A kata kerja is a verb, a word for an action: makan (eat), tidur (sleep), berlari (run), menulis (write). Every complete action sentence has one, and finding it is the quickest way into what the sentence means.
What your child will learn
- Recognise verbs
- Find the verb in a sentence
- Choose the verb that fits what is happening
Words that do
Malay verbs do not change for time or person. “Saya makan”, “dia makan” and “mereka makan” all use the same verb; words such as sudah (already) and akan (will) show the time.
Many verbs begin with me- or ber-: membaca (read), menyanyi (sing), berenang (swim), bermain (play). Year 2 looks at these beginnings more closely.
Example questions
Here are a few questions like the ones in the first quest. Can you solve them?
1. Betul atau salah? “Kasut” ialah kata kerja.
👟- Betul
- Salah
Show answer
Answer: Salah. “Kasut” ialah nama benda, iaitu kata nama.
2. Yang manakah kata kerja?
- malam
- katil
- tidur
- bantal
Show answer
Answer: tidur. “Tidur” ialah perbuatan.
3. Isi tempat kosong: “Kami ___ lagu di dalam kelas muzik.”
🎤- menyanyi
- memasak
- memandu
- menyapu
Show answer
Answer: menyanyi. Lagu dinyanyikan.
Tips for grown-ups
- Play charades: act out a verb and let your child name it in Malay.
- While cooking, name each action: memotong, mengacau, menggoreng.