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Questions & Answers about Dia cuba bertenang.
Why does dia mean both he and she?
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.
What does cuba mean here?
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.
Why is it bertenang and not just tenang?