Saya cuci tangan dengan sabun di singki.

I wash my hands with soap at the sink.

Breakdown of Saya cuci tangan dengan sabun di singki.

• saya: I
• di: at
• dengan: with
• tangan: the hand
• cuci: to wash
• singki: the sink
• sabun: the soap

Questions & Answers about Saya cuci tangan dengan sabun di singki.

Why is there no word for “my” in “tangan”? Why isn’t it “tangan saya”?

Malay often leaves out possessive pronouns when the owner is obvious from context.

• Saya cuci tangan literally = I wash hands, but it is naturally understood as I wash *my hands*.
• You only need tangan saya when:
  • You want to contrast/clarify: Saya cuci tangan saya, bukan tangan dia. (I wash my hands, not his.)
  • You emphasise whose hands: Doktor pegang tangan saya. (The doctor held my hand.)

So:

• Saya cuci tangan dengan sabun di singki. = I wash my hands with soap at the sink.
• Saya cuci tangan saya dengan sabun di singki. = Also correct, but a bit more explicit/emphatic.

Why is it “cuci tangan” and not “mencuci tangan”?

Both are correct; the difference is mostly formality and style.

• cuci = root verb (informal, everyday speech)
• mencuci = meN-
  • root verb (more formal/written style)

Usage:

• Spoken: Saya cuci tangan dengan sabun. (Most natural in daily conversation.)
• Written / more formal: Saya mencuci tangan dengan sabun.

Grammatically:

• Both follow the same pattern: [subject] + (meN-)verb + object
• Meaning is the same here: I wash my hands.

Can I say “Saya basuh tangan” instead of “Saya cuci tangan”? What’s the difference between cuci and basuh?

You can say Saya basuh tangan, and people will understand you.

General tendencies (can vary by region):

• cuci

  • Often used for: hands, face, teeth, clothes, things that need cleaning.
  • E.g. cuci tangan, cuci pinggan, cuci kereta, cuci muka.

• basuh

  • Very often used for: washing with water, especially clothes and dishes.
  • E.g. basuh baju, basuh pinggan, basuh beras.

For hands, you will hear both, but cuci tangan sounds very natural and slightly more “standard”. Basuh tangan is also used, especially colloquially, and is not wrong.

Why is “tangan” singular in Malay when English says “hands” (plural)?

Malay often uses the singular form for body parts that come in pairs, especially when the meaning is obvious:

• Saya cuci tangan. → I wash my hand (literally) → understood as I wash my hands.
• Saya gosok gigi. → literally I brush tooth → means I brush my teeth.

If you want to emphasise that you mean both hands, you can say:

• Saya cuci kedua-dua tangan saya. = I wash both my hands.
• Saya cuci semua jari tangan saya. = I wash all the fingers of my hands.

But in everyday speech, Saya cuci tangan already implies hands.

What does “dengan” mean in “dengan sabun”, and could I say something else instead?

dengan literally means “with” and here it expresses the instrument or means:

• cuci tangan dengan sabun = wash hands with soap / using soap.

Alternative ways to say it:

• pakai sabun (colloquial, very common):
  • Saya cuci tangan pakai sabun.
• menggunakan sabun (more formal):
  • Saya mencuci tangan menggunakan sabun.

All three are acceptable:

• dengan sabun – neutral, simple.
• pakai sabun – casual, everyday speech.
• menggunakan sabun – more formal / written / careful speech.

Can I leave out “dengan” and just say “Saya cuci tangan sabun di singki”?

No, that would be ungrammatical or at least very unnatural.

Malay normally needs a preposition or verb to mark the relationship:

• dengan sabun (with soap)
• pakai sabun (using soap)
• guna sabun (use soap)

So you should say one of these:

• Saya cuci tangan dengan sabun di singki.
• Saya cuci tangan pakai sabun di singki.
• Saya mencuci tangan menggunakan sabun di singki.

Without dengan / pakai / guna / menggunakan, sabun just hangs there without a clear function.

What does “di” mean in “di singki”, and is it the only option?

di is the basic preposition for location: “at / in / on”, depending on context.

• di singki = at the sink.
• di rumah = at home.
• di meja = on/at the table.

You normally do not use pada for physical location like this. Pada is used more for time, abstract relations, and sometimes for people (pada saya = in my opinion).

So:

• Saya cuci tangan dengan sabun di singki. = correct, natural.
• Saya cuci tangan dengan sabun pada singki. = unnatural/wrong for this meaning.

Can I change the word order of “dengan sabun” and “di singki”?

Yes, you can move the two phrases, and the meaning stays the same, though rhythm/emphasis can change slightly.

All of these are acceptable:

1. Saya cuci tangan dengan sabun di singki.
2. Saya cuci tangan di singki dengan sabun.

Both mean: I wash my hands with soap at the sink.

General rule: Time / manner / place phrases are flexible in Malay, and you can move them around as long as the sentence remains clear. Here, both orders are clear and natural.

When would I drop “Saya” and just say “Cuci tangan dengan sabun di singki”?

If you drop Saya, it usually becomes:

• an instruction / command, or
• a general rule / reminder.

Examples:

• Cuci tangan dengan sabun di singki.
  = Wash your hands with soap at the sink. (an order or reminder on a poster or from a parent/teacher)

In normal statements about yourself, you keep Saya:

• Saya cuci tangan dengan sabun di singki.
  = I wash my hands with soap at the sink.

How do I show tense, like “I am washing / I will wash” in Malay? The sentence has no tense.

Malay verbs generally do not change form for tense. Time is shown by context or extra words.

Examples with your sentence:

• Present continuous:
  Saya sedang cuci tangan dengan sabun di singki.
  (sedang = currently / in the middle of)
• Past:
  Tadi saya cuci tangan dengan sabun di singki.
  (tadi = earlier / just now)
• Future:
  Saya akan cuci tangan dengan sabun di singki nanti.
  (akan = will, nanti = later)

Without any time word, Saya cuci tangan dengan sabun di singki can be:

• present (I wash / am washing),
• past (I washed),
• or habitual (I usually wash),
  depending on context.

Is “singki” a Malay word or just English “sink” with Malay spelling? Are there alternatives?

singki is a loanword from English “sink”, adapted to Malay spelling and pronunciation.

• Spelling: singki (not sink in standard Malay).
• Pronunciation: roughly “sing-kee”.

Alternative expressions, depending on context:

• sink dapur = kitchen sink.
• sink bilik air / sink tandas = bathroom sink.
• more descriptive: tempat basuh tangan = place to wash hands.

But for everyday speech, singki is very common and perfectly standard.

Why is the subject “Saya” used, and could I say “Aku” instead?

Saya and aku both mean “I”, but they differ in politeness and context:

• Saya

  • Polite, neutral, safe with strangers, teachers, older people, formal situations.
  • Very common in writing, public signs, textbooks.

• Aku

  • Informal/intimate: close friends, family, very casual.
  • Can sound rude or too direct in formal situations if used with the wrong person.

So:

• Saya cuci tangan dengan sabun di singki.
  = neutral/polite, good for most situations.
• Aku cuci tangan dengan sabun di singki.
  = okay with close friends or in casual speech, but avoid with people you don’t know well or in formal contexts.