Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Dada saya sakit malam ini.

In your sentence Dada saya sakit malam ini, listeners will understand it as my chest hurts tonight, not as a reference to breasts specifically, unless the context clearly points that way (e.g. at a breast clinic).

Is sakit a verb (“to hurt”) or an adjective (“sick / painful”) in this sentence?

In Dada saya sakit malam ini, sakit works like an adjective or state: “is painful / is hurting.”

Indonesian doesn’t strictly separate verbs and adjectives the way English does. sakit can cover:

Saya sakit. = I am sick / ill.
Dada saya sakit. = My chest hurts / My chest is painful.

There is no extra verb like to be or to hurt; sakit itself expresses the state.

Why don’t we need a word for “is” in Dada saya sakit malam ini?

Indonesian usually drops the verb “to be” (like am / is / are) in simple descriptive sentences.

So instead of:

My chest is painful tonight.

Indonesian just says:

Dada saya sakit malam ini.
(dada = chest, saya = my, sakit = painful, malam ini = tonight)

You do not say Dada saya adalah sakit malam ini; that sounds wrong here.
adalah is mostly used for A = B definitions or identifications, e.g. Jakarta adalah ibu kota Indonesia.

Can I change the word order and say Malam ini dada saya sakit? Does it sound different?

Yes, Malam ini dada saya sakit is also correct and natural.

Both are fine:

Dada saya sakit malam ini.
Malam ini dada saya sakit.

Difference in feel:

Starting with Dada saya… slightly highlights the body part (“My chest is what’s hurting tonight”).
Starting with Malam ini… slightly highlights the time (“Tonight, my chest hurts”).

In everyday conversation, both orders are common; context and intonation do the rest.

Why is it malam ini and not ini malam?

With ini and itu, Indonesian usually puts the demonstrative after the noun:

malam ini = this night / tonight
hari ini = this day / today
minggu ini = this week

Putting ini first (ini malam) is not the normal pattern and sounds wrong in this context.
So: malam ini, not ini malam.

Is Dada saya sakit malam ini something a native speaker would actually say, or is there a more natural version?

Dada saya sakit malam ini is correct and natural, especially in a neutral/formal tone.

In everyday speech, you may also hear:

Malam ini dada saya sakit. (same meaning, time first)
Dada saya sakit sekali malam ini. = My chest really hurts tonight.
Malam ini dada saya nyeri di dada. (more “ache” / “pain” feeling, slightly more medical: nyeri = aching pain)

But your original sentence is absolutely something a native speaker could say to a doctor or to a friend.

How can I say “My chest really hurts tonight” or “hurts a lot” based on this sentence?

Start from Dada saya sakit malam ini, then add an intensifier:

Formal / neutral:

Dada saya sangat sakit malam ini.
Dada saya sakit sekali malam ini.

Colloquial:

Dada saya sakit banget malam ini. (very casual, everyday speech)
Malam ini dada saya sakit banget.

All of these mean something like “My chest really hurts tonight.”

Could I use aku instead of saya, or attach -ku to the noun?

Yes, you can change the pronoun to adjust formality:

Dada saya sakit malam ini. (neutral / polite)
Dada aku sakit malam ini. (more casual, friendly)

You can also use the -ku suffix with aku:

Dadaku sakit malam ini. = My chest hurts tonight.

-ku attaches directly to the noun:
dada + ku → dadaku, just like rumahku (my house), bukuku (my book).
All three versions are grammatically correct; the main difference is formality / closeness.

Does malam ini mean “tonight” or can it also mean “this evening”?

malam ini literally means this night, and in practice it usually covers what English calls tonight and often also this evening, depending on context.

Typical time phrases:

malam ini = tonight / this evening (current night)
tadi malam = last night
nanti malam = tonight / this coming night (later today)

So in real conversation, Dada saya sakit malam ini is understood as My chest hurts tonight (or this evening if you say it in the evening).