Saya sedang tidur di katil.

I am sleeping in bed.

Breakdown of Saya sedang tidur di katil.

• saya: I
• adalah: to be
• sedang: currently
• di: in
• tidur: to sleep
• katil: the bed

Questions & Answers about Saya sedang tidur di katil.

What does the word sedang signify in this sentence?

Sedang indicates that the action is currently in progress. It shows that the subject (Saya) is in the middle of sleeping right now.

How is the continuous tense formed in Malay compared to English?

In Malay, you form the continuous aspect by placing sedang before the main verb. Unlike English—which uses an auxiliary verb combined with a gerund (e.g., “am sleeping”)—Malay simply uses sedang with the base form of the verb (tidur) to indicate an ongoing action.

What role does the preposition di play in the sentence?

The preposition di is used to mark location. In this sentence, it tells us where the action is taking place—specifically, that the sleeping is occurring on/in the bed (katil).

Why does the verb tidur not change form based on the subject?

Malay verbs do not undergo conjugation to reflect different subjects or tenses. Instead, context and additional words like sedang provide information about timing and aspect. Therefore, tidur remains in its base form regardless of who is performing the action.

Would the sentence still be acceptable if sedang were omitted?

Yes, Saya tidur di katil is grammatically correct without sedang. However, omitting it removes the explicit indication that the action is happening right now, which might make the sentence sound more general or habitual rather than describing an action in progress.