A Malay sentence pattern is decided by the predikat: is it a noun phrase, a verb phrase, an adjective phrase or a prepositional phrase? Find the subjek first, then name what follows.
This lesson opens the syntax section. The next step is transforming active and passive sentences.
What are the four patterns?
Every basic sentence has a subjek and a predikat. The subjek is a frasa nama (FN). The predikat is one of four types.
| Pattern | Predikat is | Worked example |
|---|---|---|
| FN + FN | Frasa nama | Abang saya pelajar tingkatan lima. |
| FN + FK | Frasa kerja | Adik menyiram pokok bunga. |
| FN + FA | Frasa adjektif | Bilik bacaan itu sangat sunyi. |
| FN + FS | Frasa sendi nama | Buku rujukan itu di atas meja. |
Two-step method
- Mark the subjek by asking who or what the sentence is about.
- Name the first word of the predikat and its type: a noun gives FN, a verb gives FK, an adjective gives FA, and a preposition such as di, ke or dari gives FS.
Try it on “Kucing itu tidur di bawah kerusi.” The subjek is “kucing itu”. The predikat starts with “tidur”, a verb, so the pattern is FN + FK. The phrase “di bawah kerusi” is extra information.
A tricky pair
Consider these two sentences.
- “Ibu di dapur.” Predikat: “di dapur”, which begins with the preposition di, so FN + FS.
- “Ibu memasak di dapur.” Predikat: “memasak di dapur”, which begins with a verb, so FN + FK.
The phrase “di dapur” appears in both, but only in the first does it carry the main idea about the subjek. In the second, it is extra detail after the verb.
The mistake that costs marks
The slip is to name the pattern from the last word in the sentence. A sentence ending in “di padang” becomes FS by mistake, even when a verb stands earlier in the predikat.
The repair is to read the predikat from its first word. Whatever the first word is decides the pattern, and later phrases are detail.
Check yourself
Name the pattern: (a) Bapa saya seorang nelayan. (b) Kain itu sangat halus. (c) Ali membaca di bilik pustaka. (d) Adik di sekolah.
Answer
(a) FN + FN, because “seorang nelayan” is a noun phrase. (b) FN + FA, because “sangat halus” is an adjective phrase. (c) FN + FK, because the predikat starts with the verb “membaca”, and “di bilik pustaka” is extra detail. (d) FN + FS, because the predikat is “di sekolah” on its own.
If you miss (c), check the first word of the predikat again.
What to study next
Patterns lead directly into changing voice. Continue with transforming active and passive sentences, then test yourself on the syntax practice set.
Want a teacher to go through your own sentence patterns? See online one-to-one Bahasa Melayu tuition.