Dalam keluarga kami, kami saling sokong.

In our family, we support each other.

Breakdown of Dalam keluarga kami, kami saling sokong.

• keluarga: the family
• dalam: in
• kami: we
• kami: our
• sokong: to support
• saling: mutually

Questions & Answers about Dalam keluarga kami, kami saling sokong.

Why is kami used twice? Isn’t that redundant?

In Malay this repetition is natural, not redundant.

• Dalam keluarga kami = In our family (possessive: whose family? ours)
• kami saling sokong = we support each other (subject: who is doing the action? we)

So the first kami shows possession (our family), and the second kami is the subject of the verb. Malay doesn’t usually omit the subject pronoun the way some languages do, so both are kept even if it sounds repetitive in English.

What is the difference between kami and kita? Could I say Dalam keluarga kita?

Malay distinguishes between two kinds of we:

• kami = we (but not you) → excludes the listener
• kita = we (including you) → includes the listener

So:

• Dalam keluarga kami implies In our family (that doesn’t include you) – for example, talking to someone outside the family.
• Dalam keluarga kita implies In our family (including you) – for example, parents talking to their child, or siblings talking to each other.

Both are grammatically correct; which one you use depends on whether you want to include the person you’re speaking to in that “we”.

What exactly does dalam mean here? How is it different from di or di dalam?

Dalam basically means in / inside. In this sentence it introduces a “space” that is more abstract:

• Dalam keluarga kami = within the context / environment of our family.

Differences:

• di is usually at / in / on (location):

  • di rumah = at home
  • di sekolah = at school

• dalam is more like inside / within, and is often used:

  • with containers: dalam beg (in the bag)
  • with abstract groups or situations: dalam masyarakat (in society), dalam keluarga (in the family)

• di dalam literally in inside, often used for physical locations, a bit more explicit:

  • di dalam bilik = inside the room

In your sentence, Dalam keluarga kami is the natural choice. Di keluarga kami would sound odd.

Is the word order fixed? Could I say Kami saling sokong dalam keluarga kami instead?

You can change the word order, and both are grammatical:

1. Dalam keluarga kami, kami saling sokong.
   → Emphasis on the family context first.

2. Kami saling sokong dalam keluarga kami.
   → Emphasis on we support each other, then you add the context.

Both are acceptable. The original version sounds a bit more like a general statement about how things are in our family.

What does saling mean? Do I always need it for “each other”?

Saling marks a reciprocal action (people doing something to each other). It roughly means mutually / one another / each other.

So:

• kami sokong = we support (someone/something)
• kami saling sokong = we support each other

You use saling before a verb:

• saling membantu = help each other
• saling menghormati = respect each other
• saling mencintai = love each other

You don’t have to use saling; you can also express “each other” with:

• antara satu sama lain = with one another / with each other
  
  • Kami menyokong antara satu sama lain.

But saling + verb is a very compact and common way to say “each other”.

Why is it saling sokong and not saling menyokong? Which one is correct?

The “full” standard form is:

• kami saling menyokong = we support each other

Here, menyokong is the meN- verb form from sokong.

However, in everyday spoken Malay, people often use the base verb after saling:

• saling sokong, saling bantu, saling tolong

So:

• saling menyokong → more formal/complete
• saling sokong → very common in speech, and widely understood and accepted, especially in informal contexts

Both are understandable; if you want to sound a bit more formal or textbook-correct, use saling menyokong.

Do I need an object after sokong? Why don’t we say who we support?

With saling, the object is understood: the people in the group are supporting each other.

• Without saling:
  
  • Kami sokong kamu. = We support you. (object = kamu)
• With saling:
  
  • Kami saling sokong. = We support each other. (object is implied by saling)

Because saling already means each other, it’s normal to omit an explicit object pronoun. Adding one would usually be redundant or ungrammatical in simple sentences like this.

Is the comma after keluarga kami necessary?

In Malay, the comma here is mostly a stylistic choice, not a strict grammatical requirement.

• Dalam keluarga kami, kami saling sokong.
• Dalam keluarga kami kami saling sokong.

Both are understandable. The comma marks a short pause and helps separate the introductory phrase (Dalam keluarga kami) from the main clause (kami saling sokong). In writing, most people would include it because it improves readability.

Could I say keluarga saya instead of keluarga kami?

You can, but the meaning changes:

• keluarga saya = my family (focus on me and my family as my possession)
• keluarga kami = our family (focus on the family as a group we belong to)

So:

• Dalam keluarga saya, kami saling sokong.
  → In my family, we support each other. (speaker’s personal perspective)

• Dalam keluarga kami, kami saling sokong.
  → In our family, we support each other. (group perspective, “our” as a unit)

Both sentences are correct; it just depends on what nuance you want.

How would I make this sentence sound a bit more formal or complete?

A slightly more formal and explicit version could be:

• Dalam keluarga kami, kami saling menyokong antara satu sama lain.

Changes:

• saling menyokong instead of saling sokong (full verb form)
• antara satu sama lain explicitly restates “one another”

The original sentence is perfectly fine and natural in informal or neutral contexts; the expanded version just sounds more formal and explicit.