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Questions & Answers about Perut saya tidak selesa.
Why is the sentence structured as Perut saya tidak selesa? In English we’d say “My stomach is uncomfortable,” with the pronoun first.
Malay often follows a Topic-Comment pattern. Perut saya (“my stomach”) is the topic, and tidak selesa (“is uncomfortable”) is the comment or predicate. You could technically say Saya tidak selesa perut, but it sounds odd; native speakers put the thing concerned (perut saya) up front, then state how it is.
What part of speech is selesa, and how do I translate tidak selesa?
Selesa is an adjective meaning “comfortable.” To negate an adjective in Malay, you simply put tidak (“not”) before it. So tidak selesa = “uncomfortable” or “not comfortable.”
Can I use tak selesa instead of tidak selesa?
Yes. Tak is the colloquial contraction of tidak, commonly used in informal speech and writing. So Perut saya tak selesa means the same thing but sounds more casual.
Why tidak and not bukan to make it negative?
Use tidak to negate verbs, adjectives, and adverbs. Bukan is used to negate nouns or noun phrases. Since selesa is an adjective, you use tidak.
Must I include saya (“I/my”)? Can I drop it?
Malay is a pro-drop language, so if it’s clear from context, you can omit saya and just say Perut tidak selesa. But including saya clarifies whose stomach you mean.
What other pronouns could I use instead of saya?
Commonly you’ll hear aku in informal settings (“I”), and aku tak selesa would be very casual. You could also use hati (“my heart”), but that changes meaning—so stick to saya for polite, formal speech.
How would I ask someone “Is your stomach feeling okay?”
You can turn it into a yes/no question by using a question particle or intonation. For example:
- Perut anda selesa? (simple, rising tone)
- Adakah perut anda selesa? (more formal, using adakah)
Can I talk about other body parts the same way? For example, “My head is uncomfortable”?
Yes, you just swap perut for the body part. However, some sensations have their own verbs or adjectives. For “My head aches,” you’d say Kepala saya sakit, not Kepala saya tak selesa (though the latter is understandable).
What’s the nuance between Perut saya tidak selesa and Perut saya sakit?
- Perut saya sakit means “My stomach hurts” (pain).
- Perut saya tidak selesa suggests general unease or discomfort—maybe nausea, bloating, or indigestion—rather than sharp pain.
How do I pronounce selesa and tidak?
- selesa: /sə-ləˈsa/ (second syllable stressed)
- tidak: /ˈti.dak/ (first syllable stressed)
Speak both fairly evenly; Malay is syllable-timed, so each syllable gets roughly the same length.