Anjing dia tidak tidur di bawah meja sekarang.

now

Breakdown of Anjing dia tidak tidur di bawah meja sekarang.

• tidur: to sleep
• anjing: the dog
• di bawah: under
• meja: the table
• tidak: not

Questions & Answers about Anjing dia tidak tidur di bawah meja sekarang.

Why is dia used here to refer to his/her dog?

In Malay, the word dia can mean he, she, or his/her. When we say anjing dia, it means his dog or her dog, and the exact meaning depends on context. Malay often doesn’t distinguish between masculine and feminine pronouns the way English does.

Why do we use tidak instead of bukan for the negative form here?

In Malay, tidak is used to negate verbs and adjectives, while bukan is used to negate nouns or noun phrases. Since tidur (sleep) is a verb, we use tidak.

What role does sekarang play in the sentence?

Sekarang means now. It indicates that the action (or lack of action, in this case) is happening at the present moment.

Can you explain the word order?

In Malay, a typical word order for a sentence like this is:
• Subject: Anjing dia (His/Her dog)
• Negator + Verb: tidak tidur (is not sleeping)
• Adverbial Phrase: di bawah meja (under the table)
• Time Expression: sekarang (now)

Why isn't there a word for is in this Malay sentence?

Malay doesn’t always use a direct equivalent of is like English does. Instead, the idea of is sleeping is conveyed through the verb tidur alone. When you negate it, you simply add tidak in front of tidur.

Could anjing dia also be interpreted as the dog that belongs to him/her without explicitly saying his/her?

Yes, Malay often uses subject + dia in place of a separate possessive pronoun. So anjing dia naturally means the dog that belongs to him/her. Without more context, it’s understood from the structure that the dog is owned by that person.