Learn Hardcore Malay: Kucing ini suka tidur bawah meja kosong. - This cat likes to sleep under an empty table.

In many informal or everyday Malay sentences, you can drop "di" and just say bawah. It’s still understood to mean "under" or "below." Formally, you might see di bawah more often in writing or more careful speech, but dropping di is common in casual conversation.

What does kucing ini literally mean in the sentence?

Kucing ini literally means this cat. Kucing is "cat," and ini is "this."

How does suka tidur translate directly, and does it imply "like to sleep" or "likes sleeping"?

Suka means "like" or "likes," and tidur means "sleep" or "to sleep." It can be translated both ways as "like to sleep" or "likes sleeping," depending on context. Malay doesn’t distinguish between the infinitive ("to sleep") and the gerund ("sleeping") in the same way English does.

Does meja kosong refer to "empty table," and why is "empty" placed after "table"?

Yes, meja kosong means empty table. In Malay, adjectives generally come after the noun they describe, so meja kosong literally translates to table empty. That’s the standard word order in Malay.

How would I say These cats like to sleep under the empty tables in Malay if I wanted it plural?

Malay often doesn’t mark plurals explicitly. You could say Kucing-kucing ini suka tidur bawah meja-meja kosong or repeat the word to indicate plurality, but many speakers would use the sentence Kucing ini suka tidur bawah meja kosong in a plural sense if the context is clear.

Is kosong here only used for objects like "empty table," or can I use the same word for other things like "empty room"?

You can use kosong to describe anything that’s empty, without contents, or unoccupied. For example, bilik kosong for "empty room," pinggan kosong for "empty plate," and so on.