Breakdown of Saya demam ringan, jadi saya pergi ke hospital pagi tadi.
saya
I
pergi
to go
ke
to
pagi tadi
this morning
jadi
so
demam
to have a fever
ringan
slight
hospital
the hospital
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Questions & Answers about Saya demam ringan, jadi saya pergi ke hospital pagi tadi.
Why is the adjective ringan placed after demam rather than before it?
In Malay the usual word order is noun + adjective, so you say demam ringan (“fever mild”) instead of ringan demam. This is the opposite of English, where adjectives normally come before nouns.
What exactly does demam ringan mean in English? Could I say “light fever” or “mild fever”?
Yes. Demam ringan corresponds to “mild fever,” “low-grade fever,” or “slight fever.” Among those, mild fever or low-grade fever are the most idiomatic.
What function does jadi serve here?
Jadi is a conjunction meaning “so” or “therefore.” It links the cause (“I had a mild fever”) with the effect (“I went to the hospital”).
Could I replace jadi with something like kerana itu or sebab itu?
Yes. Kerana itu and sebab itu both mean “because of that/therefore” and are slightly more formal. You would say:
Saya demam ringan, sebab itu saya pergi ke hospital pagi tadi.
Why is saya repeated before pergi? Could I drop the second saya?
Malay allows dropping the subject when it’s clear, so Saya demam ringan, jadi pergi ke hospital pagi tadi is understandable and more conversational. However, repeating saya adds clarity and sounds slightly more formal or emphatic.
What’s the difference between pagi tadi and tadi pagi?
Both mean “earlier this morning.” Tadi pagi is more common in everyday speech, while pagi tadi is also correct but can sound a bit more formal or poetic.
Why do we say pergi ke hospital instead of just pergi hospital?
In Malay, the verb pergi (“to go”) needs the preposition ke (“to”) before a destination. So pergi ke hospital is literally “go to hospital.” Omitting ke would be ungrammatical.
Could I say saya ada demam ringan instead of saya demam ringan?
Yes. Saya ada demam ringan (“I have a mild fever”) is perfectly natural. Malay often uses ada (“have”) plus a noun. Saying just saya demam ringan is shorter and equally common—you treat demam as a verb here.
Is there any article like “the” or “a” in Malay before hospital?
No. Malay doesn’t use articles (“a,” “the”). You simply say hospital, and context tells you whether it’s specific or general.