Penumpang itu sedang menunggu.

Malay usually does not use a verb like to be in the present tense the way English does.

So English The passenger is waiting becomes simply:

• Penumpang itu = the/that passenger
• sedang menunggu = is waiting

There is no separate word that directly matches English is here.

Itu often means that, but in many sentences it can also function a lot like the in English.

So penumpang itu can mean:

• that passenger
• the passenger

Which one sounds best depends on context. If you are pointing someone out, that passenger may fit better. If you are just referring to a known passenger, the passenger may be the most natural translation.

In Malay, demonstratives like ini (this) and itu (that) usually come after the noun.

So:

• penumpang itu = that passenger / the passenger
• buku ini = this book

This is different from English, where this, that, and the come before the noun.

Sedang shows that an action is in progress right now or around the current time.

So:

• menunggu = wait / waiting
• sedang menunggu = is waiting / is in the middle of waiting

It is often used to express something similar to the English present continuous.

Yes.

Penumpang itu menunggu is grammatical and natural. It means something like:

• The passenger waits
• The passenger is waiting

Malay often relies on context, so the time or aspect is not always marked explicitly.

Adding sedang makes it clearer that the action is happening right now:

• Penumpang itu menunggu = general or context-based
• Penumpang itu sedang menunggu = specifically ongoing at the moment

Tunggu is the base form, meaning wait.

Menunggu is the verb form with the prefix meN-, which is very common in Malay for active verbs.

So:

• tunggu = base/root
• menunggu = to wait / waiting

In full sentences, menunggu is usually the more standard form.

For example:

• Saya menunggu bas. = I am waiting for the bus.

In casual speech, people may sometimes use tunggu, but menunggu is the safer standard choice.

Menunggu can take an object directly.

For example:

• Penumpang itu sedang menunggu bas. = The passenger is waiting for the bus.
• Saya sedang menunggu kawan saya. = I am waiting for my friend.

Notice that Malay does not need a separate word like English for in these examples.

So English wait for the bus is often just menunggu bas in Malay.

By itself, penumpang can refer to one passenger or passengers, depending on context.

In this sentence, penumpang itu is usually understood as that passenger / the passenger, so singular makes the most sense.

If you clearly want plural, context usually helps, or you can use reduplication:

• penumpang-penumpang itu = those passengers / the passengers

But very often Malay leaves number unstated unless it needs to be clear.

Not exactly, but it is often the closest match.

Sedang marks an ongoing action, so it often translates well as is waiting, is eating, is reading, and so on.

However, Malay and English do not match perfectly in how they use tense and aspect. Malay often depends more on context, and speakers may leave out sedang even when English would strongly prefer is ...-ing.

So sedang is a useful comparison with the present continuous, but it is not a perfect one-to-one equivalent.

Yes. Itu usually refers to something already known, visible, or identifiable in context.

So penumpang itu suggests:

• a specific passenger already mentioned
• a passenger both speaker and listener can identify
• possibly someone being pointed at

If you just want to say a passenger is waiting, you would normally say:

• Seorang penumpang sedang menunggu.

Here, seorang means one/a for a person.

The basic order here is very normal:

• Penumpang itu = subject
• sedang menunggu = predicate

So Penumpang itu sedang menunggu is the standard word order.

You may sometimes see other orders in special contexts, especially in speech or for emphasis, but this version is the clearest and most neutral one for learners.

It is completely natural and standard.

A speaker would use it in situations like:

• describing what someone is doing
• pointing out a person in a station, airport, or terminal
• narrating a scene

In casual conversation, speakers might sometimes shorten things depending on context, but Penumpang itu sedang menunggu is a very normal sentence.