This glossary explains the Bahasa Melayu terms and question words that appear in SPM Bahasa Melayu lessons. Each entry has a short example and the term it is most likely to be mixed up with.
The BM and English terminology bridge lists the terms side by side. Return to the SPM Bahasa Melayu guide for the lessons.
Writing and summary terms
| Term | Meaning in English | Short example | Mixed up with |
|---|---|---|---|
| Karangan | An essay written to a set task | Karangan about the use of technology | Rumusan |
| Rumusan | A summary that keeps only the points the task asks for | A summary of two passages in one paragraph | Karangan, or copying the passage |
| Kehendak soalan | What the question requires you to do and discuss | “Jelaskan kesan” requires effects, not causes | The topic of the question |
| Isi | A main point in a paragraph | Isi: pembaziran makanan menyebabkan kos hidup meningkat | Contoh |
| Huraian | The explanation that develops a point | Why rising costs reduce family savings | Isi |
| Contoh | A specific case that supports the point | A named school canteen project | Huraian |
| Penanda wacana | A connector that links sentences or paragraphs | Selain itu, oleh itu, walau bagaimanapun | Kata hubung within a sentence |
| Laras bahasa | The style suited to the situation | Formal, for a letter to a principal | Dialect or slang |
Comprehension terms
| Term | Meaning in English | Short example | Mixed up with |
|---|---|---|---|
| Isi tersurat | Information stated directly in the passage | “Kelab itu menanam 120 pokok” | Isi tersirat |
| Isi tersirat | Information you work out from clues | A worried look suggests concern | A guess with no clue |
| Tema | The central idea of a text | Kasih sayang dalam keluarga | Persoalan |
| Persoalan | A question or issue the text raises | Tanggungjawab anak terhadap ibu bapa | Tema |
| Nilai | A good quality shown in a text | Kegigihan | Pengajaran |
| Pengajaran | The lesson the reader takes away | Usaha yang berterusan membawa hasil | Nilai |
| KOMSAS | Komponen Sastera dalam Mata Pelajaran Bahasa Melayu, the literature component | Poems, short stories, novel | The whole of BM |
| Latar | The setting of time, place and society in a story | A fishing village in the 1970s | Plot |
Grammar and language terms
| Term | Meaning in English | Short example | Mixed up with |
|---|---|---|---|
| Imbuhan | An affix added to a root word | meN-, di-, -kan, ber- | Kata asas |
| Kata asas | The root word before affixes | “tulis” in “menulis” | Kata terbitan |
| Kata sendi nama | A preposition that links a noun to the rest of the sentence | di, ke, daripada, kepada | Awalan di- |
| Kata pemeri | A word that joins a subject and a predicate in an equational sentence | ialah, adalah | Each other |
| Ayat aktif | A sentence where the subject does the action | Ali membaca buku itu. | Ayat pasif |
| Ayat pasif | A sentence where the subject receives the action | Buku itu dibaca oleh Ali. | Ayat aktif |
| Ayat majmuk | A sentence with more than one clause | Dia pulang kerana hari sudah gelap. | Ayat tunggal |
| Peribahasa | A fixed saying with a figurative meaning | Bagai aur dengan tebing | A literal phrase |
Question words
| Question word | What it asks for | Short example | Mixed up with |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nyatakan | State, with little explanation | Nyatakan dua faktor | Terangkan |
| Terangkan / Jelaskan | Explain with reasons | Jelaskan kepentingan membaca | Nyatakan |
| Bincangkan | Give more than one side with reasons | Bincangkan peranan media sosial | Senaraikan |
| Huraikan | Describe in detail with support | Huraikan langkah-langkah mengatasi masalah | Nyatakan |
Keep this page open beside a past-style paper. The habit that helps most is underlining the question word before deciding what to write.
Still mixing up two terms in your own answers? One-to-one Bahasa Melayu tuition lets a teacher go through your work with you.