Breakdown of Pesakit lain menunggu giliran mereka dengan tenang di lobi hospital.
di
in
dengan
with
tenang
calm
menunggu
to wait
lain
other
mereka
their
pesakit
the patient
giliran
the turn
lobi hospital
the hospital lobby
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Malay grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Pesakit lain menunggu giliran mereka dengan tenang di lobi hospital.
What does lain mean in pesakit lain?
Here, lain is an adjective meaning “other” or “different.” So pesakit lain translates to “other patients” (i.e. patients besides the ones already mentioned).
Why is there no word for the or a before pesakit lain?
Malay does not use definite or indefinite articles like the or a. Nouns stand alone. To specify “one patient,” you can add a classifier such as seorang (a person), e.g. seorang pesakit lain (“another patient”).
How do I know if pesakit lain is singular or plural?
Context and pronouns help. In the example, mereka (“they/them”) shows it’s plural—“they are waiting.” If it were singular, you’d likely say seorang pesakit lain and use dia (“he/she”).
What is menunggu giliran and why this word order?
menunggu is the verb “to wait for,” and giliran is the noun “turn.” Malay syntax for transitive verbs is Subject + Verb + Object, so “menunggu giliran” literally means “wait for (their) turn.”
Can you explain giliran in more detail?
giliran means “turn” or “chance.” Beyond hospitals, you can use it in any queue or sequence:
- Giliran saya pula. “It’s my turn now.”
- Tolong tunggu giliran awak. “Please wait your turn.”
Why is mereka used here? Is it necessary?
mereka means “they/them,” referring back to pesakit lain. It clarifies whose turn it is. You can omit it if context is clear:
- Pesakit lain menunggu giliran dengan tenang di lobi hospital.
But including mereka leaves no doubt: …menunggu giliran mereka… (“waiting their turn”).
What does dengan tenang mean and how does it work?
dengan + noun/adjective forms an adverbial phrase “with [noun/adj].” Here, tenang means “calm.” So dengan tenang = “calmly,” describing how they waited.
Why use di lobi hospital instead of ke lobi hospital?
di indicates location (“at”/“in”), whereas ke indicates movement toward (“to”). Since the sentence describes where they are (they’re already there), di lobi hospital (“at the hospital lobby”) is correct.
Why isn’t it lobi hospital itu (“that hospital lobby”) or possessive?
In Malay, compound nouns often link directly: lobi hospital = “hospital lobby.” Adding itu (“that”) would refer to a specific lobby: lobi hospital itu. You can also say lobi di hospital (“the lobby in the hospital”) for clarity, but no possessive marker is mandatory.
Are lobi and hospital native Malay words? How do you pronounce them?
They’re loanwords (from English/French). Pronunciations adapt slightly:
- lobi = LO‐bee
- hospital = HOS‐pee‐tal
They’re fully integrated into everyday Malay.