Learn Hardcore Malay: Dia menutup jendela bilik tidur kerana hujan lebat. - He/She closes the bedroom window because of the heavy rain.

In this sentence, dia = he/she (a person previously known from context).
Malay normally doesn’t use dia for it (for objects/animals, people tend to repeat the noun or use other strategies).
There is a separate plural they: mereka.

You work out whether dia is “he” or “she” purely from context, not from the word itself.

Why is there no word meaning “the” before jendela and bilik tidur?

Malay does not use articles like “a / an / the”.

jendela can mean a window or the window.
bilik tidur can mean a bedroom or the bedroom.

Definiteness is understood from context. If the context is “their house”, jendela bilik tidur will naturally be interpreted as the bedroom window, not “a random bedroom window somewhere”.

How does jendela bilik tidur work grammatically? Is it “bedroom window” or “window of the bedroom”?

jendela bilik tidur is a noun + noun phrase:

jendela = window
bilik tidur = bedroom (literally “sleep room”)

When two nouns are placed together like this, it usually means “X of Y” / “Y’s X” or a compound like English “bedroom window”:

jendela bilik tidur ≈ “the bedroom’s window” / “the bedroom window”.

Malay typically puts the main noun first, and the modifier noun after it:

jendela (main noun) + bilik tidur (which window? the bedroom one).

What is the difference between menutup and tutup?

Both are related to “to close / shut”, but their use differs:

tutup is the base verb and can also be used as an imperative:
- Tutup pintu. = “Close the door.”
menutup is the meN- verb form, often used in full sentences with a subject:
- Dia menutup jendela. = “He/She closed the window.”

In many everyday sentences with a clear subject, menutup sounds more natural/formal than just tutup. However, in casual spoken Malay, you may also hear dia tutup jendela, which is acceptable in conversation.

How do I know this sentence is in the past? There’s no past tense marker.

Malay verbs don’t change form for tense (no -ed, no -s). menutup can mean:

“closes” (present)
“closed” (past)
“is closing” / “was closing” (progressive), depending on context.

You understand the time from context or from time words like:

semalam = yesterday
tadi = just now
akan = will (future marker)
sudah / telah = already (often used to mark completed action)

Examples:

Dia telah menutup jendela… = He/She has already closed the window…
Dia akan menutup jendela… = He/She will close the window…

In your sentence, the English translation “closed” comes only from context, not from a special past‑tense form.

What does kerana do here? Is it the same as “because”?

Yes. kerana is a conjunction meaning “because / since”.

Structure here:

Dia menutup jendela bilik tidur = main clause
kerana hujan lebat = reason clause (“because (there was) heavy rain”)

Malay does not need to state “there is/was” in the second part. hujan lebat alone is enough to mean “it was raining heavily”.

So the pattern is:

[Main action] + kerana + [reason]
e.g. Saya lambat kerana jem. = “I’m late because (there is a) traffic jam.”

Can kerana be replaced with sebab? Is there any difference?

Yes, you can usually replace kerana with sebab, but there are style differences:

kerana = more formal / neutral, common in writing and speech.
sebab = more colloquial, very common in speech.

Your sentence could be:

Dia menutup jendela bilik tidur sebab hujan lebat. (more casual)

Note: sebab can also be used as a noun meaning “cause / reason”:

Apakah sebabnya? = “What is the reason?”

Why is it hujan lebat and not lebat hujan?

In Malay, adjectives and many descriptive words normally come after the noun they describe.

hujan = rain
lebat = heavy (for rain) / dense

Correct order:

hujan lebat = heavy rain

Putting lebat first (lebat hujan) is ungrammatical in this context. The usual pattern is:

noun + adjective
- bilik besar = big room
- kereta merah = red car
- hujan lebat = heavy rain

Can I use tingkap instead of jendela?

Yes, in Malaysia, tingkap is very common for “window” in everyday speech.

jendela is also correct; it can sound a bit more formal or literary, and is common in Indonesian as well.
In normal Malaysian conversations, you will often hear:
- Dia menutup tingkap bilik tidur kerana hujan lebat.

Both are understood; choice depends on region and register.

Can I drop dia and just say Menutup jendela bilik tidur kerana hujan lebat?

You generally should not drop dia here if you mean a normal narrative sentence.

Menutup jendela bilik tidur kerana hujan lebat. (without subject) sounds incomplete or like a fragment, unless it’s part of a list, a headline, or a note.
Without a subject, it can also be interpreted as something like a general instruction: “(Someone) closes the bedroom window because of the heavy rain.”

Malay does allow subject dropping in some informal contexts, but for clear, standard sentences like this, keep dia to show who is doing the action.