A2 · Élémentaire Chapitre 22

Comparing Things

3 Règles totales
1 min
Règles dans ce chapitre Pratique rapide

Chapter in 30 Seconds

Master the art of comparison to express preferences and describe the world around you with precision.

  • Compare two items using 'lebih... daripada' (more... than).
  • Identify the best or most extreme using 'paling' or 'ter-'.
  • Express equality between items using 'sama' or the 'se-' prefix.
Better, best, or just the same—say it all in Malay.

Ce que tu vas apprendre

Using 'lebih', 'paling', and 'sama'. Learn how to say something is better, best, or equal to another.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

  1. 1
    By the end you will be able to construct sentences comparing two objects using 'lebih' and 'daripada'.
  2. 2
    By the end you will be able to identify the 'most' of a group using 'paling' and 'ter-'.
  3. 3
    By the end you will be able to describe two things as equal in quality using 'sama... dengan' or 'se-'.

Conseils et astuces (3)

💡

Don't overcomplicate

Malay adjectives are simple. Don't add suffixes. Just add 'lebih' and 'daripada'.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Comparative: Lebih... daripada
💡

Keep it simple

If you are unsure, use 'paling'. It is always correct and sounds natural.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Superlative: Paling / Ter-
💡

Use 'se-' for speed

When you are texting or speaking quickly, 'se-' is much faster than 'sama... dengan'.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Equality: Sama... dengan / Se-

Vocabulaire clé (6)

besar big kecil small mahal expensive murah cheap tinggi tall / high cantik beautiful

Real-World Preview

shopping-bag

Shopping at the Night Market

Review Summary

  • Lebih + [Adjective] + Daripada
  • Paling + [Adjective] OR Ter + [Adjective]
  • Sama + [Adjective] + Dengan OR Se + [Adjective]

Erreurs courantes

In formal Malay, 'daripada' is used for comparisons, while 'dari' is used for places and time.

Wrong: Kereta ini lebih besar dari kereta itu.
Correct: Kereta ini lebih besar daripada kereta itu.

Do not use 'paling' and the 'ter-' prefix together. Both indicate the superlative, so using both is redundant.

Wrong: Dia paling terbaik.
Correct: Dia yang terbaik / Dia paling baik.

When using 'sama' to compare, you must include 'dengan' (with) to link the two items.

Wrong: Buku saya sama mahal buku awak.
Correct: Buku saya sama mahal dengan buku awak.

Next Steps

You've made incredible progress. Comparing things is a huge step toward fluency. Keep practicing these patterns in your daily life!

Compare three items on your desk using 'paling'.

Write 5 sentences comparing your hometown to the city you live in now.

Continue to: Adverbs of Manner

Pratique rapide (10)

Fill in the blank with the correct form.

Dia ___ tinggi dengan saya.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: sama
Requires 'sama' to complete the 'sama... dengan' structure.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Equality: Sama... dengan / Se-

Select the best fit.

___ gunung di Malaysia.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Kedua-duanya betul
Both are grammatically correct.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Superlative: Paling / Ter-

Fill in the blank.

Dia adalah yang ___.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: kedua-duanya betul
Both are acceptable.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Superlative: Paling / Ter-

Find the error in the sentence.

Find and fix the mistake:

Buku ini lebih mahal dari buku itu.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: dari
Should be 'daripada'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Comparative: Lebih... daripada

Correct the sentence.

Find and fix the mistake:

Dia sama setinggi dengan saya.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Dia setinggi saya
Remove the redundancy.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Equality: Sama... dengan / Se-

Choose the correct sentence.

Which sentence is correct?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Dia lebih tinggi daripada saya.
Correct structure: lebih + adj + daripada.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Comparative: Lebih... daripada

Fix the error in the sentence.

Find and fix the mistake:

Dia paling tinggi daripada saya.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Dia lebih tinggi daripada saya.
Use 'lebih' for comparisons of two.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Superlative: Paling / Ter-

Choose the correct sentence.

Which sentence is correct?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Ini paling cepat.
Paling cepat is correct; others are redundant or wrong.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Superlative: Paling / Ter-

Choose the correct sentence.

Which is correct?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Dia setinggi saya
The other options are redundant or missing parts.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Equality: Sama... dengan / Se-

Fill in the blank with the correct superlative.

Dia adalah pelajar ___ di sekolah.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: paling bijak
Paling bijak is the correct superlative form.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Superlative: Paling / Ter-

Score: /10

Questions fréquentes (6)

In formal Malay, no. 'Daripada' is required. In casual speech, you will hear 'dari', but it is technically incorrect.
No, Malay adjectives do not change. Just add 'lebih' before them.
No, that is a common mistake. Use one or the other.
Usually, but it can also mean 'accidentally' (e.g., tertidur).
No, 'sama' needs 'dengan' to complete the comparison.
It is correct for most adjectives, but not all. Stick to common ones like 'tinggi', 'besar', 'jauh'.
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Past, Present, and Future
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Adverbs of Manner
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