Learn Hardcore Malay: Sementara itu, ibu menanggalkan cadar katil dan memasukkannya ke dalam mesin basuh. - Meanwhile, Mother removes the bed sheet and puts it into the washing machine.

Sementara itu, ibu menanggalkan cadar katil dan memasukkannya ke dalam mesin basuh.

Meanwhile, Mother removes the bed sheet and puts it into the washing machine.

Breakdown of Sementara itu, ibu menanggalkan cadar katil dan memasukkannya ke dalam mesin basuh.

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Questions & Answers about Sementara itu, ibu menanggalkan cadar katil dan memasukkannya ke dalam mesin basuh.

What does sementara itu mean exactly, and is it always translated as “meanwhile”?

Sementara itu literally means “in the meantime / during that time / meanwhile”.

sementara = while, during, for a while
itu = that

Together, sementara itu works as a sentence connector, like “meanwhile” or “in the meantime” in English.

It usually:

Refers to something happening at the same time as another action or in the same general time frame.
Can also sound like “at that time”, depending on context.

You don’t have to translate it as “meanwhile” every time; sometimes “at that time” or “in the meantime” is more natural depending on the previous sentence.

Why is there a comma after sementara itu? Could I leave it out?

The comma after sementara itu marks it as an introductory phrase, similar to:

“Meanwhile, …”
“At that time, …”

In writing, the comma:

Makes the sentence easier to read.
Clearly separates the connector (sementara itu) from the main clause (ibu menanggalkan…).

In informal writing (texts, chats), some speakers might drop the comma, but in standard written Malay, the comma is recommended and feels more natural:

Sementara itu, ibu … ✅
Sementara itu ibu … (seen informally, but less standard)

Why does ibu here mean “mother / my mother” and not “a mother / the mother”?

In Malay, family terms like ibu (mother), ayah (father), kakak (older sister), abang (older brother), etc. often act like names:

When the speaker says ibu, it usually means “my mother”, even though “my” is not explicitly said.
This is very common in Malay. The possessive is understood from context.

Compare:

Ibu masak nasi. → My mother cooked rice.
Ayah pergi kerja. → My father went to work.

If you want to be explicit, you can say:

ibu saya = my mother
seorang ibu = a mother (any mother)
ibu itu = that mother / the mother

In this sentence, ibu naturally reads as “(my) mother”.

Is ibu here a common noun or a title? Should it be capitalized?

Grammatically, ibu is a common noun meaning “mother”.

Capitalization depends on how it’s used:

When used as a common noun:
- ibu saya, seorang ibu → usually not capitalized.
When used like a proper name or title (how people actually address someone):
- Ibu, mari makan. (calling your mother)
- In that case, some writers capitalize it: Ibu.

In your sentence:
> Sementara itu, ibu menanggalkan cadar katil…

It could be written as Ibu if it’s clearly referring to your mother as a specific person. Many textbooks and stories keep it lowercase unless it’s direct address, so ibu (lowercase) is also acceptable, especially in narrative style.

What is the root of menanggalkan, and what does the meN-…-kan pattern do here?

The base word is tanggal, which can mean to come off, to come undone, to be removed.

menanggalkan is formed as:

meN- (prefix) + tanggal (root) + -kan (suffix)
→ menanggalkan

Function here:

meN-
- verb: forms an active transitive verb (someone does something).
-kan: often makes it causative or “to cause something to become [state]”.

So menanggalkan = to remove / to take off (something):

menanggalkan kasut = to take off (one’s) shoes
menanggalkan baju = to take off a shirt
menanggalkan cadar katil = to take off the bedsheet

It’s more specific than just mengambil (to take) – it implies removing something from where it was attached / placed.

Why is it cadar katil and not just cadar? What exactly does cadar katil mean?

cadar = bedsheet
katil = bed

cadar katil literally is “bed’s bedsheet”, but idiomatically it just means “bedsheet (the sheet that covers the bed/mattress)”.

Malay commonly uses Noun 1 + Noun 2 to specify a type of noun:

baju tidur = sleep clothes → pyjamas
kunci pintu = door key
cadar katil = bed bedsheet / bedsheet for the bed

You could say only cadar, and people will still understand bedsheet. Adding katil just makes it more explicit and natural in context.

