Pilihan awak betul.

Your choice is correct.

Breakdown of Pilihan awak betul.

• adalah: to be
• awak: your
• betul: correct
• pilihan: the choice

Questions & Answers about Pilihan awak betul.

What does each word do here?

• Pilihan = choice/selection. Built from the verb pilih (to choose) + the noun-forming suffix -an.
• awak = you (2nd person singular in Malaysian Malay; informal/neutral).
• betul = correct/right (also used as an interjection meaning Correct!).

Why is there no is in the sentence? Can I add adalah or ialah?

• Malay doesn’t need a linking verb before adjectives. Predicate adjectives stand on their own.
• Don’t use adalah here; with adjectives it’s unidiomatic in Standard Malay.
• ialah is used to equate two nouns (e.g., Ini ialah pilihan.) but not with adjectives like betul.

Why is the pronoun after the noun? Is pilihan awak the normal way to say your choice?

Yes. Possession is typically Noun + possessor pronoun in Malay: pilihan awak = your choice. Alternatives:

• pilihan anda (polite/formal you)
• pilihanmu (using the clitic -mu; common in Indonesian, literary/less common in casual Malaysian speech)

Is awak polite? Who should I say this to?

• awak: common in Malaysia with peers or people younger/similar status; can sound intimate/friendly.
• For strangers/older people, prefer titles: Encik (Mr), Puan (Mrs), Cik (Miss): Pilihan Encik/Puan betul.
• anda: polite, neutral in writing/announcements; can feel distant in conversation.
• kamu: normal in Indonesia, but in Malaysia it can sound blunt/rude in many contexts.
• Plural you: colloquial korang (you guys), formal anda semua.

How do I say You are right (not just Your choice is right)?

• Awak betul. = You are right.
• You can also confirm with Betul! or Betul tu! (That’s right!).

How do I make it negative? Do I use tidak or bukan? What about salah?

• With adjectives, use tidak: Pilihan awak tidak betul. (Your choice is not correct.)
• Very common alternative is salah (wrong): Pilihan awak salah.
• bukan negates nouns, not adjectives: Itu bukan pilihan yang betul. (That is not the right choice.)

Is betul the same as benar or tepat? Which fits best here?

• betul: correct/right (best fit for answers, choices, procedures).
• benar: true/correct (more about truth or correctness of statements; common in Indonesian/formal registers).
• tepat: precise/exact/apt (e.g., precise timing or a very fitting choice). Here, betul is the most natural.

How can I emphasize that the choice is definitely right?

• Pilihan awak memang betul. (Your choice is indeed/rightly correct.)
• Colloquial intensifiers: Memang betul!, Betul sangat! (very right), though memang is most natural here.
• Note: betul-betul means really/truly (as an intensifier), but you wouldn’t normally say Pilihan awak betul-betul betul.

Any pronunciation tips for Pilihan awak betul?

• pilihan: pi-li-han; keep the h audible but light.
• awak: a-wak; final k is a glottal stop [ʔ] in Malaysian Malay, so it sounds like awaʔ.
• betul: bə-tul; the first vowel is a schwa (like the e in sofa).
• Malay is syllable-timed with light stress; don’t over-stress any one syllable.

Should I add itu or yang? For example, Pilihan awak itu betul vs Pilihan awak yang betul?

• Pilihan awak itu betul: That particular choice of yours is right (pointing to a specific, known choice).
• Pilihan awak yang betul: Your choice is the one that’s right (contrastive/focus among alternatives). Both are correct; they add different nuances.

How do I talk about multiple choices?

• Semua pilihan awak betul. (All your choices are correct.)
• Kedua-dua pilihan awak betul. (Both your choices are correct.)
• Reduplication (pilihan-pilihan) is possible but often unnecessary when context already implies plurality.

Can I drop awak? What would Pilihan betul mean?

• Pilihan betul = The/that choice is correct (no possessor). It doesn’t mean your choice unless context makes that clear.
• Malay often drops pronouns when understood, but if you mean your, keep awak or use a demonstrative: Pilihan ini betul (This choice is correct).

How do I say You chose correctly (verb), not using the noun pilihan?

• Awak memilih dengan betul. (You chose correctly.)
• Awak pilih yang betul. (You chose the right one.) Avoid clunky repetition like memilih pilihan unless you have a reason.

How do I indicate past or future time?

Malay is tenseless; add time words:

• Past: Pilihan awak tadi betul. (Your choice just now was correct.)
• Future/anticipated: Nanti pilihan awak terbukti betul. (Later your choice will prove to be right.) Time/aspect markers like sudah/telah/akan are mostly used with verbs.

Any capitalization or spelling notes?

• Pronouns are usually lowercase: awak, anda. At sentence start, they’re capitalized by position.
• Some publications capitalize Anda in formal address; Awak is not capitalized for respect.
• No articles (the/a) in Malay, so nothing to add before pilihan.

Is it okay to lead with betul: Betul pilihan awak?

Yes. Betul pilihan awak is acceptable, often as an emphatic or exclamatory comment (Right, your choice). The neutral declarative is Pilihan awak betul.

Can I use punya for possession, like Awak punya pilihan betul?

Colloquially, yes: Awak punya pilihan betul. It’s informal and adds emphasis on the possessor. The standard, slightly neater version is Pilihan awak betul.

What about keputusan vs pilihan?

• pilihan: the option/selection itself.
• keputusan: the decision/judgment. If you mean the act or outcome of deciding, use keputusan: Keputusan awak betul. (Your decision is correct/right.)

How do I add a tag like right? at the end?

Use kan (colloquial) or ya (polite):

• Pilihan awak betul, kan? (Your choice is right, isn’t it?)
• Politer/formal: Pilihan awak betul, ya?