Kata perintah are command words. Malay sorts them by how polite they are and what they do: jangan and usah forbid, sila and jemput invite, tolong and minta ask for help.
What your child will learn
- Use jangan and usah to forbid
- Use sila and jemput to invite politely
- Use tolong and minta to ask for help
- Recognise a command sentence
Four kinds of command
A plain order is a suruhan (“Tutup pintu itu.”). A larangan forbids (“Jangan bising.”). A silaan invites (“Sila masuk.”, “Jemput minum.”). A permintaan asks (“Tolong ambilkan air.”).
Adding tolong or sila is the Malay way of saying “please”, and it is an important part of polite speech (bahasa santun).
Example questions
Here are a few questions like the ones in the first quest. Can you solve them?
1. Isi tempat kosong: “___ buang sampah di merata-rata tempat.”
🚯- Jemput
- Tolong
- Sila
- Jangan
Show answer
Answer: Jangan. “Jangan” digunakan untuk melarang.
2. Betul atau salah? “Jangan” digunakan untuk melarang.
- Salah
- Betul
Show answer
Answer: Betul. Contohnya: Jangan petik bunga.
3. Isi tempat kosong: “___ makan kuih ini, mak cik.”
🍽️- Jangan
- Usah
- Tolong
- Jemput
Show answer
Answer: Jemput. “Jemput” mempersilakan orang makan atau minum.
Tips for grown-ups
- Play “Simon says” in Malay using tolong, sila and jangan.
- Read public signs together and decide whether each one forbids, invites or asks.