What does memasukkannya consist of? How is it built morphologically?

memasukkannya is built from:

masuk = to enter, to go in
meN-
- masuk
  - -kan → memasukkan
    - memasukkan = to put something into / to insert
Add -nya (pronoun suffix) → memasukkannya

So:

memasukkan = to put [something] into [somewhere]
-nya = it / him / her / them (depending on context)

In this sentence, -nya refers back to cadar katil:

memasukkannya ≈ to put it (the bedsheet) into [something]

What exactly does the -nya in memasukkannya refer to, and can it also mean “them”?

Here, -nya refers to cadar katil (the bedsheet). Malay doesn’t mark gender (no he/she), and number is often flexible:

-nya can mean:
- it
- him / her
- them (when the object is understood as plural)

In this sentence:

Literally, cadar is usually singular (one bedsheet).
So memasukkannya is best taken as “put it in” (the bedsheet).

If there were clearly multiple items (e.g. cadar-cadar, several sheets), -nya could be translated as “them” in English.

Why does the sentence use memasukkannya ke dalam mesin basuh instead of something like meletakkannya di mesin basuh?

There are two key differences:

Verb meaning
- memasukkan (from masuk) = to put something into / inside
- meletakkan (from letak) = to place / to put (somewhere), not necessarily inside something

Putting clothes or sheets in a washing machine is naturally described as putting them into the machine, so memasukkan … ke dalam mesin basuh is more precise.

Preposition choice
- ke dalam = into (movement from outside to inside)
- di = at / in / on (location, not movement)

So:

memasukkannya ke dalam mesin basuh = put it into the washing machine
meletakkannya di mesin basuh would sound more like “put it on/at the washing machine”, not quite right for this action.

What is the difference between ke dalam and dalam on its own? Why not just say memasukkannya dalam mesin basuh?

ke dalam = into, focusing on movement from outside to inside.
- ke = to / towards
- dalam = inside

Together: ke dalam → to the inside of → into.

dalam alone = inside / in, and can be used with either location or movement, depending on the verb and context. In casual speech, many people do say:
- memasukkannya dalam mesin basuh

That is understood and widely used, especially in informal Malay.

However, ke dalam is more precise and more common in formal / careful writing when you want to clearly express movement into something.

What does mesin basuh literally mean, and is it the same as Indonesian mesin cuci?

Yes, they refer to the same thing, but they use different words:

mesin = machine (same in Malay and Indonesian)
basuh (Malay) = to wash
cuci (Indonesian, also understood in Malay) = to wash

So:

Malay: mesin basuh = washing machine
Indonesian: mesin cuci = washing machine

Malaysians will understand mesin cuci too, but mesin basuh is the standard Malay term.

Could the sentence say Ibu menanggalkan cadar katil dan memasukkan cadar katil ke dalam mesin basuh instead of using memasukkannya? What is the difference?

Yes, you can repeat the noun:

… dan memasukkan cadar katil ke dalam mesin basuh. ✅

Grammatically correct and clear. However:

Using memasukkannya:

Avoids repetition of cadar katil.
Sounds more natural and smooth in Malay, especially in narrative writing.
The -nya clearly refers back to the last mentioned object (cadar katil).

So both are correct, but native speakers often prefer the version with -nya for better flow.

There is no past tense marker in Malay. How do we know this sentence is in the past (e.g. “Meanwhile, mother took off the bedsheet…”), not present or future?

Malay generally does not use verb tenses like English. Time is shown by:

Context (earlier sentences, the overall story)
Time adverbs like tadi (earlier), semalam (yesterday), akan (will), sudah/dah (already), etc.

Your sentence by itself can mean:

Meanwhile, mother takes off the bedsheet and puts it in the washing machine. (present)
Meanwhile, mother is taking off… (present continuous)
Meanwhile, mother took off… (past)

In a story that is clearly told in the past, readers interpret it as past automatically. The form of the verb (menanggalkan, memasukkannya) does not change; only the time reference around it changes the interpretation.