Dia cuba bertenang.

In Malay, dia is a gender-neutral third-person singular pronoun. It can mean he, she, or sometimes they in a singular sense, depending on context.

Malay usually does not mark gender in pronouns the way English does, so you have to rely on the situation or previous information to know whether dia is male or female.

Examples:

• Dia guru. = He/She is a teacher.
• Dia datang semalam. = He/She came yesterday.

Here, cuba means to try or to attempt.

In Dia cuba bertenang, it works like English tries to:

• Dia cuba... = He/She tries to...

A useful pattern is:

[subject] + cuba + verb

Examples:

• Saya cuba faham. = I try to understand.
• Mereka cuba tidur. = They try to sleep.

Tenang by itself usually means calm or peaceful and is often an adjective.

Bertenang is a verb formed with the prefix ber-, and it means something like:

• to be calm
• to stay calm
• to calm oneself

So in this sentence, bertenang is the action being attempted.

A rough comparison:

• tenang = calm
• bertenang = to remain/become calm, to compose oneself

That said, in everyday Malay, you may also hear related expressions like:

• cuba tenang
• tenanglah
• bertenang dulu

The exact choice can vary by style and context.

The prefix ber- often forms intransitive verbs in Malay. That means verbs that do not usually take a direct object.

In many cases, ber- gives the sense of:

• being in a state
• having something
• doing an action for oneself or as a general activity

In bertenang, it gives the sense of being/staying calm.

Other examples of ber-:

• berjalan = to walk
• berdiri = to stand
• bercakap = to speak
• berehat = to rest

So tenang is the idea calm, while bertenang turns that into a verb-like form.

Yes, the basic word order here is very similar to English:

• Dia = subject
• cuba = verb
• bertenang = second verb/complement

So the structure is:

Subject + cuba + verb

This is similar to:

• He tries to stay calm.

Malay often has quite straightforward word order in simple sentences.

Malay does not need a separate word like English to in this kind of structure.

In English:

• He tries to stay calm.

In Malay:

• Dia cuba bertenang.

The verb cuba can be followed directly by another verb. So the idea of try to do something is expressed simply as:

cuba + verb

Examples:

• Saya cuba belajar. = I try to study.
• Dia cuba lari. = He/She tries to run.

Malay verbs usually do not change form for tense the way English verbs do. So Dia cuba bertenang does not by itself mark present, past, or future clearly.

Depending on context, it could mean:

• he/she tries to stay calm
• he/she is trying to stay calm
• he/she tried to stay calm

If you want to make time clearer, Malay usually adds time words:

• Dia sedang cuba bertenang. = He/She is trying to stay calm.
• Dia cuba bertenang semalam. = He/She tried to stay calm yesterday.
• Dia akan cuba bertenang. = He/She will try to stay calm.

So context and time markers are very important in Malay.

Yes. If you want to emphasize that the action is happening right now, you can say:

• Dia sedang cuba bertenang.

Sedang often marks an ongoing action, similar to English is/are ... -ing.

Compare:

• Dia cuba bertenang. = He/She tries to stay calm / is trying to stay calm.
• Dia sedang cuba bertenang. = He/She is currently trying to stay calm.

Without sedang, the sentence is still completely natural.

Sometimes yes, if the subject is already clear from context.

For example, in a conversation, someone might simply say:

• Cuba bertenang.

But notice that this can also sound like a command:

• Try to stay calm.

So if you say:

• Dia cuba bertenang. = He/She is trying to stay calm.
• Cuba bertenang. = Try to stay calm.

Leaving out the subject can change the meaning, so context matters a lot.

Yes, very often.

For example:

• Cuba dengar. = Try listening. / Just listen.
• Cuba lihat. = Try looking. / Look.
• Cuba bertenang. = Try to stay calm.

So cuba can be:

1. a normal verb meaning to try
2. an imperative marker meaning something like try..., just..., or a softener

In Dia cuba bertenang, it is a normal verb, not a command.

It is understandable and grammatical, but in everyday speech, Malay speakers may more often use other expressions depending on context, such as:

• cuba tenang
• tenangkan diri
• jangan panik
• bertenang dulu

For example:

• Dia cuba menenangkan diri. = He/She tried to calm himself/herself.
• Dia cuba tenang. = He/She tried to stay calm.

So Dia cuba bertenang is fine, but it is useful to know there are other very natural ways to express the same idea.

A simple approximate pronunciation for an English speaker is:

dee-yah choo-bah ber-teh-nahng

A few notes:

• dia = usually dee-yah
• cuba = choo-bah
• ber- = the r is lightly pronounced
• tenang = the final ng is like the ng in song

Malay pronunciation is generally quite regular, so once you know the sound system, it becomes easier to read aloud.

In standard Malay as used in Malaysia and Brunei, cuba is the normal choice.

Mencoba is more associated with Indonesian. In Malay, the equivalent derived form would be less common in this everyday sentence. So if you are learning Malay, it is best to use:

• Dia cuba bertenang.

not:

• Dia mencoba bertenang.

This is a good example of a small Malay-Indonesian difference.