Apabila adik lelaki saya resah pada waktu malam, ibu menepuk belakangnya perlahan sampai dia menguap.

to be

Breakdown of Apabila adik lelaki saya resah pada waktu malam, ibu menepuk belakangnya perlahan sampai dia menguap.

• sampai: until
• saya: my
• apabila: when (formal)

Questions & Answers about Apabila adik lelaki saya resah pada waktu malam, ibu menepuk belakangnya perlahan sampai dia menguap.

What does apabila mean here?

Apabila means when or whenever.

In this sentence, it introduces the situation that triggers the main action:

• Apabila adik lelaki saya resah... = When/Whenever my younger brother is restless...

A few useful comparisons:

• apabila — a bit more formal or written
• bila — very common in everyday speech
• ketika — often translated as when, sometimes a little more literary or formal

So this sentence could also be said more casually with bila.

Why does the sentence begin with Apabila adik lelaki saya resah... instead of starting with ibu?

Malay can put the time/condition clause first, just like English can:

• When my younger brother is restless at night, mother...

This is very natural in Malay. It sets the scene before the main action.

You could also change the order:

• Ibu menepuk belakangnya perlahan apabila adik lelaki saya resah pada waktu malam.

That is also grammatical, but starting with apabila... gives a smoother when X happens, Y happens structure.

What exactly does adik lelaki saya mean?