Punggungnya sakit.

Punggung refers to the rear part of the body. In Malay, it often suggests the backside/buttocks or the rear lower part of the body, though in some contexts learners may see it used more broadly for the back area.

A useful comparison:

• punggung = backside / rear / sometimes back area
• belakang = back, behind
• pinggang = waist / lower back / hip area

So the exact English word can vary a little depending on context.

-nya is a suffix that often marks third-person possession.

So:

• punggung = backside / back
• punggungnya = his/her backside / back

A few important points:

• It does not show gender, so it can mean his or her
• In some contexts, -nya can also have a more general the sense, but here it is most naturally understood as possession

Malay usually does not need a verb like is/are in this kind of sentence.

So instead of saying something like:

• His back is painful

Malay simply says:

• Punggungnya sakit

This is very normal. Malay often uses:

• noun + adjective/state word

to express what English says with to be.

It is often best understood as a state word meaning painful, sore, hurting, sick, ill. In English we may translate it with either an adjective or a verb, depending on context.

For example:

• Tangannya sakit = His/Her hand hurts / His/Her hand is sore
• Dia sakit = He/She is sick

So in this sentence, sakit describes the condition of punggungnya.

It can mean both, depending on what it refers to.

A helpful rule:

• with a person as the subject, sakit often means sick / ill
• with a body part as the subject, sakit usually means hurts / is sore / is painful

So:

• Dia sakit = He/She is sick
• Punggungnya sakit = His/Her backside/back hurts

Yes. Punggung dia sakit is also possible.

The difference is mainly style:

• punggungnya = more compact; very common
• punggung dia = also common, especially in speech

Both mean roughly the same thing here. A learner should recognize both patterns:

• noun + -nya
• noun + dia

They are not the same type of expression.

• Punggungnya sakit is a full sentence
  • His/Her backside/back hurts
• sakit punggung is usually a noun phrase
  • back pain
  • a backache

So:

• Punggungnya sakit = describing someone’s condition
• sakit punggung = naming the problem

You can replace the possessor.

Examples:

• Punggung saya sakit = my backside/back hurts
• Punggung awak sakit = your backside/back hurts
• Punggungnya sakit = his/her backside/back hurts
• Punggung mereka sakit = their backside/back hurts

So the pattern is:

[body part] + [possessor] + sakit

or, with -nya, a built-in possessive:

• punggungnya sakit

A simple approximation is:

poong-goong-nya sah-keet

A few pronunciation notes:

• u sounds like oo in food
• ng sounds like the ng in sing
• ny sounds like the ny in canyon or Spanish ñ
• sakit has a clear final -it, not a silent ending

So you can think of it as:

• pung-gung-nya
• sa-kit

It is basically neutral and natural Malay.

Nothing about the structure is especially slangy or especially formal. The only thing that may vary is word choice:

• punggungnya sakit sounds normal
• punggung dia sakit sounds slightly more conversational

So as a learner, this is a perfectly useful everyday pattern to know.