Saya simpan bukti di dalam laci.

I keep the evidence in the drawer.

Breakdown of Saya simpan bukti di dalam laci.

• saya: I
• di: in
• dalam: inside
• simpan: to keep
• laci: the drawer
• bukti: the evidence

Questions & Answers about Saya simpan bukti di dalam laci.

Why is there no article like the or a before bukti and laci?

Malay does not use definite or indefinite articles. Nouns stand alone without the or a. If you need to express “a” in a more specific way, you can use classifiers or numerals, for example:

• sebuah laci = “a drawer” (where sebuah is a classifier for furniture)
• sehelai bukti = “one piece of evidence”

Why is the verb simpan not in the meN- form (menyimpan)?

In colloquial (everyday spoken) Malay, it’s common to drop the meN- prefix for present or habitual actions. So saya simpan simply means “I keep/store.” In more formal or written Malay you would often see the full prefix:

• Saya menyimpan bukti di dalam laci.

What’s the difference between dalam and di dalam? Can I say simpan bukti dalam laci?

• di dalam is a prepositional phrase meaning “inside (of).”
• In casual speech you can shorten it to dalam laci and it’s perfectly clear.
• In formal contexts, di dalam is preferred for clarity.
  So both of these are acceptable informally:
• Saya simpan bukti di dalam laci.
• Saya simpan bukti dalam laci.

Why is di dalam laci placed after bukti? Could it go in another position?

The usual Malay word order is Subject–Verb–Object–Location (S-V-O-Loc). That’s why di dalam laci comes after the object bukti. You can move it for emphasis:

• Di dalam laci, saya simpan bukti.
  This fronting highlights the location but keeps the same meaning.

How do I indicate past or future tense in this sentence?

Malay verbs don’t change form for tense. You rely on time adverbs or particles:

• Past: Saya sudah simpan bukti di dalam laci. (“I have already stored…”) or add tadi (“earlier”).
• Future: Saya akan simpan bukti di dalam laci. (“I will store…”).

Can I drop the subject pronoun saya and just say simpan bukti di dalam laci?

Yes. Malay often omits the subject if it’s clear from context. So (Saya) simpan bukti di dalam laci or simply simpan bukti di dalam laci both work in conversation.

How would I turn this into passive voice?

Use the di- passive prefix on the verb and swap subject/object:

• Bukti disimpan di dalam laci (oleh saya).
  Usually oleh saya is optional if the agent is understood.

What kind of noun is bukti? Is it countable or uncountable?

bukti means “evidence,” “proof,” or “receipt.” It’s generally a mass/uncountable noun in Malay. If you want to count items of evidence, you add a classifier:

• sehelai bukti (“one piece of evidence”)
• beberapa bukti (“some pieces of evidence”)

Where would I place a possessive pronoun (e.g. “my”) if I wanted to say “I keep my evidence inside the drawer”?

Possessive pronouns come after the noun without any apostrophe:

• Saya simpan bukti saya di dalam laci.
  You can also insert di dalam laci saya (“in my drawer”) if you want the drawer to be yours:
• Saya simpan bukti saya di dalam laci saya.