Sementara menunggu tukang paip datang, saya lap air di atas jubin dengan kain lama.

Here sementara means while or in the meantime. In sementara menunggu..., it sets up the idea of one action happening during the time you are waiting for something else.

A rough sense is:

• sementara menunggu... = while waiting for...

Compared with sambil:

• sambil often emphasizes doing two actions at the same time
• sementara often emphasizes the time period during which something happens

In many everyday contexts, both can work, but sementara menunggu is very natural for while waiting.

Menunggu is the verb tunggu with the meN- prefix, which is the normal active-verb form in standard Malay.

So:

• tunggu = the root
• menunggu = to wait / waiting

After sementara, it is very common to use a verb phrase like menunggu tukang paip datang.

In casual spoken Malay, people may sometimes drop prefixes in some contexts, but sementara menunggu is the standard and expected form.

Tukang paip means plumber.

Breakdown:

• tukang = a skilled worker, repair person, craftsperson
• paip = pipe

So literally it is something like pipe worker, but the natural English equivalent is plumber.

This is a common Malay pattern:

• tukang kebun = gardener
• tukang masak = cook
• tukang gunting rambut = barber / hairdresser

Because tukang paip datang means the plumber comes / the plumber to come / the plumber coming, depending on context.

In menunggu tukang paip datang, the structure is:

• menunggu = waiting
• tukang paip = the plumber
• datang = to come

So the whole phrase means waiting for the plumber to come.

Malay often uses this kind of straightforward verb sequence without needing an extra word like English to:

• Saya tunggu dia balik. = I’m waiting for him to come back.
• Kami dengar mereka bercakap. = We heard them speaking.

This is a very good question, because both are connected.

• lap is the root word
• mengelap is the fuller standard active form

In careful standard Malay, many teachers would expect:

• saya mengelap air...

But in everyday use, especially in speech and less formal writing, Malay often allows the shorter verb form after a subject like saya:

• saya lap
• saya ambil
• saya buka

So saya lap air... sounds natural and conversational.
If you want a more formal or textbook-style version, saya mengelap air di atas jubin dengan kain lama is also correct.

Yes — in Malay, air means water.

This is one of the most famous false friends for English speakers.

Examples:

• air sejuk = cold water
• air panas = hot water
• air minum = drinking water

The English word air is usually udara in Malay.

So in this sentence, lap air means wipe the water, not wipe the air.

Yes, literally it is wipe water, but naturally it means wipe up the water or wipe away the water.

Malay often does not need extra particles like English up or away.

So:

• lap air = wipe the water / wipe up the water
• lap meja = wipe the table
• lap lantai = wipe the floor

Context tells you whether it means wiping a surface or wiping liquid off a surface.

Literally, yes:

• di atas = on / on top of / above
• jubin = tiles

In this sentence, di atas jubin most naturally means on the tiled surface or on the floor tiles.

English would often just say on the tiles or on the tiled floor, even though Malay uses di atas.

So this is a place expression showing where the water is.

Jubin means tile or tiles, while lantai means floor.

So:

• di atas jubin focuses on the tiled surface
• di atas lantai focuses on the floor in general

If the speaker wants to be specific that the floor is tiled, jubin is a good choice.

In Malay, adjectives usually come after the noun.

So:

• kain lama = old cloth
• rumah besar = big house
• kereta merah = red car

That is the normal Malay word order:

• noun + adjective

So dengan kain lama means with an old cloth.

Here lama means old.

The word lama can relate to time, but its exact meaning depends on context:

• sudah lama = for a long time
• kawan lama = old friend
• kain lama = old cloth

So in this sentence, it describes the cloth as being old, worn, or not new.

Malay does not usually use articles like English a, an, or the.

So:

• tukang paip can mean a plumber or the plumber
• kain lama can mean an old cloth or the old cloth
• jubin can mean tiles / the tiles

Context tells you which meaning is intended.

That is why Malay sentences can look shorter than English ones.

Yes. A more fully standard version would be:

Sementara menunggu tukang paip datang, saya mengelap air di atas jubin dengan kain lama.

The main difference is mengelap instead of lap.

So:

• saya lap... = natural, everyday, slightly less formal
• saya mengelap... = more formal or textbook-like

Both are understandable, but learners should recognize that the version with meng- is the safer choice in formal writing.