Questions & Answers about Bayi itu tidur di kamar.
What does itu mean in bayi itu? Is it the or that?
Itu is a demonstrative that literally means that, but very often it just marks that the noun is definite (already known or specific), similar to the in English.
- bayi = a baby / babies (non‑specific, could be any baby)
- bayi itu = that baby / the baby (a particular baby that both speaker and listener know about)
In a sentence like Bayi itu tidur di kamar, in natural English we usually translate it as The baby is sleeping in the room, not That baby…, unless the context really contrasts it with another baby.
Why is there no word for is in Bayi itu tidur di kamar?
Indonesian normally doesn’t use a separate word for “to be” (is/are/am) before verbs. The verb itself is enough.
- English: The baby is sleeping in the room.
- Indonesian: Bayi itu tidur di kamar.
You do not add adalah here. Adalah is mainly used:
- before a noun phrase:
- Dia adalah dokter. = He/She is a doctor.
- or in more formal/written language for emphasis.
With action verbs like tidur (to sleep), you simply use the verb, no is needed.
How can mean both and ? Where is the tense?