Datuk dia tua.

his/her

Breakdown of Datuk dia tua.

• tua: old
• datuk: the grandfather

Questions & Answers about Datuk dia tua.

Why is there no word for is in this sentence?

Malay often leaves out the verb to be when the predicate is an adjective or a noun.

So Datuk dia tua literally looks like Grandfather his/her old, but the natural English meaning is His/Her grandfather is old.

This is completely normal in Malay:

• Dia marah = He/She is angry
• Rumah itu besar = That house is big

What does dia mean here?

Here, dia means his or her.

Even though dia is often taught first as he/she, it can also show possession when it comes after a noun:

• rumah dia = his/her house
• kawan dia = his/her friend
• datuk dia = his/her grandfather

So in this sentence, datuk dia means his grandfather or her grandfather.

Does dia mean his or her? How do I know which one?

Malay dia is gender-neutral. It can mean he, she, him, her, his, or her, depending on context.

So Datuk dia tua can mean either:

• His grandfather is old
• Her grandfather is old

Malay usually does not mark gender unless the speaker adds extra information.