Chapter 13: Kata Sifat dan Kedudukannya (Adjectives & Placement)

Now that you can identify things and say what they are (or are not), let's learn how to describe them! Adjectives add color and detail to your language, and their placement in Malay is simple and consistent.

Objectives

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

Common Adjectives (Kata Sifat)

Here are some of the most useful adjectives to start with.

MalayPhonetic GuideEnglish
besar(buh-sar)big
kecil(kuh-cheel)small
baru(bah-roo)new
lama(lah-mah)old
baik(bah-eek)good
cantik(chahn-teek)beautiful, pretty
panas(pah-nahs)hot
sejuk(suh-jook)cold
bersih(bur-seh)clean
kotor(koh-tor)dirty

The Golden Rule of Placement: Noun + Adjective

This is one of the most important structural differences from English. In Malay, the adjective **always** comes after the noun it describes.

English (Adjective + Noun)Malay (Noun + Adjective)
The new carKereta baru
A small houseRumah kecil
Hot coffeeKopi panas

Putting It All Together

This new rule combines perfectly with everything you've learned so far.

  • Simple Statement: Ini rumah besar. (This is a big house.)
  • Negation with `tidak`: Rumah itu tidak besar. (That house is not big.)
  • Negation with `bukan`: Ini bukan rumah besar. (This is not a big house.)
  • Question with `Adakah`: To ask a yes/no question about a description, you can add `Adakah` to the beginning.
    • Adakah kopi itu panas? (Is that coffee hot?)

Practice Activities

Practice with Flashcards

Master these adjectives and the Noun + Adjective rule.

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Recognition Practice:
Exercise 1: Correct the Order

Rearrange the words into the correct "Noun + Adjective" order.

  1. lama / buku (old book)
  2. cantik / perempuan (beautiful woman)
  3. sejuk / air (cold water)
  1. buku lama
  2. perempuan cantik
  3. air sejuk
Production Practice:
Exercise 2: Translate to Malay

Translate the following descriptive sentences.

  1. This is a clean house. (`rumah`, `bersih`)
  2. That car is not new. (`kereta`, `baru`)
  3. Is this coffee good? (`kopi`, `baik`)
  1. Ini rumah bersih.
  2. Kereta itu tidak baru.
  3. Adakah kopi ini baik?

Cultural Insight: Giving Compliments

Giving compliments is a wonderful way to connect with people. Using adjectives is key. When visiting someone's home, saying `Rumah awak cantik!` (Your house is beautiful!) is a lovely gesture. When someone serves you food, a heartfelt `Makanan ini sedap!` (This food is delicious!) is always appreciated. These simple descriptive phrases show appreciation and build friendships.

Cerita Pendek (Short Story)

Ali is looking for a room to rent and is being shown around by the owner, Puan Zaiton.

Mencari Bilik (Looking for a Room)

Puan Zaiton: Selamat datang, Ali. Ini biliknya. (suh-lah-maht dah-tahng, ah-lee. ee-nee bee-leek-nyah.)

Ali: Wah, bilik besar! Dan sangat bersih. (wah, bee-leek buh-sar! dahn sah-ngaht bur-seh.)

Puan Zaiton: Ya, saya suka rumah bersih. Itu katil. Katil baru. (yah, sah-yah soo-kah roo-mah bur-seh. ee-too kah-teel. kah-teel bah-roo.)

Ali: Adakah aircond sejuk? (ah-dah-kah air-cond suh-jook?)

Puan Zaiton: Ya, aircond sejuk dan baik. (yah, air-cond suh-jook dahn bah-eek.)

Looking for a Room (Translation)

Mrs. Zaiton: Welcome, Ali. This is the room.

Ali: Wow, a big room! And very clean.

Mrs. Zaiton: Yes, I like a clean house. That is the bed. A new bed.

Ali: Is the aircon cold?

Mrs. Zaiton: Yes, the aircon is cold and good.

Looking Ahead

Cemerlang! You can now describe the world around you in detail. You can identify a `kereta` (car), and now you can specify that it is a `kereta baru` (new car). The next logical step is to say *whose* car it is. In Chapter 14, we will learn about Menunjukkan Pemilikan (Showing Possession) to form phrases like "my new car".

Previous Chapter: Negation Next Chapter: Showing Possession