semua

All with Semua

Level 2

Use semua to refer to the entirety of a group (all people, all books) or to say 'everything' in general.

How It Works

In Malay, semua is the most common way to express the concept of 'all'. It is highly versatile and used across all registers of the language.

1. Placement with Nouns
When modifying a noun, semua is placed directly before the noun. Unlike some other quantifiers, it does not require a classifier (penjodoh bilangan).
Example: semua murid (all students).

2. Standing Alone
If the context is clear, semua can function as a pronoun on its own, acting as the subject or object of a sentence.
Example: Semua sudah sampai (Everyone has arrived).

3. Plurality and Reduplication
A key rule in formal Malay is that semua already implies plurality. Therefore, you should not use noun reduplication after it. For example, semua buku-buku is considered redundant; the correct form is semua buku.

4. Nuances: Semua vs. Segala vs. Segenap

  • Semua: Used for countable, specific items (e.g., semua orang).
  • Segala: Used for abstract, uncountable, or diverse collections (e.g., segala masalah - all sorts of problems).
  • Segenap: A formal or literary term used for groups that form a whole (e.g., segenap lapisan masyarakat - all layers of society).

5. Common Variants

  • Semuanya: Often used at the end of a phrase or as a standalone pronoun meaning 'all of it' or 'everything'.
  • Kesemua: Used to emphasize 'every single one' or 'all of them'. It is often followed by a number (e.g., kesemua tiga orang itu) or a pronoun (e.g., kesemua mereka).

Examples (5)

  1. Semua murid diminta berkumpul di dewan.

    All students are asked to gather in the hall.

    Word by Word: All student asked gather at hall.

    Here, 'semua' modifies the countable noun 'murid' (student). Notice that 'murid' is not doubled because 'semua' already makes it plural.

  2. Semua kereta di sini berwarna merah.

    All the cars here are red.

    Word by Word: All car at here colored red.

    This example uses 'semua' with a clearly countable noun, 'kereta' (car).

  3. Semua sudah bersetuju dengan cadangan itu.

    Everyone has agreed to the proposal.

    Word by Word: All already agree with proposal that.

    In this case, 'semua' stands alone as a pronoun meaning 'everyone' or 'all of them'.

  4. Terima kasih untuk semuanya.

    Thank you for everything.

    Word by Word: Receive love for all-it.

    The form 'semuanya' (with the suffix -nya) is used here to mean 'everything' or 'all of it'.

  5. Kesemua mereka adalah kawan saya.

    All of them are my friends.

    Word by Word: All-of they is friend I.

    'Kesemua' can be used with pronouns like 'mereka' to emphasize the entire group.

Common Mistakes

  • Using a pluralized (reduplicated) noun after 'semua'.

    semua buku-buku
    semua buku

    In formal Malay, 'semua' already indicates plurality. Doubling the noun (buku-buku) creates a redundancy called 'kelewahan'.

  • Using 'semua' for abstract or uncountable concepts.

    semua kasih sayang
    segala kasih sayang

    While 'semua' is for countable items, 'segala' is preferred for abstract or uncountable nouns like 'love' or 'problems'.

  • Using 'semua' to mean the 'whole' of a single entity.

    semua dunia
    seluruh dunia

    Use 'semua' for a collection of items (all countries). Use 'seluruh' for the entirety of one single thing (the whole world).

How It Connects

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

semuaLevel 2All with Semua

Learn This First

To use 'semua' (all), learners need to understand basic sentence structure and how plurality is handled in Malay, as 'semua' itself provides the plural context for the noun it modifies.

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