menurutnya

According to Them with -nya

Level 4

Menurutnya is a formal way to say 'according to him/her'. It is used in news and reports to credit a statement to a specific person or a collective human entity like an organization.

How It Works

Menurutnya is a high-frequency evidentiality marker in standard Malay, and is a staple of journalistic writing (news media), formal reports, and academic writing. Morphologically, it is derived from the root word turut (to follow or join) combined with the active prefix meN- (where the initial 't' drops due to nasal assimilation, following the meN- + t replacement rule) and the third-person suffix -nya. Note that while its literal meaning can be 'obeying him/her/it' (e.g., following an order), as a discourse marker it means 'according to him/her/them'. It serves several key functions:

  • Attribution: It signals that the following information comes from a source already mentioned.
  • Fact vs. Opinion: Menurutnya bridges the gap between factual attribution and subjective opinion. Its primary translation is 'according to him/her' (or 'according to them/it' for collective entities), which allows it to introduce both stated facts and subjective views, often acting functionally similar to pada pendapatnya (in his/her opinion).
  • Referent Scope: The suffix -nya is the standard third-person suffix. While the suffix itself can refer to animals or inanimate objects, the specific word menurutnya is usually restricted to humans, spokespersons, or collective entities capable of holding a viewpoint.
  • Respectful Usage: When referring to God, DBP orthography rules strictly require a hyphen and capitalization: menurut-Nya. Furthermore, when referring to VIPs, ministers, or elders, the preferred formal alternative is menurut beliau rather than menurutnya to maintain appropriate honorifics.
  • Collective Entities: It can refer to groups of people acting as one, such as pihak polis (the police) or syarikat itu (the company).

In terms of placement, it most commonly appears at the beginning of a sentence to frame the entire statement, followed by a comma. However, it can also be placed mid-sentence, in which case it is typically enclosed by commas on both sides (e.g., Langkah ini, menurutnya, akan mengurangkan kos.), or at the end of a clause. Unlike katanya, which focuses on the act of speaking and is heavily used for direct quotes (e.g., "...", katanya), menurutnya is overwhelmingly used to frame indirect speech or paraphrased data, attributing a specific viewpoint to a known source. Because menurutnya attributes a viewpoint rather than an act of speech, it applies whether the source spoke, wrote, or simply holds an opinion or stance -- for example, citing a written report, a published statement, or a general position -- whereas katanya is tied specifically to something that was said aloud.

Examples (3)

  1. Saksi itu telah memberi keterangan. Menurutnya, pencuri itu memakai baju hitam.

    The witness has given a statement. According to him/her, the thief was wearing a black shirt.

    Word by Word: Witness that already give statement. According-to-him/her, thief that wear shirt black.

    Here, 'menurutnya' refers back to the 'saksi' (witness) mentioned in the first sentence.

  2. Pihak polis sedang menyiasat kes itu. Menurutnya, suspek telah melarikan diri.

    The police are investigating the case. According to them, the suspect has fled.

    Word by Word: Side police progressive investigate case that. According-to-them, suspect already run-away self.

    In this example, '-nya' refers to 'pihak polis' (the police). Collective human entities can be referred to using this suffix.

  3. Pengurus itu enggan mengulas lanjut. Menurutnya, perkara itu masih dalam siasatan.

    The manager refused to comment further. According to him/her, the matter is still under investigation.

    Word by Word: Manager that refuse comment further. According-to-him/her, matter that still in investigation.

    This demonstrates the typical formal usage in news reporting, referring back to a specific person (the manager). Note that if the respectful pronoun 'beliau' were used instead, the attribution would be 'menurut beliau'.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'menurutnya' in very casual conversation.

    Menurutnya, kedai itu tutup.
    Dia kata kedai itu tutup.

    While grammatically correct, 'menurutnya' sounds overly formal for a chat with friends. In casual speech, 'dia kata' (he/she says) or 'ikut dia' (following him/her) is more natural.

  • Using '-nya' to refer to a specific plural group of people.

    Kawan-kawan saya sudah sampai. Menurutnya, jalan sangat sesak.
    Kawan-kawan saya sudah sampai. Menurut mereka, jalan sangat sesak.

    In standard Malaysian Malay, '-nya' is singular. If you are referring to a plural group like 'friends', you should use 'menurut mereka'.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

menurutnyaLevel 4According to Them with -nya

Learn This First

To understand 'menurutnya', a learner must first be familiar with the preposition 'menurut' (according to) and how the suffix '-nya' functions as a third-person pronoun (him/her/them) when attached to words.

Words in This Pattern

menurut-nya