masih + Predicate

Continuing State with Masih

Level 2

Masih = Still. It shows that a situation or action is continuing and has not changed.

How It Works

The word masih is used to express continuity in Malay. Because Malay verbs do not change for tense, masih acts as a clear marker that a state or action is ongoing from a previous point in time. It can be used with various parts of speech:

  • With Verbs: Indicates an action is still in progress (e.g., masih tidur - still sleeping).
  • With Adjectives: Indicates a quality remains the same (e.g., masih muda - still young).
  • With Nouns: Indicates a role or identity hasn't changed (e.g., masih pelajar - still a student).
  • With Prepositions: Indicates someone is still at a location (e.g., masih di pejabat - still at the office).

While sedang focuses on the action being in progress right now, masih emphasizes that the action has not stopped. To say 'still not yet,' you can combine it with belum to form masih belum.

Examples (5)

  1. Dia masih tidur walaupun sudah pukul sepuluh pagi.

    He is still sleeping even though it is already ten in the morning.

    Word by Word: He still sleep although already hour ten morning.

    Here, 'masih' precedes the verb 'tidur' to show the action of sleeping has not ended.

  2. Kereta lama itu masih cantik.

    That old car is still beautiful.

    Word by Word: Car old that still beautiful.

    'Masih' is used with the adjective 'cantik' to show the state of beauty persists despite the car being old.

  3. Saya masih belum makan tengah hari.

    I still haven't eaten lunch yet.

    Word by Word: I still not-yet eat middle day.

    The combination 'masih belum' is a common way to say 'still not yet' in Malay.

  4. Ayah masih di pejabat.

    Father is still at the office.

    Word by Word: Father still at office.

    'Masih' works perfectly with prepositional phrases to indicate someone remains at a location.

  5. Walaupun dia kaya, dia masih bekerja keras.

    Even though he is rich, he still works hard.

    Word by Word: Although he rich, he still work hard.

    This shows 'masih' used with a verb phrase to indicate a continuing habit or effort.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'tidak masih' to mean 'no longer'.

    Saya tidak masih tinggal di sini.
    Saya tidak tinggal di sini lagi.

    In Malay, you cannot negate 'masih' directly with 'tidak'. To say 'no longer', use the verb followed by lagi.

  • 'Saya masih makan' is correct, but it means you are still eating, not that you are eating right now.

    Different MeaningSaya masih makan.
    Saya sedang makan.

    Use 'sedang' for an action in progress. 'Masih' means it is still going on and has not stopped yet, often longer than expected.

How It Connects

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masih + PredicateLevel 2Continuing State with Masih

Learn This First

To understand 'masih + predicate', learners need to be comfortable with the basic Malay sentence structure where verbs and adjectives act as predicates without a copula. It is also helpful to understand how aspect markers (like 'sedang' or 'sudah') are used in place of grammatical tense to modify the state or timing of an action.

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Words in This Pattern

masih