Learn Hardcore Malay: Saya membaca bukunya di ruang tamu. - I read his/her book in the living room.

baca = base form; often used in casual speech: Saya baca buku (I read the book).
membaca = standard / more formal or neutral form, made by adding the prefix meN- to baca.

In full, correct standard Malay, membaca is preferred, especially in writing, teaching materials, or formal speech. So Saya membaca bukunya sounds neutral and correct; Saya baca bukunya sounds more casual/colloquial but is very common in everyday conversation.

What does the -nya in bukunya mean? Whose book is it?

The suffix -nya is a third-person marker. In bukunya, it usually means his/her/their book (depending on context):

bukunya = his book / her book / their book / its book

Malay does not mark gender or number here, so context tells you whether it’s his, her, or their. If the wider conversation already mentioned "Ali", then bukunya will likely mean Ali’s book, etc.

In some contexts, -nya can also make a noun more definite (like “the”), but in this sentence it will most naturally be read as someone’s book.

Could bukunya also just mean “the book” rather than “his/her book”?

Yes, in some situations bukunya can be understood as “the book” with a sense of definiteness or familiarity, like “that book” or “the book we’ve been talking about”.

However, the primary, default meaning of -nya after a noun is “his/her/their/its”.
So:

buku = a book / books (indefinite)
buku itu = that book / the book
bukunya = usually his/her/their book, but sometimes the book (that we both know about)

Without extra context, teachers will usually gloss bukunya as “his/her book”.

Can I say buku dia instead of bukunya? Is there any difference?

Yes, you can say buku dia, and it is fully grammatical.

buku dia = his/her book (more clearly pronoun-based)
bukunya = his/her book (more compact, often slightly more “language-like” or natural in writing or storytelling)

Subtle nuances:

buku dia is very common in everyday spoken Malay and is very clear.
bukunya feels a bit more compact, sometimes slightly more formal or narrative/story-like, but it’s also common in speech.

In many sentences, they are interchangeable:

Saya membaca buku dia di ruang tamu.
Saya membaca bukunya di ruang tamu.

Both can mean: I read his/her book in the living room.

How do we know the tense in Saya membaca bukunya di ruang tamu? Is it past, present, or future?

Malay verbs do not change form for tense. membaca always stays the same. The tense is understood from context or time words:

Past: Tadi saya membaca bukunya di ruang tamu. (Earlier, I read his/her book…)
Present: Sekarang saya membaca bukunya di ruang tamu. (Now I am reading his/her book…)
Future: Nanti saya akan membaca bukunya di ruang tamu. (Later I will read his/her book…)

Without any time marker, Saya membaca bukunya di ruang tamu can usually be interpreted as present (I am reading / I read), but depending on context it might also be understood as past or future.

Why is saya used, and can I use aku instead?

Saya is the standard, neutral, polite “I” pronoun. It’s safe in almost all situations: speaking to strangers, older people, in class, at work, etc.

Aku also means “I”, but:

It’s more intimate or casual.
It’s used with close friends, siblings, romantic partners, or in songs, poetry, and informal writing.

You can say:

Saya membaca bukunya di ruang tamu. (neutral/polite)
Aku baca bukunya di ruang tamu. (casual, with friends)

Just be careful not to use aku with people you should be polite/formal with (teachers, elders, in official situations), unless you know it’s acceptable in that relationship.

Do I always need to say saya, or can I drop it and just say Membaca bukunya di ruang tamu?

In Malay, the subject pronoun is often omitted when it is clear from context, especially in casual speech.

So yes, you might hear or see:

Membaca bukunya di ruang tamu.

In isolation, this looks like a sentence fragment, but in a conversation, it can be perfectly natural if everyone already knows who is being talked about.

For learning and for clear, standalone sentences, it’s better to keep saya:

Saya membaca bukunya di ruang tamu.

What is the function of di in di ruang tamu?

di is a preposition meaning “at / in / on” when it comes before a noun of location.

di rumah = at home
di sekolah = at school
di ruang tamu = in the living room

In this sentence, di ruang tamu tells you where the action is happening.

Note: di as a preposition (separate word) is different from di- as a prefix in passive verbs (e.g. dibaca, ditulis). Here it is clearly the preposition because it’s followed by the noun ruang tamu.

What exactly does ruang tamu mean? Why are there two words?

ruang tamu literally breaks down as:

ruang = space / area / room
tamu = guest

So ruang tamu = guest room / guest space, which in modern usage corresponds to “living room” or “sitting room” – the main area where guests are received.

It is normally written as two separate words: ruang tamu.

Can I say di dalam ruang tamu instead of di ruang tamu? Is there a difference?

Yes, you can say:

Saya membaca bukunya di dalam ruang tamu.

di dalam literally means “inside”, so:

di ruang tamu = in/at the living room (standard, very common)
di dalam ruang tamu = inside the living room (slightly more explicit that you are inside the space)

In many practical contexts, they are interchangeable, and di ruang tamu is more concise and very natural.

Is the word order fixed? Can I move di ruang tamu to the front?

Malay word order is relatively flexible, especially for adverbials like location. You can say:

Saya membaca bukunya di ruang tamu. (neutral)
Di ruang tamu, saya membaca bukunya. (more emphasis on the location)

Both are correct. Moving di ruang tamu to the front often emphasizes where the action happens, or sets the scene, especially in storytelling or writing.

Could Saya membaca bukunya di ruang tamu mean “I am reading the book to him/her in the living room”?

No, not in this form. bukunya almost certainly means “his/her book” (or “the book”) as a possessed object, not “to him/her”.

To say “I am reading the book to him/her in the living room”, you would typically phrase it differently, for example:

Saya membaca buku itu kepada dia di ruang tamu.
Saya membacakan buku itu kepadanya di ruang tamu.

Here, kepada dia / kepadanya clearly mark the person who receives the action (the one you read to). In your original sentence, there is no such marking, so it only means you read the book (his/her book) in the living room.

Is membaca bukunya transitive? Do I need any extra marker for the object?

Yes, membaca is a transitive verb, and bukunya is its direct object. You do not need any extra marker; Malay normally doesn’t use a special word like English “to” or “at” for direct objects.

Structure:

Saya (subject)
membaca (verb)
bukunya (direct object)
di ruang tamu (location phrase)

This is a standard S–V–O–(adverbial) structure and is completely natural.