Saya sedang menunggu doktor di lobi hospital.

I am waiting for the doctor in the hospital lobby.

Breakdown of Saya sedang menunggu doktor di lobi hospital.

• saya: I
• adalah: to be
• di: at
• sedang: currently
• menunggu: to wait
• doktor: the doctor
• lobi hospital: the hospital lobby

Questions & Answers about Saya sedang menunggu doktor di lobi hospital.

What does the word sedang mean and why is it used here?

Sedang marks the continuous or progressive aspect of a verb—similar to “-ing” in English. By saying Saya sedang menunggu…, you emphasize that the action of waiting is happening right now.

Can I omit sedang and simply say “Saya menunggu doktor di lobi hospital”?

Yes. Without sedang, Saya menunggu doktor di lobi hospital still means “I am (or I wait for) the doctor in the hospital lobby.” However, omitting sedang can sound more neutral or habitual, whereas including sedang highlights that it’s in progress at this very moment.

Why aren’t there articles like “the” or “a” before doktor or lobi?

Malay does not use definite or indefinite articles. Nouns stand alone without “a,” “an,” or “the.” If you need to express “a” for a person, you can optionally insert seorang (e.g., seorang doktor), but it’s not required.

If I want to say “I’m waiting for a doctor,” do I have to add seorang before doktor?

You can, to stress that the doctor is non-specific:
“Saya sedang menunggu seorang doktor di lobi hospital.”
Without seorang, it’s usually clear you’re referring to the (perhaps appointed) doctor you expect to meet.

Why is the preposition di placed before lobi hospital, and can I move it after?

The preposition di indicates location and must directly precede the noun phrase it governs. You cannot move it after. The correct order is always di + location, as in di lobi hospital.

Why do we say lobi hospital instead of hospital lobi?

In Malay noun-noun compounds, the head noun comes first and the modifier follows. Here, lobi (lobby) is the head, and hospital specifies which lobby. Hence: lobi hospital (“the hospital lobby”).

What is the root of menunggu, and what does the prefix meN- do?

The root verb is tunggu (“wait”). The prefix meN- (realized here as men-) forms an active transitive verb. Thus menunggu means “to wait for” someone or something.

Could I use dalam instead of di before lobi hospital?

Yes. Dalam means “inside,” so Saya sedang menunggu doktor dalam lobi hospital explicitly says you are waiting inside the lobby. Using di is more general (“at the lobby”).