Bayi itu tidur dalam buaian dekat tingkap.

In Malay, demonstratives usually come after the noun, not before it.

So:

• bayi itu = that baby / the baby
• tingkap itu = that window / the window

This is normal Malay word order. English says that baby, but Malay says baby that.

It can mean either, depending on context.

In Malay, itu often does two jobs:

• it can be a true demonstrative: that baby
• it can also make the noun definite: the baby

So bayi itu tidur... could be understood as:

• That baby is sleeping...
• The baby is sleeping...

Malay does not always separate those two meanings as clearly as English does.

Malay verbs do not change form for person or tense the way English verbs do.

So tidur can mean:

• sleep
• sleeps
• is sleeping
• sometimes even slept

The time is usually understood from context, or shown with extra words such as:

• sedang tidur = is sleeping
• sudah tidur = has slept / already slept
• akan tidur = will sleep

In your sentence, tidur most naturally means is sleeping or sleeps, depending on context.

Dalam means in or inside.

So:

• dalam buaian = in the cradle

It emphasizes being inside or within something. In this sentence, it tells you where the baby is sleeping.

Yes. Di dalam buaian is also correct.

A rough distinction:

• dalam buaian = in the cradle
• di dalam buaian = also in the cradle, sometimes a little more explicit

In everyday Malay, both are common. In many sentences, the difference is small.

Dekat means near, close to, or sometimes by.

So:

• dekat tingkap = near the window

In modern everyday Malay, dekat can work directly as a preposition, so dekat tingkap is perfectly natural.

You may also see di dekat, but dekat by itself is very common in speech and writing.

Buaian usually means a cradle, baby hammock, or swinging cot, depending on context and region.

In this sentence, because the subject is bayi (baby), buaian is best understood as a cradle or baby hammock.

It comes from the idea of something that swings/rocks.

The sentence follows a very common Malay pattern:

• Bayi itu = subject
• tidur = verb
• dalam buaian = place
• dekat tingkap = additional place/location detail

So the structure is basically:

Subject + Verb + Location

Malay often puts location phrases after the verb, just like English does in sentences such as The baby is sleeping in the cradle near the window.

Yes, you can say:

Bayi tidur dalam buaian dekat tingkap.

But the meaning changes a little.

• bayi itu = the baby / that baby (specific)
• bayi = a baby, babies, or baby in a more general sense, depending on context

So itu helps make the noun more specific and definite.

In normal reading, it most naturally means the baby is sleeping in a cradle that is near the window, or more loosely that the sleeping is happening in the cradle near the window.

In practice, both ideas point to almost the same situation:

• the cradle is near the window
• the baby, being in the cradle, is therefore near the window

So learners usually do not need to force a strong distinction here.

Malay generally does not have articles that directly match English a/an and the.

Instead, Malay expresses those ideas through:

• context
• word order
• demonstratives like ini and itu
• classifiers/number words when needed

So in this sentence:

• bayi itu gives a definite/specific feeling, like the baby or that baby
• tingkap has no article, but English translation may still need the window or a window depending on context