Questions & Answers about Dia memilih satu warna, iaitu biru.
What does dia mean here? Does it mean he or she?
Dia can mean he or she. Malay does not normally mark gender in third-person singular pronouns, so you know which one it is only from context.
A few useful notes:
- dia = he/she
- It is very common in everyday Malay.
- If you need to be more respectful, Malay may use beliau for important or respected people.
So in this sentence, dia simply means he/she.
Why is the verb memilih and not just pilih?
Memilih is the standard active verb form built from the root pilih.
- Root: pilih = choose
- Active form: memilih = to choose / chooses / chose, depending on context
The prefix meN- often marks an active verb in standard Malay. So:
- Dia memilih... = He/She chooses/chose...
In casual speech, you may hear dia pilih, but dia memilih is more standard and is especially common in writing.
Does memilih show tense, like chose versus chooses?