In my childhood, and if I’m honest, even now – I cringe when the topic of “grammar” and “parts of speech” comes in. But then, if you have someone nice to walk you through something like prepositions, things won’t seem that bad. With that said, I’m here to help you glide through Malay prepositions! Let’s start.
I fondly remember a song I learned many years ago. The “on, in, under, by” song. Basically a bunch of prepositions with actions to help preschoolers differentiate which is which. It helped me a lot to immediately know the common examples used in typical conversations.
What Are Prepositions?
They are simply words that tell us where what is. Usually, the “what” is a noun. A thing! It could be a bag, plate, bottle, phone. Where is that thing? Up, down or if you want to follow my song – on, in, under, by! On the shelf, in your room, under the dog’s bum, or by the counter! Hoping you have a simple, clearer picture of prepositions, in English, prepositions are used for time and place, also location, movement, or manner.
Malay & Grammar
Grammar is overwhelming. It has adverbs, conjunctions, adjectives, pronouns, verbs, and then – get this, auxiliary verbs! Of course, grammar is overwhelming! But it is one of those bitter pills you must take – especially if you want to learn Malay!
Malay has a simple sentence structure, but sentences can really not be made without a good old preposition connecting pronouns, nouns, phrases, and so on. They are a key part of the Malay language, after all. In Malay, prepositions are called Kata sendi nama. They come before nouns or noun phrases and also before pronouns.
You may be wondering what the recommended way to learn Malay prepositions and grammar is. Well, the best way to master this is how you would learn it in any language – by speaking with a Malay person non-stop! Frequently speaking will help build vocabulary, learn multiple sentence structures, and discover the hidden meanings and grammatical concepts that are not always taught in books.
With grammar, it’s practice, practice, and practice! It’s either you have the context, or you don’t! In order to gain the best context, regularly speak with a Malay person.
A List Of Malay Prepositions
If you are attempting to learn Malay from the English language, you are in luck! You see, this beautiful language was written in Arabic long ago only. Imagine having to learn that! But history says that the influence of the British and Dutch convinced the Malays to move to Latin Script.
This happened way back in the 17th century. From then on, Malay is written in Latin script using the same 26 alphabets. Of course, like me – using the Latin script makes language learning very easy. You can immediately read and bring some of the following Malay prepositions to memory!
Here is your go-to list of Malay prepositions.
- Di – at
- Ke – to
- Dari – from
- Kepada – into/to
- Daripada – from/than
- Untuk – to/for
- Pada – to/with/in
- Demi – for/by
- Baga – for
- Dengan – with/by
- Tentang – about
- Terhadap – towards
- Sejak – since
- Dalam – in/inside
- Bawah – under/below
- Di luar – outside
- Di depan – in front
- Di antara – in between
- Di dalam – inside
- Ke dalam – into
- Di belakang – behind
- Di atas – on top
- Di bawah – below
Malay Prepositions Used In Sentences
- Dia berlari di rumah – He is running at home.
- Saya akan ke sekolah – I will go to school.
- Awak dari mana – where are you from?
- Anjing itu berada di atas permaidani – the dog is on top of the rug.
- Pensel berada di bawah meja – the pencil is under the table.
- Saya telah menunggu sejak tengah hari – i have been waiting since noon.
- Hujan di luar – It is raining outside.
- Atm berada di antara kedai dan tempat letak kereta – the ATM is in between the shop and parking
- Saya akan masuk ke dalam dan bercakap – I will go inside and talk.
- Pergi dengan Jo – Go with Jo.
Try creating some of your own sentences with prepositions in Malay. Use the examples given above and comment on our blog so that we can check it as well. Remember, practice makes perfect! You have got to try your luck in some of these words to get real responses and feedback. Practicing these words will also help you overcome the fear of Malay grammar and prepositions!
Learn Malay With Ling
In a discussion, you will often find yourself needing to use Malay prepositions, maybe to give directions to a location, describe where something is on the table, even in a subject like family – prepositions are commonly used in the Malay language. To help you improve your language learning journey and make the lesson way easier – it is time to try Ling.
Whether you are looking to make a sentence, set an example, word, or phrase, Ling is full of lessons in learning Malay that are absolutely free and ready to meet your learning needs! If you feel like you have already got some experience, try the next lesson. If not, the beginner level is always a good place to start.
With this gamified app having more than 60+ languages to choose from, Ling poses as one of the leading companions in helping many learn and settle in tongues they never heard of within months! So what are you waiting for? Download it today on your favorite device to start learning Malay today!
