Ayah saya jaga anak kecil itu.

My father takes care of that small child.

Breakdown of Ayah saya jaga anak kecil itu.

• itu: that
• anak: the child
• kecil: small
• saya: my
• ayah: the father
• jaga: to take care of

Questions & Answers about Ayah saya jaga anak kecil itu.

Why does Ayah saya mean my father when the word order is different from English?

In Malay, possession is usually shown by putting the thing owned first and the owner after it.

• ayah = father
• saya = I / me

So ayah saya literally looks like father I, but it means my father.

Pattern:

• buku saya = my book
• kereta saya = my car
• kawan saya = my friend

So Ayah saya jaga anak kecil itu = My father takes care of that small child.

Could I say saya ayah or saya punya ayah instead of ayah saya?

• saya ayah is wrong. That would sound like two separate words: I / me
  • father with no clear relationship.
• saya punya ayah literally means I have a father or the father that I have. It’s grammatically possible but sounds unusual or wordy in this sentence.

For my father, the natural, everyday way is:

• ayah saya = my father

So you should say:

• Ayah saya jaga anak kecil itu, not Saya punya ayah jaga anak kecil itu.

What is the difference between ayah, bapa, abah, and similar words?

All can refer to father, but they differ in region, formality, and tone:

• ayah – very common and neutral; used in speech and writing; good default in Malay.
• bapa – a bit more formal; used in official terms (e.g. bapa saudara = uncle) or in some regions.
• abah, ayahanda, walid, etc. – regional, cultural, or more emotional/formal variants.

In this sentence, Ayah saya jaga anak kecil itu is completely natural. You could also hear Bapa saya jaga anak kecil itu in some areas, but ayah is safest for learners.

What exactly does jaga mean here? Is it just to take care of?

jaga has a few related meanings, depending on context:

• to look after / take care of
  
  • Ayah saya jaga anak kecil itu. = My father takes care of that small child.
  • Dia jaga ibunya yang sakit. = He/She looks after his/her sick mother.
• to guard / watch over
  
  • Dia jaga pintu. = He/She guards the door.
• to stay awake / stay alert
  
  • Jaga malam. = Night watch / night guard.

In this sentence, it clearly means to take care of / look after. The of in take care of is already built into jaga; you don’t add another word for of.

Why is it jaga and not menjaga? Are both correct?

Both jaga and menjaga come from the same root, but:

• menjaga is the formal / standard verb form.
• jaga (without the meN- prefix) is common in informal spoken Malay.

In everyday conversation, people often drop the meN- prefix:

• Ayah saya jaga anak kecil itu. (colloquial, very natural in speech)
• Ayah saya menjaga anak kecil itu. (more formal/standard, good in writing or careful speech)

As a learner, it’s good to recognise both. Use menjaga in formal writing, and expect to hear jaga in daily spoken Malay.

There’s no word for is / am / are in the sentence. How is tense shown in Malay here?

Malay usually does not use a separate verb like English “is/are” for action verbs. The base verb (jaga) can cover several English tenses:

• Ayah saya jaga anak kecil itu.
  Depending on context, can mean:
  • My father takes care of that small child. (habitual)
  • My father is taking care of that small child. (right now)
  • My father will take care of that small child. (future, if context makes it clear)

Tense and aspect are usually clarified with time words:

• semalam = yesterday
• tadi = just now
• sekarang = now
• nanti / esok = later / tomorrow

Examples:

• Semalam ayah saya jaga anak kecil itu. = Yesterday my father took care of that small child.
• Sekarang ayah saya sedang jaga anak kecil itu. = Now my father is taking care of that small child.
• Esok ayah saya akan jaga anak kecil itu. = Tomorrow my father will take care of that small child.

Is anak kecil one fixed word, or is it just anak + kecil?

It’s anak + kecil:

• anak = child / offspring
• kecil = small, little

Together:

• anak kecil = small child / little kid

This is a normal noun + adjective structure, not a single fixed word. You can change the adjective:

• anak besar = big child
• anak comel = cute child
• anak nakal = naughty child

Why is it anak kecil, not kecil anak like in English small child?

In Malay, the typical order is:

NOUN + ADJECTIVE

So:

• anak kecil = child small → small child
• kereta merah = car red → red car
• rumah besar = house big → big house

Putting the adjective before the noun (kecil anak) is ungrammatical. Always keep the thing first and the description after it.

Does anak kecil itu mean that small child or those small children?

By itself, anak kecil itu is usually understood as that small child (singular), but Malay often doesn’t mark plural explicitly, so context matters.

• anak kecil itu
  
  • typically = that small child
  • could also mean those small children if the context clearly talks about more than one.

If you want to make it clearly plural, you can use:

• anak-anak kecil itu = those small children
• beberapa orang anak kecil itu = several of those small children

So:

• Ayah saya jaga anak kecil itu.
  → usually interpreted as My father takes care of that small child.

What does itu do here, and can its position change?

itu is a demonstrative meaning that / that…there. In noun phrases, it normally comes after the noun (and its adjective):

• anak kecil itu = that small child
• rumah besar itu = that big house
• kereta merah itu = that red car

You can say itu anak kecil, but:

• anak kecil itu behaves like “that small child”
• itu anak kecil is more like “that (one), the small child”, and is less common as a plain noun phrase inside a sentence. You’ll hear it more in pointing or contrastive contexts.

For this kind of simple sentence, stick to:

• anak kecil itu = that small child

Is this sentence formal or informal? How would it look in more standard Malay?

Ayah saya jaga anak kecil itu is natural, neutral spoken Malay. It’s not slangy, but the bare jaga (without meN-) is more conversational.

A more formal / standard version would be:

• Ayah saya menjaga anak kecil itu.

Both are correct; the difference is mainly:

• Ayah saya jaga… – what people casually say in everyday conversation.
• Ayah saya menjaga… – what you’re more likely to see in writing, news, essays, or careful speech.

As a learner, you should understand both forms.

How would I change this sentence to say “My father is taking care of that small child now / always / tomorrow”?

You keep the basic structure and add time/aspect words:

1. Now (present continuous)

   • Sekarang ayah saya sedang jaga anak kecil itu.
     = My father is taking care of that small child now.
   • sedang marks an ongoing action.

2. Always (habitual)

   • Ayah saya selalu jaga anak kecil itu.
     = My father always takes care of that small child.
   • selalu = always.

3. Tomorrow (future)

   • Esok ayah saya akan jaga anak kecil itu.
     = Tomorrow my father will take care of that small child.
   • akan = will (future marker), often optional if esok is already there.

Notice how the core pattern stays:

Ayah saya + jaga/menjaga + anak kecil itu,
and you adjust the meaning with words like sekarang, sedang, selalu, esok, akan, etc.