Saat resah dan mual, saya mencoba latihan napas dalam-dalam selama lima menit.

Breakdown of Saat resah dan mual, saya mencoba latihan napas dalam-dalam selama lima menit.

saya
I
dan
and
mencoba
to try
saat
when
selama
for
lima
five
resah
uneasy
mual
nauseous
latihan napas dalam-dalam
deep-breathing exercise
menit
minute
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Questions & Answers about Saat resah dan mual, saya mencoba latihan napas dalam-dalam selama lima menit.

Why does the sentence start with Saat ..., and what grammar is that?

Saat means when / at the time (that). Here it introduces a time/condition clause: Saat resah dan mual, ... = When (I was) anxious and nauseous, .... Indonesian often puts this kind of clause at the beginning to set the scene, followed by a comma.


Where is the subject in Saat resah dan mual? Who is anxious and nauseous?

It’s understood from context—usually the same subject as the main clause (saya). Indonesian commonly omits the subject in a dependent clause if it’s obvious:

  • Saat resah dan mual, saya ...Saat saya resah dan mual, saya ... Both are correct; the version without repeating saya sounds smoother.

What’s the difference between resah and cemas / gelisah?

They overlap but have different “feel”:

  • resah: restless, uneasy, troubled (often emotional discomfort that won’t settle)
  • cemas: anxious/worried (more directly “anxiety”)
  • gelisah: restless/fidgety, unable to stay calm
    In this sentence, resah fits a general uneasy feeling that pairs well with physical discomfort (mual).

Does mual mean “nauseous” or “to vomit”?

mual means nauseous / feeling like vomiting.
to vomit is usually muntah (verb) or memuntahkan (more formal/causative). So:

  • Saya mual = I feel nauseous
  • Saya muntah = I vomited / I’m vomiting

Why use mencoba here? Could it be coba?

mencoba is the verb to try with the meN- prefix (more standard/written). coba is very common in speech and casual writing.

  • Formal/neutral: saya mencoba latihan ...
  • Casual: saya coba latihan ... Both mean I tried ....

What exactly does latihan napas mean? Is it the same as “breathing exercise”?

Yes. latihan = exercise / practice / training, and napas = breath/breathing. So latihan napas = breathing exercise(s).
You may also see:

  • latihan pernapasan (more formal/technical; pernapasan = respiration/breathing)
  • latihan bernapas (exercise in breathing; focuses on the action bernapas)

Why is it napas, and sometimes I see nafas—which one is correct?

Both exist in real usage, but napas is the standard spelling in modern Indonesian (KBBI). nafas is an older/alternative spelling influenced by Arabic transliteration and is still common informally. In learning materials, napas is usually preferred.


What does dalam-dalam mean, and why is it repeated?

dalam means deep. Repeating it (dalam-dalam) is a common Indonesian way to intensify or pluralize an action/quality, meaning very deep / deeply / repeatedly deep.
So latihan napas dalam-dalam means deep-breathing practice (taking deep breaths).


How should I understand the word order latihan napas dalam-dalam?

Indonesian noun phrases often stack like this:

  • latihan (main noun: exercise/practice)
  • napas (what kind of exercise: breathing)
  • dalam-dalam (how the breathing is done: deep)
    So it’s essentially [exercise] [of breathing] [deeply]deep-breathing exercise.

What’s the role of selama lima menit? Could it be placed somewhere else?

selama means for (a duration), so selama lima menit = for five minutes.
It commonly goes at the end, but you can move it for emphasis:

  • ... selama lima menit (most natural)
  • ... selama lima menit saya mencoba latihan napas ... (possible, but less smooth)
  • Saya mencoba ... selama lima menit saat resah dan mual (changes focus slightly)

Is the comma after mual necessary?

It’s not strictly required, but it’s very common and helps readability when a sentence starts with a time/condition clause. Without it, the sentence is still understandable:

  • Saat resah dan mual saya mencoba ... (okay, just less clear at a glance)

Could this sentence be said more naturally in everyday Indonesian?

Yes—this version is already natural, but here are common alternatives:

  • More casual: Pas lagi resah dan mual, aku coba latihan napas dalam-dalam lima menit.
  • Slightly more formal/explicit: Saat saya merasa resah dan mual, saya mencoba latihan pernapasan dalam selama lima menit.