Learn Hardcore Malay: Kami menyimpan dadu kecil di dalam kotak.

Kami menyimpan dadu kecil di dalam kotak.

We keep the small die in the box.

Breakdown of Kami menyimpan dadu kecil di dalam kotak.

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Questions & Answers about Kami menyimpan dadu kecil di dalam kotak.

What exactly does kami mean, and how is it different from kita? Why use kami in this sentence?

kami = we / us (excluding the person you're talking to)
kita = we / us (including the person you're talking to)

So:

Kami menyimpan dadu kecil di dalam kotak.
= We (but not you) keep the small dice in the box.

If the speaker wants to include the listener as part of the group, they would say:

Kita menyimpan dadu kecil di dalam kotak.
= We (you and I) keep the small dice in the box.

Both often get translated as we, but in real usage the inclusive/exclusive difference is important.

What does menyimpan really mean here? Is it “to keep”, “to store”, or “to put”? Could I use other verbs instead?

menyimpan comes from the root simpan, and it broadly means:

to keep
to store
to put something away for later use
to save (e.g. saving money)

In this sentence it suggests regular storage / keeping something in a certain place, not just a one‑off act.

Other verbs you might consider:

meletakkan dadu kecil di dalam kotak
= to place / put the small dice in the box (focus on the action of placing)
menaruh dadu kecil di dalam kotak
= to put / place the small dice in the box (more casual)

menyimpan often implies that is where the dice are stored or kept as their usual place.

Is dadu singular or plural? Does it mean a die or dice? How do I say exactly “one die” or “two dice”?

In Malay, dadu can be singular or plural, depending on context. There is no automatic plural ending like -s in English.

To be precise:

satu dadu or sebiji dadu = one die
dua dadu or dua biji dadu = two dice

biji is a common classifier for small roundish items, including dice.

So:

Kami menyimpan dadu kecil di dalam kotak.

could mean either:

We keep a small die in the box, or
We keep small dice in the box,

depending on the situation.

Why is it dadu kecil and not kecil dadu? What is the general rule for adjectives?

In Malay, adjectives usually come after the noun:

dadu kecil = small die / small dice
kotak besar = big box
kereta baru = new car

General pattern:

noun + adjective

Putting the adjective before the noun (as in English) is normally wrong or at least very unnatural, except in a few fixed or poetic expressions.

What is the difference between di dalam kotak, dalam kotak, and di kotak? Are they all correct?

All three are possible, but they differ slightly:

di dalam kotak
- Literally: at inside (the) box
- A bit more explicit; often slightly more formal or careful.
- Very natural in writing and in careful speech.
dalam kotak
- Literally: inside (the) box
- Very common and natural in everyday speech.
- Often used just like in the box in English.
di kotak
- Literally: at the box / in the box
- Grammatically possible, but here it sounds less specific and less natural.
- di is very common with place nouns: di rumah (at home), di sekolah (at school), etc.

For this sentence, di dalam kotak and dalam kotak are the most natural. Many speakers would simply say:

Kami menyimpan dadu kecil dalam kotak.

How do I show tense in this sentence? How would I say “we kept”, “we are keeping”, or “we will keep” the small dice in the box?

The verb menyimpan itself has no tense. Tense is shown with time words or particles.

Present / general habit
Kami menyimpan dadu kecil di dalam kotak.
= We keep / We usually keep the small dice in the box.
Right now / progressive
Add sedang:
Kami sedang menyimpan dadu kecil di dalam kotak.
= We are (in the process of) putting/keeping the small dice in the box.
Past
Add sudah, telah, or a past time expression:
- Kami sudah menyimpan dadu kecil di dalam kotak.
  = We have already put the small dice in the box.
- Tadi kami menyimpan dadu kecil di dalam kotak.
  = Earlier, we kept/put the small dice in the box.
Future
Add akan or a future time word:
- Kami akan menyimpan dadu kecil di dalam kotak.
  = We will keep the small dice in the box.
- Esok kami menyimpan dadu kecil di dalam kotak.
  = Tomorrow we will keep/put the small dice in the box.

How do I say “in a box” vs “in the box”? There is no word like a or the in the Malay sentence.

Malay generally does not use articles like a / an / the. Whether kotak means a box or the box depends on context.

To be more explicit:

sebuah kotak = a box (one box; buah is a classifier for objects)
Kami menyimpan dadu kecil di dalam sebuah kotak.
= We keep the small dice in a box.
kotak itu = that box / the box (a specific, known box)
Kami menyimpan dadu kecil di dalam kotak itu.
= We keep the small dice in that box / in the box.

Without sebuah or itu, kotak is neutral and can be read as a or the depending on context.

Is the word order fixed? Can I move di dalam kotak to the front of the sentence?

The neutral word order is:

Subject – Verb – Object – (Place / Time)
Kami (S) menyimpan (V) dadu kecil (O) di dalam kotak (Place)

You can move the place phrase to the front for emphasis:

Di dalam kotak, kami menyimpan dadu kecil.
= In the box, we keep the small dice.

This stresses the location.

However, this:

Kami di dalam kotak menyimpan dadu kecil.

is awkward and not natural in everyday Malay, because it splits the subject and verb. In most cases, keep subject + verb together.

Why is the verb menyimpan and not just simpan? When do I use the meN- prefix?

simpan is the root verb.
menyimpan is the active verb form built with the prefix meN-.

Very roughly:

Use meN- + root for normal active sentences with a subject:
- Kami menyimpan dadu kecil di dalam kotak.
  = We keep the small dice in the box.
Use the bare root mainly for:
1. Commands / instructions
  - Simpan dadu kecil di dalam kotak.
    = Keep / Put the small dice in the box.
2. Some fixed expressions, notes, headlines, etc.

So when you say what someone does (with saya, kami, dia, etc.), the meN- form (menyimpan) is normally the standard choice.