Saya guna sudu untuk makan sup.

I use a spoon to eat soup.

Breakdown of Saya guna sudu untuk makan sup.

• saya: I
• makan: to eat
• untuk: for
• guna: to use
• sup: the soup
• sudu: the spoon

Questions & Answers about Saya guna sudu untuk makan sup.

What does guna mean, and why is it used instead of menggunakan?

guna is the root verb meaning “to use.” In everyday spoken Malay, people often shorten the formal menggunakan (meN- + gunakan) to guna for simplicity. Both mean to use, but menggunakan is more formal or literary, while guna is common in casual conversation.

What is the difference between guna and pakai?

Though both can translate as “use,” they have different nuances:

• guna is a general “use” for tools, methods, skills, etc.
• pakai often implies wearing or putting on (clothing, accessories) or “use up” (e.g., pakai duit = use money).
  For a utensil like a spoon, guna sudu sounds more natural than pakai sudu.

Why is sup used for “soup”? Is it an English loanword?

Yes, sup comes from English soup. Many food names in Malay are borrowed from other languages. It’s fully integrated, so you pronounce it su-p (short u like in put).

Can we drop untuk and just say Saya guna sudu makan sup?

You could, and people would understand, but it’s less idiomatic. untuk introduces purpose (“in order to”), making it clearer:
• Saya guna sudu untuk makan sup = “I use a spoon in order to eat soup.”
Without untuk, it reads more like a rapid list of actions.

Why do we say makan sup (“eat soup”) instead of minum sup (“drink soup”)?

In Malay, makan covers consuming solid and semi-liquid foods (rice, noodles, porridge, soup). minum is reserved for drinks (water, tea, coffee). Since soup is treated as food, the correct verb is makan.

How do you express past or future tense, e.g. “I used a spoon” or “I will use a spoon”?

Malay verbs don’t inflect for tense. You add time-words or particles:

• Past: Saya sudah guna sudu untuk makan sup or Saya telah guna sudu untuk makan sup (“I already used a spoon to eat soup”).
• Future: Saya akan guna sudu untuk makan sup (“I will use a spoon to eat soup”).
• Habitual: Saya selalu guna sudu untuk makan sup (“I always use a spoon to eat soup”).

What’s the plural of sudu (“spoon”)?

Malay nouns don’t change form for plural. You still say sudu for both “spoon” and “spoons.” To signal plurality, add a number or quantifier:

• dua sudu (two spoons)
• beberapa sudu (several spoons)

Can we omit saya and say Guna sudu untuk makan sup?

Yes, Malay often drops the subject when context is clear. Guna sudu untuk makan sup could mean “Use a spoon to eat soup” (an instruction) or simply “Use a spoon to eat soup” about yourself—but it’s ambiguous. In casual speech you can drop saya, but in writing or formal situations it’s clearer to include it.