Mereka asyik berbual.

They are engrossed in conversation.

Breakdown of Mereka asyik berbual.

• mereka: they
• berbual: to chat
• asyik: engrossed; absorbed

Questions & Answers about Mereka asyik berbual.

What does mereka mean exactly? Is it like they in English?

Yes. Mereka is the usual Malay word for they / them when talking about people.

A few useful points:

• It does not show gender. It can mean they for men, women, or a mixed group.
• It is normally used for humans, not usually for things or animals in careful standard Malay.
• It does not change form, so the same word can cover meanings that English separates into they and them, depending on context.

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Why is there no word for are in this sentence?

Malay usually does not need a present-tense verb like am / is / are the way English does.

So in a sentence like Mereka asyik berbual, Malay can simply place:

• the subject: mereka
• then the rest of the predicate: asyik berbual

This is very normal. English requires They are chatting..., but Malay does not need an equivalent of are here.

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What does asyik do in this sentence?