Saya menonton video di skrin komputer.

I watch a video on the computer screen.

Breakdown of Saya menonton video di skrin komputer.

• saya: I
• menonton: to watch
• di: on
• video: the video
• skrin komputer: the computer screen

Questions & Answers about Saya menonton video di skrin komputer.

Why is menonton used here instead of melihat or tengok?

Malay has several verbs related to seeing / watching:

• menonton – to watch (something with moving images: video, TV, film). This is the standard, neutral choice here.
• melihat – to see / to look at (more general, can be used for things that don’t move).
• tengok – very common colloquial verb meaning “look / watch”; less formal than menonton.

Since a video is like a movie (moving images over time), menonton video is the most natural standard-Malay expression for “watching a video”.

In casual speech, you will often hear Saya tengok video di skrin komputer, but in writing or more careful speech, Saya menonton video… is preferred.

How do I say “I am watching a video…” (present continuous) using this sentence?

Malay verbs don’t change form for tense or aspect. Saya menonton video di skrin komputer can already mean:

• I watch a video on the computer screen.
• I am watching a video on the computer screen.
• I watched a video on the computer screen. (if the context is past)

If you specifically want to highlight the ongoing action (am currently watching), add sedang:

• Saya sedang menonton video di skrin komputer.
  – I am (currently) watching a video on the computer screen.

sedang + verb ≈ English am/is/are + -ing.

Is video here singular or plural? How would I say videos?

In Malay, nouns don’t change form for plural. The word video can mean video or videos, depending on context.

• Saya menonton video di skrin komputer.
  – I’m watching a video / some videos on the computer screen. (context decides)

To make plural explicit, you have a few options:

• banyak video – many videos
  
  • Saya menonton banyak video di skrin komputer.
• dua/ tiga / beberapa video – two / three / several videos
  
  • Saya menonton beberapa video di skrin komputer.

Reduplication (video-video) is technically possible but sounds awkward with this loanword; most speakers just say banyak video, beberapa video, etc., not video-video in everyday use.

Do I need a classifier like sebuah before video to mean “a video”?

No, you don’t need a classifier here. Saya menonton video… is already natural.

Malay often uses classifiers (called penjodoh bilangan) with numerals or when emphasizing countable units:

• sebuah video – one video (counting or emphasizing “one”)
  
  • Saya menonton sebuah video di skrin komputer.

But in a simple sentence like this, speakers usually omit it. Using sebuah is correct but more marked, often implying exactly one specific video. Without it, video is more neutral and natural in conversation.

Can I drop Saya and just say Menonton video di skrin komputer?

Yes, subject pronouns can be omitted when they are clear from context:

• Menonton video di skrin komputer.
  – (I’m / you’re / we’re) watching a video on the computer screen.

However:

• As a full standalone sentence, Saya menonton video… sounds more complete and natural.
• In conversation, after the subject has already been established, dropping Saya is common. For example:
  A: Apa yang awak buat? – What are you doing?
  B: Menonton video di skrin komputer. – (I’m) watching a video on the computer screen.

Why is it di skrin komputer and not something like pada skrin komputer?

Both di and pada can translate as at / in / on, but their typical uses differ:

• di – usual preposition for physical location: in, on, at.
  
  • di rumah, di meja, di skrin komputer
• pada – used more for time and abstract locations/relations, or in formal styles:
  
  • pada pukul tiga (at three o’clock), pada pendapat saya (in my opinion)

For something physically on a screen, di skrin komputer is the normal and most natural choice.

Pada skrin komputer is not wrong, but it sounds formal or stiff, and is much less common in everyday Malay than di skrin komputer.

Why is the word order video di skrin komputer and not di skrin komputer video?

The basic Malay sentence pattern is:

• Subject – Verb – Object – (Place / Time etc.)

So we get:

• Saya (Subject)
• menonton (Verb)
• video (Object)
• di skrin komputer (Place phrase)

The place phrase di skrin komputer modifies the whole action menonton video, so it naturally goes after the direct object.

Putting di skrin komputer before video (e.g. Saya menonton di skrin komputer video) would sound incorrect or confusing, because it breaks the usual Verb–Object–Location order.

What exactly does skrin komputer mean? Is it “computer screen” or “screen of the computer”?

skrin komputer literally is screen computer and is understood as:

• the computer screen
• the screen of the computer

Malay often expresses possession or close association by placing two nouns together:

• skrin komputer – computer screen
• pintu rumah – house door (door of the house)
• bateri telefon – phone battery

If you want to say my computer screen, you add the pronoun after the whole noun phrase:

• skrin komputer saya – my computer screen
• Saya menonton video di skrin komputer saya.
  – I watch a video on my computer screen.

What is the difference between saya and aku here? Could I say Aku menonton video di skrin komputer?

Yes, you can say:

• Aku menonton video di skrin komputer.

The difference is formality and politeness:

• saya – polite, neutral first-person singular; used with strangers, in formal situations, with people you should respect, and is safe almost everywhere.
• aku – informal / intimate; used with close friends, siblings, sometimes with a partner, or in informal youth speech.

Using aku with someone you don’t know well, or in a formal context, can sound too casual or even rude, depending on culture/region. So Saya menonton video… is the default safe choice, especially in textbooks and formal writing.

How would this sentence sound in very casual spoken Malay?

In everyday conversation, especially in Malaysia, people often:

• use tengok instead of menonton, and
• use dekat (often pronounced kat) instead of di in casual speech.

Some natural informal variants:

• Saya tengok video dekat skrin komputer.
• Aku tengok video kat skrin komputer.

These are colloquial and common in speech, social media, chats, etc.
Your original sentence Saya menonton video di skrin komputer. is more standard/neutral, suitable for learning, writing, and formal contexts.