A2 · Elementary Chapter 22

Comparing Things

3 Total Rules
1 min
Rules in This Chapter Quick Practice

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.

What You'll Learn

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-'.

Tips & Tricks (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-

Key Vocabulary (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]

Common Mistakes

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

Quick Practice (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-

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-

Choose the correct negative form.

Negate: Ali lebih tinggi daripada Budi.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Ali tidak lebih tinggi daripada Budi.
Negation goes before the comparative.

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

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-

Fill in the blank with the correct comparison.

Ali lebih tinggi ___ Budi.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: daripada
Daripada is the correct particle for comparison.

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

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-

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-

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: Ini paling cepat.
Paling cepat is correct; others are redundant or wrong.

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

Score: /10

Common Questions (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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Adverbs of Manner
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