Langsir bilik saya tertutup ketika saya tidur.

The curtain in my room is closed when I sleep.

Breakdown of Langsir bilik saya tertutup ketika saya tidur.

• saya: I
• adalah: to be
• tidur: to sleep
• ketika: when
• saya: my
• bilik: the room
• langsir: the curtain
• tertutup: closed

Questions & Answers about Langsir bilik saya tertutup ketika saya tidur.

Why does the sentence start with Langsir bilik saya instead of saying Bilik saya punya langsir (my room’s curtains)?

In Malay, possession is usually shown simply by putting two nouns together, with the thing owned first and the owner second:

• langsir bilik saya = the curtains of my room / my room’s curtains
• literally: curtains room my

Structures like bilik saya punya langsir are understood but sound informal or child‑like in many contexts. The most natural, neutral way is:

• Langsir bilik saya = my room’s curtains

Is bilik saya “my room” even though saya comes after bilik?

Yes. In Malay, the possessive pronoun comes after the noun:

• bilik saya = my room
• buku saya = my book
• kereta saya = my car

So bilik saya is exactly my room, not room me. This is the normal word order in Malay.

What exactly is tertutup here? Is it a verb or an adjective?

Tertutup is a stative verb / adjective meaning closed / in a closed state.

It’s built from:

• tutup = to close / close
• ter- (prefix) often indicates an accidental / involuntary action or a state resulting from an action.

In this sentence:

• Langsir bilik saya tertutup ≈ My room’s curtains are closed (describing their state).

So it behaves like an adjective (like closed in English) but it comes from a verb.

What’s the difference between tertutup and ditutup?

Both relate to tutup (to close), but:

• tertutup

  • Focus: the state of being closed.
  • Often translates as closed / shut.
  • No clear agent (we don’t care who closed it).
  • Langsir bilik saya tertutup = My room’s curtains are (in a) closed (state).

• ditutup

  • Passive voice: is/are closed (by someone), is being closed, was closed, etc.
  • Highlights that someone/something closes it, even if the agent isn’t mentioned.
  • Langsir bilik saya ditutup ketika saya tidur = My room’s curtains are closed (by someone) when I sleep.

In everyday speech, tertutup is more about their condition, ditutup sounds a bit more like an action is being done.

Could I just say tutup instead of tertutup?

Not in this structure.

• tutup by itself is the basic verb: to close / close.
• To describe a resulting state (“are closed”), you usually use tertutup or add another word.

Compare:

• Saya tutup langsir. = I close the curtains. (action)
• Langsir tertutup. = The curtains are closed. (state)

So in Langsir bilik saya tertutup ketika saya tidur, tertutup is the natural choice.

Why is there no word like “are” (am/is/are) before tertutup? Should it be adalah tertutup?

Malay normally does not use a separate “to be” verb (am/is/are) before adjectives or stative verbs.

You do not say:

• ✗ Langsir bilik saya adalah tertutup (unnatural in this context).

Instead, the structure is simply:

• [subject] + [adjective / stative verb]
• Langsir bilik saya tertutup. = My room’s curtains are closed.

Adalah is used in more formal or specific contexts, mostly linking two nouns, e.g.:

• Ini adalah bilik saya. = This is my room.

But not in this kind of “are closed” sentence.

The English meaning is “are closed when I sleep” / “were closed when I slept”. Why doesn’t Malay show the tense?

Malay verbs usually don’t change form for tense:

• tidur can mean sleep, am sleeping, slept, will sleep, etc.

Time is shown by context and by time expressions:

• semalam = yesterday
• sekarang = now
• nanti = later
• selalu = always, etc.

So:

• Langsir bilik saya tertutup ketika saya tidur.
  Can be understood as:
  • My room’s curtains are closed when I sleep.
  • My room’s curtains were closed when I slept.

Context decides which is meant. If you need to be very clear, you add a time word:

• Semalam, langsir bilik saya tertutup ketika saya tidur.
  Yesterday, my room’s curtains were closed when I slept.

Can I move ketika saya tidur to the front, like in English “When I sleep, my room’s curtains are closed”?

Yes. Both are grammatical, just slightly different emphasis:

1. Langsir bilik saya tertutup ketika saya tidur.

   • Neutral, starts with the subject (the curtains).

2. Ketika saya tidur, langsir bilik saya tertutup.

   • Emphasises the time (“when I sleep”).

Both mean the same thing. Malay allows the time phrase ketika saya tidur either at the beginning or at the end.

What’s the difference between ketika, semasa, and apabila here?

All three can translate as when in many contexts:

• ketika saya tidur
• semasa saya tidur
• apabila saya tidur

Rough tendencies (not strict rules):

• ketika

  • Common in writing and speech.
  • Neutral; works well for both specific and general “when”.

• semasa

  • Often used for “during (the time when)”.
  • Slightly more formal; common in writing.

• apabila

  • Often used in condition-like or rule-like statements:
    
    • Apabila saya tidur, langsir bilik saya tertutup.
  • Sounds a bit more formal than bila (informal “when”).

In everyday speech, many people say bila saya tidur, but ketika saya tidur is a safe, standard choice.

Can I drop saya and just say ketika tidur?

Yes, if the subject is clear from context, Malay often omits pronouns:

• Langsir bilik saya tertutup ketika tidur.

This would usually be understood as “when I sleep” in context, especially if you’re talking about your own habits. But it can sound a little more general/impersonal, like “when (one) sleeps”.

If you want to be explicit that it’s you, ketika saya tidur is clearer.