Breakdown of Anjing saya suka tidur di atas rumput.
suka
to like
tidur
to sleep
anjing
the dog
di atas
on
rumput
the grass
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Questions & Answers about Anjing saya suka tidur di atas rumput.
Why is saya placed after anjing instead of before, like in English “my dog”?
In Malay, the possessive pronoun follows the noun. So anjing saya literally means “dog my,” which corresponds to “my dog” in English.
How do you know saya means “my” here and not the subject pronoun “I/me”?
When saya follows a noun, it functions as a possessive pronoun (“my”). If saya appears before a verb, it’s the subject pronoun (“I”). In anjing saya, it clearly shows possession.
Why are there no articles like the or a before anjing or rumput?
Malay does not use definite or indefinite articles. Context tells you whether a noun is definite or indefinite—rumput can mean “grass” or “the grass” based on the situation.
What does suka mean here, and how do you use it with verbs?
suka means “to like.” When you like an activity, you use suka + bare verb: suka tidur = “likes to sleep.” For liking a thing, use suka + noun: Saya suka coklat = “I like chocolate.”
What is the role of di atas? Can you drop di and just say atas?
di atas is the locative phrase for “on” or “on top of,” where di marks location and atas means “above.” You need both; saying atas rumput without di is ungrammatical in this context.
Why is tidur not prefixed with ber-?
Many Malay verbs are simple roots. tidur alone means “to sleep.” You don’t need the ber- prefix for basic actions—it’s already a verb.
Could I say Anjing saya suka tidur di rumput instead of di atas rumput?
Yes. di rumput (“in/on the grass”) is also acceptable. di atas rumput emphasizes “on top of the grass,” but both forms are commonly used.
How do you show tense in Malay, since the verb doesn’t change form?
Malay verbs are not inflected for tense. Time is indicated by context or by adding time words like sekarang (“now”), kemarin (“yesterday”), etc. Here, suka + context implies a habitual present action.