Learn Hardcore Malay: Buku itu disimpan di rak tinggi di ruang tamu. - That book is stored on the tall shelf in the living room.

buku itu often marks the noun as specific/known (definite), similar to English the book.
If you really want to emphasize physical distance (“that book over there”), context, pointing, or intonation usually does the job; the same itu is used.

So buku itu can be either the book or that book, depending on context, but the structure noun + itu is the normal order.

What exactly does disimpan mean, and why is it in this form?

Disimpan comes from the root verb simpan (to keep / store / put away).

simpan = to keep, store
meN-
- simpan → menyimpan = to keep/store (active)
di-
- simpan → disimpan = to be kept/stored (passive)

So disimpan is a passive or stative form:

Buku itu disimpan… → The book is kept… / is being kept…

Malay often uses this di- passive form when:

The agent (the doer) is unknown, unimportant, or obvious from context.
You’re focusing on the thing and its state/location, not on who is doing the action.

No agent is stated here, so it just means the book is (kept/stored) somewhere, without saying by whom.

Who is doing the action in Buku itu disimpan…? Where is the “by someone”?

The agent (the person who keeps the book) is simply omitted. This is very common and natural in Malay.

You could add an agent:

Buku itu disimpan oleh saya.
→ The book is kept by me.

But in everyday speech and writing, Malays often leave out both oleh and the agent when it’s not important:

Buku itu disimpan di rak tinggi…
→ The book is kept on the high shelf… (no need to say “by who”)

So, the sentence is grammatically complete even without mentioning the doer.

Why do we use di with a space (di rak, di ruang tamu)? I’ve also seen di- joined to verbs.

In Malay, di appears in two very different roles:

As a preposition for location (always written separately):
- di rak = on/at the shelf
- di ruang tamu = in the living room
- di rumah = at home
  Here, di is like English in / at / on.
As a passive verb prefix (written attached to the verb):
- disimpan = is kept / is stored
- ditulis = is written
- dibeli = is bought

In your sentence, both uses appear:

disimpan → passive verb (prefix, no space)
di rak tinggi di ruang tamu → two locative prepositional phrases (preposition, with space)

So:

di + verb (joined) → passive marker
di + noun (separated) → location preposition

Why is it rak tinggi and not tinggi rak? Where do adjectives go?

In Malay, descriptive words (adjectives) normally come after the noun:

rak tinggi = high/tall shelf
rumah besar = big house
baju merah = red shirt

So the pattern is:

noun + adjective

Saying tinggi rak would be incorrect in standard Malay when you just mean “tall/high shelf”. The adjective often keeps the same form; you don’t need anything like -er or -est markers.

Why is di repeated: di rak tinggi di ruang tamu? Can I just say di rak tinggi ruang tamu?

In di rak tinggi di ruang tamu, there are two separate location phrases:

di rak tinggi = on the high shelf
di ruang tamu = in the living room

So you get:

Buku itu disimpan
di rak tinggi
di ruang tamu.

Repeating di makes it clear that you have two distinct places: shelf and living room.

You could say di rak tinggi ruang tamu, and it would be interpreted as one complex noun phrase:

rak tinggi ruang tamu ≈ “the living-room high shelf”

This is possible, but it sounds more like naming a specific shelf (“the living room’s high shelf”) rather than clearly listing two separate locations. The version with two di is clearer and more typical for learners.

Does this sentence mean “The book is (currently) on the shelf” or “The book is kept there habitually”? What tense is it?

Malay does not mark tense the way English does. Disimpan by itself is tenseless; context gives the time reference.

Buku itu disimpan di rak tinggi di ruang tamu can mean:

The book is kept on the high shelf in the living room.
(habitual / general practice)
The book is being kept / is stored on the high shelf in the living room.
(current state)

If the context is about where it usually goes, English “is kept” fits well. If the context is “Where is the book now?”, it can also mean it is (currently) kept / stored there.

To make tense/aspect more explicit, Malay usually adds time words:

Buku itu telah disimpan… = the book has been / was kept… (past)
Buku itu sedang disimpan… = the book is being kept… (ongoing action)

Can I leave out itu and just say Buku disimpan di rak tinggi di ruang tamu?

You can, but the meaning changes slightly.

Buku itu disimpan…
→ Refers to a specific book that both speaker and listener can identify (like the book).
Buku disimpan…
→ More generic:
- “Books are kept on the high shelf in the living room,” or
- “A book is kept…” (non-specific), depending on context.

Without itu/ini, Malay nouns often feel indefinite or general. With itu, it becomes a particular, known book.

What exactly does ruang tamu mean? Is it one word or two, and is it the same as “living room”?

Ruang tamu is a compound noun made of two words:

ruang = space, area, room (in a general sense)
tamu = guest

Together, ruang tamu literally means guest room/guest area, and in modern usage it corresponds to:

living room / sitting room / lounge

It’s written as two words, but understood as a single fixed phrase: ruang tamu = living room.

Is the sentence formal, informal, or neutral? Would it sound natural in everyday conversation?

Buku itu disimpan di rak tinggi di ruang tamu. is neutral and natural. It’s acceptable in:

Everyday speech
Writing (narratives, descriptions)
Neutral/formal contexts (explanations, instructions)

In very casual speech, people might also say things like:

Buku itu letak di rak tinggi di ruang tamu.
(using letak “to put/place” instead of disimpan)

But your original sentence is perfectly normal, polite, and widely usable.