sampai

Up to or Until with Sampai

Level 1

Sampai means "until," "up to," or "as far as." It marks the limit of where you go or how long something lasts.

How It Works

In Malay, sampai functions in several primary ways:

1. As a Verb (To Arrive): It describes the act of reaching a place.
Example: Ayah sudah sampai. (Father has arrived.)

2. Spatial Limit (As far as / To): It indicates the final destination or extent of a movement. While sampai ke is used to be explicit, formal or academic writing often prefers hingga or sehingga for this purpose.
Example: Jalan ini sampai ke kebun. (This road goes as far as the garden.)

3. Temporal Limit (Until): It marks the end of a time period.
Example: Saya bekerja dari pagi sampai petang. (I work from morning until afternoon.)

4. Resultative (To the point of): It describes a state reached as a result of an action.
Example: Dia ketawa sampai menangis. (He laughed until [he] cried.)

5. Physical or Quantitative Reach: It means 'to reach' physically or quantitatively.
Example: Harganya tak sampai sepuluh ringgit. (The price doesn't reach ten ringgit.)

Note: The common idiom sampai hati means 'to have the heart to' do something (often used to express disappointment, like 'how could you').

Examples (6)

  1. Kereta api sudah sampai.

    The train has arrived.

    Word by Word: Train fire already arrive.

    In this sentence, 'sampai' acts as a verb meaning 'to arrive'.

  2. Bas ini pergi sampai stesen kereta api.

    This bus goes as far as the train station.

    Word by Word: Bus this go until station train fire.

    Here, 'sampai' marks the physical endpoint of the bus route.

  3. Kedai itu buka sampai pukul sepuluh malam.

    That shop is open until ten at night.

    Word by Word: Shop that open until o'clock ten night.

    In this context, 'sampai' indicates the time the shop closes.

  4. Dia ketawa sampai menangis.

    He laughed until he cried.

    Word by Word: He laugh until cry.

    This is a resultative use, showing an action continuing to the point of a new state.

  5. Harganya tidak sampai sepuluh ringgit.

    The price does not reach ten ringgit.

    Word by Word: Price-its not reach ten ringgit.

    Here, 'sampai' is used quantitatively to mean 'to reach' a certain amount.

  6. Sampai hati awak tinggalkan saya di sini.

    How could you have the heart to leave me here.

    Word by Word: Reach heart you leave me at here.

    The idiom 'sampai hati' expresses disbelief or disappointment that someone could do something hurtful.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'sampai' alone in formal writing for 'arriving at' a location.

    Dia sudah sampai pejabat.
    Dia sudah sampai di pejabat.

    When 'sampai' is used as a verb meaning 'to arrive', it is more standard in formal Malay to use the preposition di to mark the location. In colloquial speech, the preposition is often dropped.

  • Using 'ke' when you mean 'all the way to'.

    Different MeaningSaya lari ke garisan penamat.
    Saya lari sampai ke garisan penamat.

    'Saya lari ke garisan penamat' is a good sentence about running toward the finish line. 'Sampai ke' stresses that you reached it.

How It Connects

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sampaiLevel 1Up to or Until with Sampai

Learn This First

To understand 'sampai' as a marker for an endpoint, learners should first be familiar with basic Malay prepositions of location and direction to distinguish between being at a place, moving toward a place, and reaching a place.

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sampai