Learn Hardcore Malay: Saya sedang menunggu lif di lobi hotel. - I am waiting for the elevator in the hotel lobby.

sedang is a progressive aspect marker indicating that the action is happening right now. It always precedes the verb to express am/is/are … -ing. Without sedang, Saya menunggu lif could simply mean “I wait for the lift” in a habitual or general sense.

Why isn’t there a word for the before lif?

Malay has no articles (no equivalents of the or a/an). Nouns stand alone, and context tells you if it’s specific or not. If you need emphasis, you can add demonstratives like ini (“this”) or itu (“that”), but it’s optional.

Why do we say menunggu lif instead of menunggu untuk lif?

In Malay, menunggu (“to wait for”) is a transitive verb that directly takes an object. You don’t need a preposition; menunggu lif literally means “wait for lift.” Adding untuk would be ungrammatical here.

What’s the difference between di lobi and ke lobi?

di + noun marks static location (at, in), so di lobi = “at the lobby.” ke + noun marks movement toward (to), so ke lobi = “to the lobby.” Here, you’re waiting at the lobby, not going there.

Why is it lobi hotel instead of hotel lobby?

Malay noun phrases are head-initial: the main noun (head) comes first, followed by its modifier. lobi (lobby) is the head, and hotel describes what kind of lobby. Literally “lobby hotel.”

Is lif a native Malay word?

No. lif is borrowed from English lift. Loanwords are common for modern concepts. Some people also say elevator, but there isn’t a widely used older Malay term for it.

Could I use Aku instead of Saya here?

Yes, but register changes. Saya is the formal or polite first-person pronoun; aku is informal and can sound too casual or even rude in formal settings. Use aku only with close friends or family.

How do I know if di is the location preposition or the passive prefix?

Check the spacing and the word type. As a preposition, di is separate from a noun (di lobi = “at the lobby”). As a passive prefix, it’s attached to a verb (dimasak = “cooked,” difoto = “photographed”).

Can I drop sedang and just say Saya menunggu lif di lobi hotel?

You can, but it shifts from a present-progressive emphasis (“I am waiting for the lift…”) to a simpler statement that might sound habitual: “I wait for the lift in the hotel lobby.”