[Malay] Discussions, Q&A, etc

[Petom JJ]

OK this intended to be the discussion thread for anything related to Malay language as well as the lesson thread here (http://jay-chou.net/forums/showthread.php?t=280220)...

So if anyone interested to know anything, feel free to ask! :wink2:

I hope i won't be talking to myself here hehe :laughing:

UPDATE:

Wasila: OK I'll try to explain a bit :sweat:

(*Note ~ this is explanation for Affixes in this Lesson 2! (http://www.jay-chou.net/forums/showpost.php?p=17225185&postcount=3)

To put it simply, with affixes new words formed from a root word, its not much difference from English, for instance:

develop ~ developing, developed, development etc

Except there are a lot of affixes in Malay :sweat: and they would give variance to the meanings.

As general rule, adding affix ke-...-an into an adjective it will become a noun!

E.g.
mampu (able) (remember Aizat's song? hehe :brows:) = kemampuan (ability)
besar (big) = kebesaran (bigness)
keliru (confuse) = kekeliruan (confusion)

Or, adding pe-...-an or its variance ~ its different for words ~ into a verb to make a noun:

E.g.
beri (give/offer) = pemberian (gift/offering)
jalan (walk) = perjalanan (journey)
jual (sell) = penjualan (sale)

Haha don't worry too much about affixes, I just meant to help you to find words in dictionary! Knowing them will help, for instance, for the word pemakanan (dietary) you may not able to find in under 'p', but under 'm' instead for makan (eat) :bleh:

[YeQu]

Oh?So what I'm doing by learning words in the dictionary is right?Once I know words I can start with the affixes?Mhm can I try using affixes and you tell me if its right?

[Petom JJ]

Oh?So what I'm doing by learning words in the dictionary is right?Once I know words I can start with the affixes?Mhm can I try using affixes and you tell me if its right?

Owh what I meant is to give idea how to spot the root of the words :happy: ~ like I said some dictionaries only list out root words only :D ~ of course you have to be familiar with the rules to make sense of it :D

Sure, you can try it, practice made perfect! you'll get familiar with the patterns etc ~ so, test yourself! :D

[jocsim]

Cikgu Petom_JJ, haha, hope i'm calling right. (WAIT!! Should i call you guru or cikgu?? )

Question of mine for today:-

What if i decide to write a letter to officers, how do you greet the officers?? What kind of formal words that i need to use??

[jazlyn87]

haha joc .. i wanna buat kacau and say i use "tuan" lol

[jocsim]

^ Lol :sweat:, i dont get what you mean??

If i use 'tuan', what should i say next?? Lol.

[jazlyn87]

oo lol .. i thought u mean what to address them only ..

i'll let experts answer this then cause i know very little of surat rasmi

[Petom JJ]

Cikgu Petom_JJ, haha, hope i'm calling right. (WAIT!! Should i call you guru or cikgu?? )

Hehe you quite right, the malay word for teacher is guru, but when addressing a teacher, you call them Cikgu (I believe the word is shortened from encik guru (Mr. Teacher) haha but that actually my own imagination :D). So yeah I'm Cikgu Petom, a guru bahasa (language teacher) :D.

What if i decide to write a letter to officers, how do you greet the officers?? What kind of formal words that i need to use??

Well Jaz is correct, when addressing someone in a formal letter you say 'tuan' (sir). Just like in English when you write "Sirs" at the beginning of the letter, just replace it with Tuan, or Tuan/Puan (Sir/Mdm). And throughout the letter, the word "you" is replaced by "tuan".

I'm not sure what you mean by other formal words? :oops: I could give an example of a formal letter in Malay, but not sure whats the subject? Maybe you can write the letter in English and I could translate and explain it :D
Owh I just added my next lesson on pronouns and the variety of addressing people here (http://www.jay-chou.net/forums/showpost.php?p=17225483&postcount=10)!