Learn Hardcore Malay: Pelayan sedang mencuci pinggan di dapur. - The waiter is washing the plates in the kitchen.

pelayan means “waiter” or “server” and doesn’t indicate gender. Unlike English, Malay job titles are not gender-specific; you’d add extra words if you want to specify male or female.

Why is there no article like the or a before pelayan?

Malay has no articles. To say “a waiter” you can add seorang: seorang pelayan. To say “the waiter” you can add a demonstrative like itu: pelayan itu.

What is the function of sedang in this sentence?

sedang is an aspect marker that shows the action is ongoing. It’s equivalent to the English “is …-ing.”

Can we drop sedang and still convey “is washing”?

Yes. In casual speech you can say Pelayan mencuci pinggan di dapur and context will imply “is washing,” though sedang makes the continuous sense explicit.

Why is the verb mencuci and not just cuci?

To form an active transitive verb you add the prefix meN- to the root cuci (“wash”). Due to assimilation rules, meN- + cuci becomes mencuci.

What does pinggan mean and how do we know if it’s plural?

pinggan means “plate” or “dish.” Malay nouns don’t change form for plural—context tells you if it’s one plate or many. You can explicitly mark plural by reduplication: pinggan-pinggan (“plates”).

What does di dapur mean?

di is the locative preposition meaning “in/at,” and dapur means “kitchen.” So di dapur = “in the kitchen.”

What is the word order in this sentence?

The pattern is Subject + Aspect Marker + Verb + Object + Location. Here: Pelayan (Subject) + sedang (Aspect) + mencuci (Verb) + pinggan (Object) + di dapur (Location).

What’s the difference between mencuci pinggan and membasuh pinggan?

Both mean “to wash dishes.” cuci is a general “clean/wash,” while basuh often emphasizes rinsing with water. In everyday Malay, basuh pinggan is very common colloquially, but mencuci pinggan is also correct and slightly more formal.