Malay Conjunctions: Tetapi
Learn how to use "Tetapi" or "Tapi" in your daily conversations to perfect your spoken Malay!
“I like you, but you don’t always answer my phone call!”
“This book is famous, but it’s not really my cup of tea.”
“Yeah, I’d recommend their show. It’s a bit expensive though.”
Do you know what the common denominator is with these three sentences?
Yes, they all use a variation of the conjunction “But”!
In Malay, “tetapi”, meaning “but”, is very versatile, and is often shortened as “tapi” in conversations.
Let’s see how it’s used:
1️⃣Contrasting elements
The most common function is to contrast ideas or clauses in a sentence.
For example:
💪🏻 Alia malas tetapi sentiasa berusaha sedaya upaya.
Alia is lazy but always tries her best.
📚 Buku ini terkenal tapi tak kena dengan cita rasa saya.
This book is famous, but it’s not really my cup of tea.
📞 Saya suka awak tapi awak selalu tak angkat panggilan saya!
I like you, but you always don't answer my phone call!
It can also be used to start a sentence in conversations, either to refute something or to show hesitation.
🎮 Dia suruh aku main Counter Strike. Tapi aku tak pandai.
She told me to play Counter Strike. But I don't know how.
💡 Tapi saya rasa idea ini takkan dilulus.
But I think this idea won't be approved.
👩🏻 Tapi...
But...
👦🏻Ah Chong: Cikgu itu baiklah.
👨🏻🦱 Fauzan: Tapi kan... kadang-kadang dia suka ejek pelajar.
Ah Chong: That teacher is nice.
Fauzan: But you know what... he sometimes likes to mock/tease students.
2️⃣Supporting statement
Use "tapi" to support a statement with something more specific.
This is another function of "tapi" in casual/colloquial speech. It's most commonly used in Johorean dialect. It’s used at the end of a sentence and doesn’t function as a conjunction in this case.
🏃🏻♀️ Aku minat baju sukan berjenama. Nikelah tapi.
I’m a fan of branded sportswear. Specifically Nike.
As you can see, we add -lah behind “Nike” for emphasis. You can omit it as well.
🍵 Saya suka minum teh. Panas-panas tapi.
I love drinking tea. Specifically hot tea.
COMMON PHRASES ALERT 🧾
⭕ Tak kena dengan cita rasa saya literally translates to “not to my taste”. Try using it in your daily life!
⭕ Berusaha sedaya upaya literally translates to “put in as much effort as possible within one’s capability”. I personally love this phrase!
⭕ Panas-panas means “while hot”, so it implies that the tea is drunk hot straight away after it’s made, while it’s “hot hot”. ♨️
Try practicing a few of these sentences! Happy practicing 🙂
