Saya risau awak belum makan hari ini.

I am worried you haven’t eaten today.

Breakdown of Saya risau awak belum makan hari ini.

• saya: I
• makan: to eat
• awak: you
• hari ini: today
• belum: not yet
• risau: to worry

Questions & Answers about Saya risau awak belum makan hari ini.

What does risau mean in this sentence?

Risau is a stative verb meaning “worried” or “anxious.” In Saya risau awak belum makan hari ini, it expresses that the speaker (Saya) is worried about the listener (awak).

Why isn’t there a word like tentang or akan after risau?

In everyday Malay, you normally follow risau directly with the person or thing you’re worried about.

• Saya risau awak… is perfectly natural.
• If you wanted to be more formal or emphasize the preposition, you could say Saya risau terhadap awak… or Saya risau akan awak…, but that’s less common in speech.

What’s the difference between risau and bimbang?

Both mean “to worry,” but:

• Risau often implies a restless, anxious feeling.
• Bimbang can feel a bit more like a reasoned concern about a possible outcome.
  In many contexts they’re interchangeable:
  • Saya risau awak sakit.
  • Saya bimbang awak sakit.

What does belum mean, and why is it placed before makan?

Belum means “not yet.” It always precedes the verb or phrase it negates. Here, belum makan means “have not eaten yet.”

Why is there no object after makan? Shouldn’t you say belum makan apa-apa?

In Malay, makan can stand alone when the context is clear. Saying awak belum makan already implies “you haven’t eaten anything.” If you want to specify the food, you can add it: awak belum makan nasi.

Why is hari ini placed at the end of the sentence?

Time expressions in Malay are flexible. Putting hari ini at the end is most common for clarity:
• Saya risau awak belum makan hari ini.
You can also start with it for emphasis:
• Hari ini awak belum makan, jadi saya risau.

Could you say Saya risau bahawa awak belum makan hari ini?

Yes, bahawa (“that”) is grammatically correct and more formal:
• Saya risau bahawa awak belum makan hari ini.
But in everyday speech, Malaysians tend to drop bahawa.

What pronouns are saya and awak, and are they formal or informal?

• Saya is the neutral first-person pronoun (“I”), polite in almost all contexts.
• Awak is a common second-person pronoun (“you”) in informal to semi-formal situations.
  Alternatives:
  • Anda – more formal “you.”
  • Aku / kau – very informal or colloquial among close friends.

Can you use tak instead of belum here?

Tak is a contraction of tidak (“no/not”) and can replace tidak in speech.

• Awak tak makan hari ini simply means “you didn’t eat today.”
• It doesn’t carry the “not yet” nuance. Use belum for “haven’t eaten yet.”

What’s the difference between sudah and belum?

• Sudah = “already.” Example: Saya sudah makan. (“I have already eaten.”)
• Belum = “not yet.” Example: Saya belum makan. (“I haven’t eaten yet.”)
  They both precede the verb they modify.