tahun-tahun
The English phrase "years" is translated into Malay as tahun-tahun.
This phrase refers to more than one twelve-month period. While the reduplicated form is a way to express plurality, the singular form tahun is frequently used even when referring to multiple years if the context or a specific quantifier makes the number clear.
What does it mean word for word?
The form tahun-tahun is created by the reduplication of the root word tahun, which means "year".
How does it change in a sentence?
In Malay, plurality is often indicated by repeating the word, as seen in tahun-tahun. However, the singular form tahun can also represent a plural meaning depending on the context or the presence of accompanying quantifiers. For example, when using a quantifier such as beberapa (several/a few), the reduplicated form is often dropped in favor of the singular tahun, resulting in the phrase beberapa tahun (several years).
Did you know?
- Using a number like tiga (three) before the word forces the use of the singular tahun, making tiga tahun-tahun grammatically incorrect.
- Using tahun-tahun can sometimes carry a poetic or literary weight, suggesting 'years upon years' rather than just a simple count.
- The word tahun is used in the Malay term tahun ajaran to refer to an 'academic year', even though it doesn't strictly mean a calendar year.
Examples in context
- 1990 – Seribu sembilan ratus sembilan puluh tahunOne thousand nine hundred ninety years
- 2022 – Dua ribu dua puluh dua tahunTwo thousand twenty-two years
Example conversation
Siti and Muhammad are talking about their childhood memories.
- SitiTahun-tahun kecil saya sangat bahagia.My early years were very happy.
- MuhammadSaya pun rasa begitu, Siti.I feel the same way, Siti.
- SitiAdakah awak rindu masa itu?Do you miss that time?
- MuhammadYa, saya sangat merinduinya.Yes, I miss it very much.
