Kucing itu suka duduk di atas bahu saya.

That cat likes to sit on my shoulder.

Breakdown of Kucing itu suka duduk di atas bahu saya.

• suka: to like
• itu: that
• duduk: to sit
• kucing: the cat
• di atas: on
• bahu: the shoulder

Questions & Answers about Kucing itu suka duduk di atas bahu saya.

What does itu mean in Kucing itu suka duduk di atas bahu saya?

itu is a demonstrative that makes kucing definite. You can think of it as “that cat” or simply “the cat.”

• When itu follows a noun, it points to something specific.
• If you wanted “this cat,” you’d say kucing ini instead.

Can suka be followed by a noun, or does it only work with verbs?

suka means “to like” and it can take either:

• A verb (bare infinitive): suka duduk = “likes to sit.”
• A noun: suka kucing = “likes cats.”

In our sentence it’s followed by the verb duduk.

Why is di placed before atas, instead of just saying duduk atas bahu saya?

In standard Malay, locative prepositions are formed with di + place word:

• di = marks location (“in/on/at”)
• atas = “above/on top of”
  Together di atas = “on.”

Dropping di is common in casual speech, but formal writing prefers duduk di atas bahu saya.

What role does duduk play here? Doesn’t it just mean “to sit”?

Yes, duduk means “to sit.” In this context it forms the verb phrase “likes to sit.” Malay verbs aren’t marked for tense or person: you simply use the base form.

If you wanted to show it’s happening right now, you could insert the aspect marker sedang:
Kucing itu sedang duduk di atas bahu saya = “The cat is sitting on my shoulder.”

Why is bahu saya structured with saya after bahu? In English we say “my shoulder.”

Malay possessive pronouns follow the noun they modify:

• bahu saya = “my shoulder.”
• You can’t say saya bahu; that word order doesn’t exist in Malay.

Could I use a suffix instead of saya to show “my shoulder”?

Yes. Attach –ku to the noun:

• bahuku = “my shoulder.”
  So you could say duduk di atas bahuku and still mean “sits on my shoulder.”

Can I swap saya for aku to make it more informal?

Yes, aku is a casual first-person pronoun. You’d say bahu aku in everyday speech. However:

• aku (and bahu aku) is informal/intimate.
• saya (and bahu saya or bahuku) is neutral/formal.

Why doesn’t kucing have a plural marker? How do I know it’s one cat?

Malay nouns aren’t inflected for number. Context tells you if it’s singular or plural. Here, because you’re talking about “that cat” sitting on your shoulder, it’s clear there’s a single cat.

What’s the difference between kucing itu and kucing ini?

Both are demonstrative forms:

• kucing ini = “this cat” (near the speaker).
• kucing itu = “that cat” (farther away or already mentioned).
  Functionally, itu can also work like English “the” to refer back to something known.

Do I ever need a classifier like seekor in this sentence?

Classifiers like seekor are used for counting or emphasizing singularity in indefinite contexts:

• seekor kucing = “a (one) cat.”
  But since kucing itu is definite (“that cat/the cat”), no classifier is needed.