Meaning: to be
Structure: A is B.
Rules:
- Ialah is to be followed by a nominal phrase.
- Adalah is to be followed by a non-nominal phrase (adjectives, prepositions, verbs).
- Ialah and adalah cannot be followed by negative words such as tidak and bukan.
- Native speakers in general do not know these rules.
- In conversational Malay, ialah and adalah are almost never used except for emphasis.
Examples:
- Nama saya ialah Johan.
- Nama dia bukan Amelia.
- Sekolah kami adalah jauh dari sini.
- Universiti mereka ialah Universiti Malaya.
- Kami tidak gembira dengan berita ini.
- Hobi saya adalah membaca.
Notes: Note that with negative words, ialah and adalah are not used as in sentence number 2 and 5.
- My name is Johan.
- Her name is not Amelia.
- Our school is far from here.
- Their university is the University of Malaya.
- We are not happy with this news.
- My hobby is reading.