Breakdown of Kucing saya suka tidur di sudut bilik.
suka
to like
di
in
kucing
the cat
tidur
to sleep
saya
my
bilik
the room
sudut
the corner
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Questions & Answers about Kucing saya suka tidur di sudut bilik.
Why is possession shown as kucing saya instead of saya kucing?
In Malay, the noun being possessed comes first, then the possessor follows. So kucing saya literally means “cat my,” i.e. “my cat.” Saying saya kucing would be ungrammatical. As an alternative, you can use the suffix -ku to form kucingku, but that is more literary or informal in writing.
What does suka mean here? Is it “like” or something else?
suka means “to like.” When suka is followed by a bare verb (here, tidur), it expresses “likes to [verb].” Thus, kucing saya suka tidur = “my cat likes to sleep.”
Why aren’t there articles like “the” before sudut or bilik?
Malay does not have a direct equivalent of the English definite article. Nouns stand alone unless you add a demonstrative or modifier. If you wanted to say “the corner of the room” more explicitly, you could say sudut bilik itu (“that corner of the room”) or sudut itu (“that corner”).
What is the function of di in di sudut bilik?
di is a preposition meaning “at,” “in,” or “on,” used to indicate location. So di sudut bilik translates as “in/at the corner of the room.”
Why is it sudut bilik and not bilik sudut?
Malay uses a noun–noun compound structure where the main noun comes first (the head), and the second noun modifies it. Here sudut (corner) is the head noun, and bilik (room) specifies which kind of corner: “corner of the room.” Reversing them would be unnatural or change the meaning.
How do we know kucing saya is singular? Could it mean “my cats”?
Malay nouns do not change form for plural. kucing saya can mean either “my cat” or “my cats” depending on context. To emphasize plurality, you could say kucing-kucing saya (“my cats”) or add a number/quantifier like dua kucing saya (“my two cats”).
Why is tidur used without any affix? Shouldn’t I see ber- somewhere?
Many Malay verbs are used in their root form without prefixes. tidur (“to sleep”) is one such basic verb. The prefix ber- appears on certain verbs (e.g., berjalan “to walk”), but tidur already functions as the standard verb form on its own.
Can I front the location phrase for emphasis, like Di sudut bilik kucing saya suka tidur?
Yes—Malay allows topicalization by moving the location to the front: Di sudut bilik, kucing saya suka tidur. This stresses the place. However, in neutral sentences the common order remains Subject–Verb–Complement–Location, as in Kucing saya suka tidur di sudut bilik.