is similar to English – it comes between two clauses or words.
Common Malay Conjunctions
Common conjunctions are also called principal conjunctions. Below are some of the most commonly used ones in the Malay language.
| English | Malay |
| and | dan |
| also/and | pun |
| also | juga |
| but | ttapi |
| but/excepting | mlainkan |
| than | der-pada |
| or | atau |
| if | kalau |
| for | kerna |
| because | sebab |
| in order that | spaya |
Other Malay Conjunctions
| English | Malay |
| for example | sebagai contoh |
| now | sekarang |
| after | selepas |
| before | sebelum ini |
| as soon as | sebaik sahaja |
| even though | walaupun |
| In fact | sebenarnya |
| since | sejak |
| still | masih |
| until | sehingga |
| unless | melainkan |
| whose | yang |
| so that | supaya |
| provided | disediakan |
| supposing | andainya |
| than | daripada |
| whenever | bila-bila masa |
| finally | akhirnya |
| by the time | pada masa itu |
| but also | ttapi juga |
| likewise | begitu juga |
| indeed | sesungguhnya |
| instead | sebaliknya |
| once | sekali |
| rather than | bukannya |
| neither | tidak juga |
| whether | sama ada |
| both | kedua-duanya |
| however | walau bagaimanapun |
| as a result | akibatnya |
Wrapping Up
Conjunctions are mainly necessary for communication. Without them, there’ll be a communication breakdown. Here are some clauses and words with Malay conjunctions sekarang or, for example, so you may try a few and learn some needed for daily Malay conversations.
| English | Malay |
| He has two dogs and a cat. | Dia mempunyai dua ekor anjing dan seekor kucing. |
| I tried to hit the nail but hit my finger instead. | Saya cuba memukul paku tetapi sebaliknya memukul jari saya. |
| You may need a new bag for your upcoming trip. | Anda mungkin memerlukan beg baharu untuk perjalanan anda yang akan datang. |
| You can have chocolate ice cream or a truffle for dessert. | Anda boleh mempunyai ais krim coklat atau truffle sebagai pencuci mulut. |
| My parents work very hard so that we can afford the things we want. | Ibu bapa saya bekerja keras supaya kami mampu membeli barang yang kami inginkan. |
| The job is quite good, but I’m exhausted when I get to work. | Kerja itu agak bagus tetapi apabila saya tiba di tempat kerja, saya sudah letih. |
| I couldn’t sleep much because of the thunderstorm last night. | Saya tidak dapat tidur lena kerana ribut petir malam tadi. |
| I’ll make the payment as soon as I get the bill. | Saya akan membuat pembayaran sebaik sahaja saya mendapat bil. |
| We reached the hotel finally, and now we could relax. | Kami tiba di hotel akhirnya dan kini kami boleh berehat. |
| Please join us whenever you have time. | Sila sertai kami bila-bila masa anda ada. |
Learn Malay With Ling App
As mentioned earlier, English readers can find learning Malay relatively straightforward. But sometimes, you do need a push to power through. After all, it’s even more difficult to learn when you’re just teaching yourself without anyone to support you. That’s why we highly recommend that you make use of platforms that can help simplify the process and make the journey more exciting!
And to learn, there are only two routes that you can take. Either you take on a stricter approach by enrolling in a language school, or you can take on a more relaxed approach with a fun app like Ling!
Ling is an interactive language-learning platform that can take you from beginner to fluent in no time! Thanks to its huge library of courses, you can learn Malay and 60+ other languages on the go at the pace you want. It’s perfect for those who want to learn a language on a budget. And with its monthly subscription model, you don’t have to worry about spending too much money on the app!
It also provides areas of concentration. For example, if you want to practice pronunciation with Ling, you can save time and do just that. There are also listening, reading, and writing lessons to cover all your language needs. To ensure that you’ll learn to speak and think like a native speaker, we also included a chatbot that you can use to simulate conversations. This is a revolutionary way to assess your skills and hone them further! The best part? You don’t have to worry about making mistakes because the chatbot is so forgiving and will teach you the correct ways right away! What more can you ask for, right?
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