Pemandu teksi itu menunggu saya di tepi jalan.

that

Breakdown of Pemandu teksi itu menunggu saya di tepi jalan.

• menunggu: to wait
• jalan: the road
• di tepi: by
• saya: me
• teksi: the taxi
• pemandu: the driver

Questions & Answers about Pemandu teksi itu menunggu saya di tepi jalan.

What is the function of itu in Pemandu teksi itu, and how does it compare with ini?

itu is a post-nominal demonstrative that specifies a noun, equivalent to the or that in English. In Malay, demonstratives follow the noun they modify. So Pemandu teksi itu means that taxi driver or the taxi driver (previously mentioned or farther away). Its counterpart ini means this (closer to the speaker): Pemandu teksi ini = this taxi driver.

Why are there two nouns in a row in Pemandu teksi, and how do they form taxi driver?

Malay forms simple noun compounds by placing the head noun first, followed by its modifier. Here, pemandu (driver) is the head and teksi (taxi) modifies it. Thus pemandu teksi literally reads driver taxi, which we translate as taxi driver. No linking words like of or apostrophe-s are needed.

What is the base form of menunggu, and what does the prefix me- indicate?

The root is tunggu (wait). The verb prefix me- turns it into an active transitive verb. With nasal assimilation (t→n), me- + tunggu becomes menunggu, meaning to wait (for someone or something). It shows the subject performs the action.

Why isn't there a word for for before saya in menunggu saya?

In Malay, transitive verbs like menunggu take direct objects without extra prepositions. The verb itself carries the sense of waiting for, so you place the object directly after it: menunggu saya = wait for me.

What role does di play in di tepi jalan, and why is tepi jalan structured this way?

di is the preposition marking a static location (equivalent to at, in, or on). Tepi (side) precedes jalan (road) to create the compound noun tepi jalan (roadside). Together, di tepi jalan means at the roadside or on the side of the road.

Can itu be omitted, and what effect does that have on meaning?

Yes. Pemandu teksi menunggu saya di tepi jalan is grammatical. Omitting itu makes the phrase indefinite or generic: A taxi driver is waiting for me at the roadside, rather than pointing to a specific, previously mentioned driver.

How would you say The taxi driver has been waiting for me for ten minutes in Malay?

You can add an aspect marker and a duration expression:
Pemandu teksi itu sudah menunggu saya selama sepuluh minit.
Or use telah instead of sudah:
Pemandu teksi itu telah menunggu saya selama sepuluh minit.
Here sudah/telah indicate that the action is ongoing or completed up to now, and selama sepuluh minit marks the duration.