A word class, or golongan kata, is decided by the job a word does in its sentence, not by how it sounds. Ask what the word does, then name the class.
This lesson opens the morphology cluster. The next skill, distinguishing imbuhan functions, depends on it.
How do I name a word class quickly?
Use three questions in order. Stop at the first “yes”.
- Can the word follow “itu” or take “yang” before it to name a thing, person or place? It is a kata nama.
- Does the word describe an action, and can it take “tidak”? It is a kata kerja.
- Does the word describe a quality, and can it take “sangat” before it? It is a kata adjektif.
If none fits, the word is usually a function word (kata tugas) such as “dan”, “di” or “sangat”. Check it against the list of kata hubung, kata sendi nama and kata penguat.
Worked example with an original passage
Penduduk kampung itu sangat gembira apabila jalan baharu siap. Mereka berjalan di jalan itu dan melihat pemandangan sawah yang luas.
| Word | Class | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| penduduk | kata nama | It names people and works with “itu” |
| sangat | kata penguat | It strengthens the adjective after it |
| gembira | kata adjektif | It describes a feeling and takes “sangat” |
| apabila | kata hubung | It joins two clauses |
| berjalan | kata kerja | It is an action and takes “tidak” |
| di | kata sendi nama | It marks the place “jalan itu” |
| luas | kata adjektif | It describes the size of the sawah |
Notice that “jalan” is a kata nama in “jalan baharu”, but “berjalan” is a kata kerja built from the same root. One root can give different classes, so judge each word where it stands.
The mistake that costs marks
The slip is to name a class from meaning alone. A student sees “pemandangan” and thinks it describes how something looks, so the answer is kata adjektif.
The test shows otherwise. “Pemandangan” can follow “itu” (pemandangan itu) and cannot take “sangat” directly, so it is a kata nama. The word “luas” is the one that describes.
Check yourself
Name the class of each underlined word: “Adik membaca buku cerita yang tebal.”
Answer
“Membaca” is a kata kerja, because it is an action and accepts “tidak” (tidak membaca).
“Cerita” is a kata nama, because it names a kind of book.
“Tebal” is a kata adjektif, because it describes the book and takes “sangat” (sangat tebal).
What to study next
Once the classes are secure, move to distinguishing imbuhan functions. Keep a list of the words you misclassify in the mistake log and paper-error review.
To have a teacher go through your own passages, see online one-to-one Bahasa Melayu tuition.