Word
Dia malu bertanya di kelas.
Meaning
She/He is embarrassed to ask in class.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Lesson
Questions & Answers about Dia malu bertanya di kelas.
Does dia mean “he” or “she”?
It can mean either. Dia is a gender‑neutral third‑person singular pronoun (“he/she/they” singular). Context tells you the gender. Related forms:
- Ia: also “he/she,” common in formal writing as a subject.
- Beliau: respectful “he/she” for elders or people of higher status.
- -nya: possessive clitic (“his/her/their”), e.g., bukunya = “his/her/their book.”
How do we know the tense? Is this past, present, or future?
Indonesian doesn’t mark tense on the verb. Time is inferred from context or time words:
- Past: Dia tadi/kemarin malu bertanya di kelas. (earlier/yesterday)
- Habitual: Dia biasanya/sering malu bertanya di kelas.
- Future: Dia akan (terlalu) malu untuk bertanya di kelas nanti.
- Negative: Dia tidak malu bertanya di kelas.
Why is there no untuk? Can I say malu untuk bertanya?
Both are fine:
- Dia malu bertanya di kelas. (very natural)
- Dia malu untuk bertanya di kelas. (a bit more formal/emphatic) With degree words, untuk is common: Dia terlalu malu untuk bertanya.
Does malu mean “shy” or “ashamed”?