Learn Hardcore Malay: Dia duduk di luar sekarang. - He/She is sitting outside now.

In Malay, dia is a gender-neutral pronoun, so it can mean he, she, or even they depending on context. You won’t know the gender just by the pronoun itself; you usually rely on the context of the conversation or additional details.

Why do we say “dia duduk” instead of “dia sedang duduk” for “he/she is sitting”?

Malay doesn’t require a separate marker to show the continuous tense (like “-ing” in English). You can add sedang to emphasize that it’s happening right now (for example, dia sedang duduk), but it’s not mandatory. Without sedang, dia duduk can still convey the idea of someone sitting.

What does “duduk” literally mean?

Duduk literally means to sit. It’s used for any context where someone is physically sitting down, or even figuratively for “staying” in some contexts.

Is “di luar” always used for “outside”?

Yes, di luar means outside or outdoors in a physical sense. If you want to emphasize something is happening outside of a boundary or outside your home, you use di luar.

How do I express “now” differently in Malay apart from “sekarang”?