Learn Hardcore Malay: Dia tidak pernah basuh cawan itu.

tidak means “not” and pernah means “ever” or “have had the experience.” Placed together as tidak pernah before a verb, it translates as never. So Dia tidak pernah basuh cawan itu literally says “He/She not ever wash that cup,” i.e. “He/She has never washed that cup.”

Why is the verb basuh not marked for past tense, like washed in English?

Malay verbs do not change form for tense. Instead, time reference is shown by particles or context (e.g. tidak pernah for “never,” sudah for “already,” akan for “will”), or by adding time words like semalam (“yesterday”) or nanti (“later”). The verb basuh stays the same regardless of past, present, or future.

Why doesn’t the verb carry the me- prefix (as in membasuh) after tidak?

In negative sentences using tidak, Malay typically uses the bare root form of the verb (without the me- prefix). So instead of membasuh, you say basuh after tidak. In everyday speech you almost never attach me- in that context.

What is the difference between tidak pernah and belum?

Belum means “not yet,” implying the action is expected to happen later (e.g. “He hasn’t washed it yet” = Dia belum basuh cawan itu). Tidak pernah means “never,” indicating it has never happened and usually won’t or you’re simply stating it never has occurred.

Can you replace tidak with tak in this sentence?

Yes. Tak is an informal contraction of tidak, common in speech and casual writing. So Dia tak pernah basuh cawan itu means exactly the same but sounds more colloquial. Avoid tak in formal or academic writing.

Why is itu placed after cawan, instead of before as in English “that cup”?

In Malay, demonstrative pronouns (ini for “this,” itu for “that”) follow the noun they modify. So you say cawan itu (“that cup”) and cawan ini (“this cup”).

How would you say “He has never washed those cups” (plural) in Malay?

Malay often marks plurality by reduplication. You can say cawan-cawan itu for “the cups” or “those cups.” The full sentence becomes:
Dia tidak pernah basuh cawan-cawan itu.

How can you turn Dia tidak pernah basuh cawan itu into the question “Has he ever washed that cup?”

You can front pernahkah to form:
Pernahkah dia basuh cawan itu?
A slightly more formal variant is Adakah dia pernah basuh cawan itu? In colloquial speech you might also hear Dia pernah basuh cawan tu tak?

What exactly does cawan mean, and how is it different from gelas?

Cawan refers to a cup—typically ceramic or porcelain, often with a handle, used for tea or coffee. Gelas is a glass or tumbler (usually transparent), used for water, juice, etc.

The pronoun dia can mean both “he” and “she.” How do you specify gender in Malay?

Malay uses dia for both genders. To clarify, you usually rely on context or mention words like lelaki itu (“that man”) or perempuan itu (“that woman”) elsewhere in the conversation. The pronoun itself does not change.