masih: Still and Continuing State | Indonesian Grammar

Masih means that a situation held earlier and continues at the relevant time. Dia masih tidur does more than report sleep: it presents the sleeping as already under way and not yet ended. Depending on context, the speaker may simply be tracking continuity or may imply that a change was expected by now.

This continuation viewpoint complements the expected-but-unrealized boundary explained on the belum page.

Indonesian writes masih separately from the predicate. The verb, adjective, noun, location phrase, or existential expression that follows does not receive a tense ending.

The continuity timeline

The basic logic is:

earlier state → reference time: same state continues

Dia masih tidur saat saya berangkat.

He/She was still sleeping when I left.

Pukul sembilan dia masih tidur.

At nine o'clock, he/she is still sleeping.

Besok pagi kami mungkin masih tinggal di sini.

Tomorrow morning we may still be staying here.

The same marker works with a past, present, or future reference point. Masih is therefore not a present-tense word. It says “continuing at that point,” while saat saya berangkat, pukul sembilan, and besok pagi locate the point.

💡

When you see masih, look backward: what was already true? Then look at the reference time: the speaker says it remains true there.

Continuation versus a neutral statement

Compare a plain predicate with masih:

Dia tidur di kamar belakang.

He/She is sleeping in the back bedroom.

Dia masih tidur di kamar belakang.

He/She is still sleeping in the back bedroom.

The first simply identifies the activity. The second connects it to an earlier period of sleep.

Toko itu buka sampai pukul delapan.

The shop is open until eight.

Toko itu masih buka ketika kami lewat.

The shop was still open when we passed by.

Anak-anak bermain di halaman.

The children are playing in the yard.

Anak-anak masih bermain meskipun hari mulai gelap.

The children are still playing even though it is getting dark.

Words such as meskipun, tetapi, or a late hour often make persistence against expectation explicit. Without them, masih can be a neutral update.

Speaker expectation

English still and Indonesian masih overlap, but neither word has one fixed emotional tone. Context determines whether the continuation is welcome, surprising, annoying, or neutral.

Kabar baiknya, nenek masih sehat.

The good news is that Grandma is still healthy.

Kok kamu masih di kantor selarut ini?

How come you're still at the office this late?

Busnya masih di terminal; kita belum terlambat.

The bus is still at the terminal; we're not too late.

The first welcomes continuity, the second signals surprise, and the third treats it as useful information. Do not translate masih mechanically without asking why the continuing state matters.

💡

Masih presupposes continuity, not disappointment. Expectation comes from the situation, intonation, and words such as kok, ternyata, or meskipun.

Masih works with many predicate categories

Activities and events

Ibu masih memasak, jadi kita tunggu sebentar.

Mom is still cooking, so let's wait a moment.

Mereka masih membahas anggaran di ruang rapat.

They are still discussing the budget in the meeting room.

Adjectival states

Jalannya masih basah setelah hujan.

The road is still wet after the rain.

Saya masih lelah setelah perjalanan panjang.

I am still tired after the long journey.

Existence and availability

Masih ada nasi di dapur.

There is still some rice in the kitchen.

Apakah masih ada kursi kosong?

Are there still any empty seats?

In masih ada, existence continues. English often starts with there, but Indonesian can begin directly with masih ada.

Location

Rina masih di perpustakaan.

Rina is still at the library.

Kuncinya masih di atas meja.

The key is still on the table.

No copula is needed before the location phrase.

Identity and life stage

Waktu itu saya masih mahasiswa.

At that time I was still a university student.

Dia masih anak-anak ketika keluarganya pindah.

He/She was still a child when the family moved.

The noun phrase itself functions as predicate. Masih continues that identity or stage.

Masih belum: noncompletion continues

Belum places the reference time before an expected realization. Masih belum adds that this nonrealization has persisted and often strengthens the sense that completion was expected.

Laporannya belum selesai.

The report is not finished yet.

Laporannya masih belum selesai meskipun tenggatnya besok.

The report is still not finished even though the deadline is tomorrow.

Dia masih belum datang sampai sekarang.

He/She still has not arrived up to now.

Kami masih belum menerima jawaban dari kantor pusat.

We still have not received an answer from headquarters.

The neutral order is masih belum + predicate, not belum masih. Masih tidak is possible with a continuing negative habit or refusal, but it does not replace masih belum:

Dia masih tidak mau berbicara dengan saya.

He/She still refuses to speak with me.

Here tidak mau is a continuing refusal. With an expected arrival or completion, use masih belum datang/selesai.

Remaining quantity

Masih can say that some amount remains available or that a previous quantity continues.

Masih ada tiga potong kue di meja.

There are still three pieces of cake on the table.

Kita masih punya waktu dua jam.

We still have two hours.

Uangnya masih cukup untuk ongkos pulang.

The money is still enough for the fare home.

Compare masih with tinggal “remain/be left”:

Airnya tinggal sedikit.

Only a little water remains.

Airnya masih sedikit.

The amount of water is still small.

Airnya masih tersisa sedikit setelah perjalanan panjang.

There is still only a little water left after the long journey.

Tinggal sedikit presents a reduced remainder. Masih sedikit says the amount continues to be small, without itself describing the reduction. Masih can combine with tersisa when both continuation and remainder matter.

The opposite transition: no longer

To say that the earlier state has ended, use sudah tidak ... lagi or tidak ... lagi, not tidak masih.

Dia sudah tidak tidur lagi.

He/She is no longer sleeping.

Toko itu tidak buka lagi pada malam hari.

That shop is no longer open at night.

Kami tidak tinggal di sana lagi.

We do not live there anymore.

This is the mirror image of masih: an earlier situation does not continue.

Common Mistakes

Using masih for a state with no earlier anchor

❌ “Bayi itu masih tidur” berarti persis sama dengan “Bayi itu sedang tidur”.

Incorrect analysis — masih presupposes earlier sleep, while sedang only presents the activity as ongoing.

✅ Bayi itu sedang tidur sekarang.

The baby is sleeping now.

Reversing masih belum

❌ Laporannya belum masih selesai.

Incorrect order and meaning — the continuing noncompletion is masih belum selesai.

✅ Laporannya masih belum selesai sampai sore ini.

The report is still not finished as of this afternoon.

Adding an English-style copula before a location

❌ Rina masih adalah di perpustakaan.

Incorrect — the location phrase is already the predicate.

✅ Rina masih di perpustakaan sampai pukul enam.

Rina is still at the library until six.

Confusing continuation with a reduced remainder

❌ Tinggal sedikit selalu berarti jumlahnya masih sama seperti sebelumnya.

Incorrect — tinggal sedikit highlights what remains after reduction.

✅ Kopinya tinggal sedikit di dalam teko.

Only a little coffee remains in the pot.

Joining masih to the predicate

❌ Dia masihtidur ketika saya menelepon.

Incorrect spelling — aspect words remain separate.

✅ Dia masih tidur ketika saya menelepon.

He/She was still sleeping when I called.

Key Takeaways

Masih presupposes an earlier situation and projects it as continuing at a reference time.
Context decides whether that continuity is welcome, surprising, annoying, or neutral.
Masih combines with verbs, adjectives, existence, locations, noun predicates, and quantities.
Masih belum emphasizes persistent nonrealization; masih tidak mau can express continuing refusal.
Tinggal sedikit highlights a remainder, while masih sedikit says a small quantity continues.

Now practice Indonesian

Reading grammar gets you part of the way. The exercises are where it sticks — free, no signup needed.

Start learning Indonesian →