Saya suka pandangan dia tentang kerja.

I like his/her view about work.

Breakdown of Saya suka pandangan dia tentang kerja.

• saya: I
• suka: to like
• kerja: the work
• tentang: about
• dia: his/her
• pandangan: the view

Questions & Answers about Saya suka pandangan dia tentang kerja.

What does suka mean here? Is it more like like, love, or enjoy?

In this sentence, suka is closest to English like.

• Saya suka pandangan dia = I like his/her view/opinion.
• It is not as strong or romantic as to love.
• It can sometimes mean enjoy (for activities):
  
  • Saya suka membaca. = I like/enjoy reading.

If you want a stronger, more emotional meaning like love, you would usually use other words such as sayang (for people, family, close ones) or cinta (romantic or deep love), not suka.

Is suka a verb or an adjective in Malay?

Functionally, Malay learners can treat suka as a verb meaning to like.

• It behaves like a verb:
  
  • Saya suka kopi. = I like coffee.
  • Dia suka kerja ini. = He/She likes this job.

Linguistically it is a stative verb (describing a state/feeling), but in practical terms you can just think of it as the Malay equivalent of like used as a verb.

Why is it Saya suka pandangan dia and not just Saya suka dia?

• Saya suka dia. = I like him/her (as a person).
• Saya suka pandangan dia. = I like his/her view/opinion.

By adding pandangan, you are being specific: you like the person’s opinion or perspective about work, not necessarily the person themselves.

English often says I like his opinion, not I like him, in this kind of context. Malay does the same with pandangan dia.

What exactly does pandangan mean here?

Pandangan has a few related meanings, depending on context:

1. View / opinion / standpoint (abstract) – this is the meaning in your sentence.

   • pandangan dia tentang kerja = his/her view/opinion about work

2. View / sight / scenery (physical)

   • pandangan dari atas bukit itu cantik.
     = The view from that hill is beautiful.

You know it means opinion here because it’s followed by tentang kerja (about work), which is abstract, not physical scenery.

Why is it pandangan dia and not pandangannya? What’s the difference?

Both are grammatically correct, but they differ in style and nuance:

• pandangan dia

  • Very common in everyday spoken Malay.
  • Literally view/opinion he/she, i.e. his/her opinion.
  • Casual, neutral, natural in conversation.

• pandangannya

  • Uses the suffix -nya for possession: his/her/its.
  • Feels more formal or written.
  • Common in essays, articles, or more polished speech.

So you could also say:

• Saya suka pandangannya tentang kerja.
  This sounds a bit more formal/polished than pandangan dia.

What does dia mean? Does it distinguish between he and she?

Dia is a third-person singular pronoun and it covers both:

• he
• she

Malay does not mark gender in pronouns the way English does, so:

• dia = he or she
• pandangan dia = his opinion or her opinion, depending on context.

If you want to be particularly respectful (for someone older, a superior, or someone you respect highly), you can use:

• beliau instead of dia (in formal contexts):
  
  • Saya suka pandangan beliau tentang kerja.
    = I like his/her view about work. (respectful/formal)

Could I say dia punya pandangan instead of pandangan dia?

You can, but be careful with style:

• dia punya pandangan literally = his/her opinion (using punya = to have).
• This structure (X punya Y) is very casual / colloquial, often associated with informal speech and some regional varieties.

Comparing:

• Saya suka pandangan dia tentang kerja.
  – Natural, neutral, good for almost all situations.
• Saya suka dia punya pandangan tentang kerja.
  – Sounds very casual, conversational, and not suitable for formal writing.

For learners aiming at standard Malay, pandangan dia or pandangannya are better choices.

What is the role of tentang? Can I replace it with other words?

tentang means about / regarding / concerning.

• pandangan dia tentang kerja
  = his/her opinion about work

You can often replace tentang with:

• mengenai (more formal / neutral)
  
  • pandangan dia mengenai kerja
• berkenaan (dengan) (formal)
  
  • pandangan dia berkenaan kerja
• pasal (colloquial, informal)
  
  • pandangan dia pasal kerja

All of these can mean about work, but:

• tentang – safe, neutral, common.
• mengenai / berkenaan – more formal, written or polite speech.
• pasal – informal, casual speech.

What does kerja mean here? Is it job, work, or working?

kerja is a flexible word. It can mean:

1. Work in general / the concept of work

   • As in your sentence: about work (in general).

2. Job / occupation (in some contexts)

   • Saya suka kerja ini. = I like this job/work.

Related words you might see:

• pekerjaan
  
  • More clearly job/occupation (more formal).
  • pandangan dia tentang pekerjaan = his/her opinion about employment/jobs.
• bekerja
  
  • Verb: to work.
  • Dia bekerja di bank. = He/She works at a bank.

In your sentence, tentang kerja is best understood as about work (work as a general topic, not a specific job position).

Is the word order Saya suka pandangan dia tentang kerja the normal order in Malay?

Yes. The structure follows a very typical Malay pattern:

• Saya (Subject)
• suka (Verb)
• pandangan dia (Object)
• tentang kerja (Additional detail/complement)

Malay generally prefers:

Subject + Verb + Object + extra information

You can’t freely move words around the way you sometimes can in English. For example:

• ❌ Suka saya pandangan dia tentang kerja.
  – This sounds wrong/unnatural.

Stick to Saya suka pandangan dia tentang kerja.

Can I drop saya or dia in this sentence like in some other languages?

In careful / standard Malay, you normally keep the pronouns:

• Saya suka pandangan dia tentang kerja.

However, in very conversational speech:

• Sometimes saya is dropped if the subject is very obvious from context:

  • Suka pandangan dia tentang kerja.
    – People might say this, but it’s quite informal and can sound incomplete if context is not clear.

• You normally do not drop dia inside pandangan dia, because then it would just be pandangan = view/opinion (without saying whose).

For learners, it is safer and clearer to keep both pronouns in this sentence.

How could I make this sentence more formal or polite?

You can adjust both vocabulary and pronouns to sound more formal:

1. Change dia to beliau (respectful third person):

   • Saya suka pandangan beliau tentang kerja.

2. Use a more formal verb like menghargai (to appreciate) instead of suka:

   • Saya menghargai pandangan beliau tentang kerja.
   • = I appreciate his/her view about work.

3. Use pandangannya instead of pandangan dia:

   • Saya menghargai pandangannya tentang kerja.

This last one is quite formal and would fit well in a presentation, meeting, or written report.

How would I say I like his/her way of working, not just his/her opinion about work?

To focus on the way he/she works, change pandangan (opinion) to cara (way/manner) plus bekerja (to work):

• Saya suka cara dia bekerja.
  = I like the way he/she works.

Compare:

• Saya suka pandangan dia tentang kerja.
  – I like his/her opinion about work.
• Saya suka cara dia bekerja.
  – I like the way he/she works (his/her working style).