Pagi ini, saya tidak pergi ke kelas kerana saya sakit.

This morning, I did not go to class because I was sick.

Breakdown of Pagi ini, saya tidak pergi ke kelas kerana saya sakit.

• saya: I
• adalah: to be
• pergi: to go
• ke: to
• kelas: the class
• tidak: not
• kerana: because
• pagi ini: this morning
• sakit: sick

Questions & Answers about Pagi ini, saya tidak pergi ke kelas kerana saya sakit.

Why does the sentence start with Pagi ini? Could I also say Saya tidak pergi ke kelas pagi ini?

Both are correct. Malay word order is quite flexible with time expressions.

• Pagi ini, saya tidak pergi ke kelas kerana saya sakit.
  – Puts emphasis on this morning. Very natural in Malay to start with time.

• Saya tidak pergi ke kelas pagi ini kerana saya sakit.
  – Also correct, sounds a bit more neutral to an English speaker.

In Malay, time words (like pagi ini, semalam, tahun depan) often come at the beginning of the sentence for clarity and emphasis, but putting them later is usually still grammatical.

There is no past tense marker, but the meaning is I didn’t go (past). How does Malay show past tense here?

Malay verbs do not change form for tense. Pergi stays the same for past, present, and future.

Time is shown by:

• Time words: pagi ini (this morning) signals that the action is in the past (earlier today).
• Context: Listeners infer whether it was past, present, or future.

So:

• Saya pergi ke kelas. = I go / I am going / I went to class.
• Pagi ini, saya tidak pergi ke kelas. = This morning, I didn’t go to class.

The time expression pagi ini plus context makes it clear it is past.

Why is tidak used for negation here and not bukan?

Malay has two common negatives with different uses:

• tidak (or informal tak)

  • Used with verbs and adjectives.
  • Example: saya tidak pergi (I do not go), saya tidak sakit (I am not sick).

• bukan

  • Used with nouns, pronouns, and noun phrases, often to correct or contrast.
  • Example: Itu bukan buku saya. (That is not my book.)

In the sentence:

• tidak is negating the verb pergi (go): saya tidak pergi (I didn’t go).
  Because we are negating a verb, tidak is correct, not bukan.

Is sakit a verb (like “to be sick”) or an adjective (“sick”) in Malay?

In Malay, sakit is usually treated like an adjective meaning sick / ill / in pain, but adjectives can function as the whole predicate, without a verb to be.

So:

• saya sakit literally: I sick, but means I am sick / I was sick depending on context.
• There is no separate verb like am / is / are here.

So kerana saya sakit = because I am/was sick, even though grammatically it’s because I (am) sick with no linking verb.

Could I drop the second saya and just say kerana sakit?

Yes, that’s very natural in Malay.

All of these are possible:

1. Pagi ini, saya tidak pergi ke kelas kerana saya sakit.
   – Fully explicit; repeats saya.

2. Pagi ini, saya tidak pergi ke kelas kerana sakit.
   – More concise; subject is understood from context.

3. Pagi ini, saya tidak pergi ke kelas. Saya sakit.
   – Two separate sentences; sounds a bit more emphatic.

Malay often omits repeated subjects when they are clear from context, especially in speech.

Can I also leave out the first saya and just say Pagi ini, tidak pergi ke kelas kerana saya sakit?

That sounds incomplete or childlike in standard Malay if you’re talking about yourself. You normally keep the subject saya at least once:

• Pagi ini, saya tidak pergi ke kelas kerana sakit. ✅
• Pagi ini, tidak pergi ke kelas kerana sakit. ❌ (sounds like something is missing in normal speech/writing)

Subjects can be dropped in some informal contexts, but learners should keep them, especially with saya, to sound natural and clear.

Why is ke used in pergi ke kelas? Could I just say pergi kelas?

Ke is a preposition meaning to / towards and is standard with movement verbs like pergi (go):

• pergi ke kelas = go to class
• pergi ke sekolah = go to school

In informal spoken Malay, many people say:

• pergi kelas, pergi sekolah

and omit ke. This is very common in casual conversation, but in standard / formal Malay, especially in writing or exams, you should include ke.

What’s the difference between kerana and sebab? Can I use sebab here instead?

Both kerana and sebab mean because and are often interchangeable.

• kerana

  • Slightly more formal or neutral.
  • Common in writing and formal speech.

• sebab

  • Very common in conversation.
  • Also used as a noun meaning reason (e.g. sebab apa? = for what reason? / why?).

In this sentence, you can say:

• Pagi ini, saya tidak pergi ke kelas kerana saya sakit. ✅
• Pagi ini, saya tidak pergi ke kelas sebab saya sakit. ✅ (more conversational)

Can kerana saya sakit be put at the beginning of the sentence?

Yes, you can front the reason:

• Kerana saya sakit, pagi ini saya tidak pergi ke kelas.
• Kerana saya sakit, saya tidak pergi ke kelas pagi ini.

This structure is grammatically correct and used for emphasis on the reason (because I am sick). In everyday speech, many people still keep the original order, but this reordered version is fine.

Is the comma after Pagi ini necessary? Does it change the meaning?

The comma is a punctuation choice, not a grammar rule.

• Pagi ini, saya tidak pergi ke kelas kerana saya sakit.
• Pagi ini saya tidak pergi ke kelas kerana saya sakit.

Both are acceptable in modern writing. The comma just makes the pause after Pagi ini clearer, similar to English:

• This morning, I didn’t go to class…

It doesn’t change the meaning; it only affects rhythm and clarity on the page.

What is the difference between pagi ini and pagi tadi?

Both refer to this morning, but there’s a nuance:

• pagi ini

  • Literally this morning (today’s morning).
  • Often used while the day is still ongoing, and especially if the morning you refer to feels close to now.

• pagi tadi

  • Literally earlier this morning / this morning just now.
  • Emphasizes that it was earlier, already finished.

In many situations, both can translate as this morning, but pagi tadi more strongly signals earlier today, definitely in the past. The grammar of the sentence stays the same if you swap them.

Is the overall level of this sentence formal or informal? Would native speakers say it like this?

The sentence is neutral and natural; it works in both spoken and written contexts:

• Pagi ini, saya tidak pergi ke kelas kerana saya sakit.

To make it more informal / conversational, speakers often change a few things:

• Pagi ni saya tak pergi kelas sebab saya sakit.
  
  • ini → ni (informal pronunciation)
  • tidak → tak (informal negative)
  • drop ke in pergi kelas (common in speech)
  • kerana → sebab (more colloquial)

As written originally, it is perfectly natural and slightly more standard.