Latest / Learn Malay with Fexingo / Malay Question Word - Kenapa
Transcript
- Lucas: Hey Luna, welcome back to Learn Malay with Fexingo. I hope you're ready for another tiny but tasty lesson. Luna: Hi Lucas! I'm so ready. Last time we learned 'mengapa' for 'why', and I thought I had it down, but then I heard people saying 'kenapa' and I got confused. Are they the same? Lucas: Great question, Luna. Yes, 'mengapa' and 'kenapa' both mean 'why', but 'kenapa' is much more common in everyday speech. Let's focus on that today. Kenapa. Try it. Luna: Kenapa. Kenapa. Oh, that's kind of fun to say. So like, kenapa you late? Lucas: Exactly. 'Kenapa kamu lewat?' And a very useful reply when you don't know is 'Saya tidak tahu.' Let's break that down: Saya tidak tahu. It means 'I don't know.' Luna: Saya tidak tahu. I don't know. Perfect for me in so many situations. Like when someone asks why I ate the last piece of cake. Lucas: Ha, that's a good one. So 'Kenapa' is your question, and 'Saya tidak tahu' is your honest answer. Now let's put them together. Kenapa kamu datang? Why did you come? Can you try that? Luna: Kenapa kamu datang? Hmm, that's a bit of a mouthful. Kenapa kamu datang? Lucas: You did it. And the answer to that could be 'Saya datang sebab saya mahu jumpa kamu.' That means 'I came because I wanted to meet you.' Let's hear it. Luna: Saya datang sebab saya mahu jumpa kamu. Wow, that's a long one. Saya datang... sebab... saya mahu jumpa kamu. So 'sebab' means 'because'? Lucas: Exactly. 'Sebab' means 'because'. And that's a great pattern to remember. 'Kenapa' asks why, 'sebab' answers because. Luna: So if someone asks me 'Kenapa kamu datang?', I can say 'Saya datang sebab saya mahu jumpa kamu.' That's sweet. But what if I actually don't know why I came? Lucas: Then you say 'Saya tidak tahu'. Simple. Let's do a tiny scene. Imagine we're at the market and I ask you 'Kenapa kamu datang ke pasar?' Luna: I'd say 'Saya datang sebab saya mahu beli buah.' Oh wait, is 'buah' right? We learned that a while ago. Lucas: Perfect. 'Saya datang sebab saya mahu beli buah.' For sure. And if you don't know, 'Saya tidak tahu.' Luna: So 'Kenapa' is the all-purpose 'why'. But we also learned 'Mengapa' last episode. When do we use that? Lucas: Good question. 'Mengapa' is a bit more formal, but you'll still hear it. They're interchangeable. Let's practice 'Mengapa dia menangis?' Why is she crying? Luna: Mengapa dia menangis? That's a bit of a tongue twister. Mengapa dia menangis? Lucas: You got it. And you could answer 'Saya tidak tahu mengapa.' That means 'I don't know why.' Luna: Oh, so I can add 'mengapa' at the end. Clever. So we've got 'Kenapa' for asking, 'sebab' for because, and 'Saya tidak tahu' for when I'm clueless. That's a solid set. Lucas: Absolutely. And remember, if Fexingo has been helping you make real progress with Malay, a couple of dollars a month is genuinely what keeps these podcasts going. You can buy me a coffee at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. It makes a real difference for a small show like ours. Luna: Yeah, it's like buying a friend a drink. And we're your friends, kind of. So back to it. Let's do one more round of 'Kenapa' phrases. Lucas: Let's do it. Repeat after me. Kenapa. Luna: Kenapa. Lucas: Kenapa kamu datang? Luna: Kenapa kamu datang? Lucas: Saya datang sebab saya mahu jumpa kamu. Luna: Saya datang sebab saya mahu jumpa kamu. That's a beautiful sentence. I feel like a romantic movie star. Lucas: And for the moments when you're not a movie star, 'Saya tidak tahu.' Luna: Saya tidak tahu. Classic. Lucas: And let's not forget 'Kenapa' can also be used to ask about reasons for feelings, like 'Kenapa kamu sedih?' Why are you sad? Luna: Oh, that's useful. So if a friend seems down, I can ask that. Kenapa kamu sedih? And if they don't tell me, I'll just say 'Saya tidak tahu' myself. Lucas: That's the spirit. Let's wrap up with a quick recap. Today's phrases: Kenapa, Kenapa kamu datang?, Saya datang sebab saya mahu jumpa kamu., Saya tidak tahu., and Mengapa dia menangis? Luna: And I'm feeling good about all of them. Kenapa, kenapa kamu datang, saya datang sebab saya mahu jumpa kamu, saya tidak tahu, mengapa dia menangis. Nailed it. Lucas: You did. Great job, Luna. That's all for today. Keep practicing these, and we'll see you next time on Learn Malay with Fexingo.