Learn Hardcore Malay: Tulisan awak jelas.

writing in a general sense (the text you wrote):
- Tulisan awak menarik. – Your writing is interesting (content/style).
handwriting (the way your writing looks):
- Tulisan awak cantik. – Your handwriting is nice.

In Tulisan awak jelas, it can be understood as either “your writing is clear” or “your handwriting is clear,” depending on context.

Why is the word order tulisan awak, not awak tulisan?

In Malay, possessive structures usually put:

[thing owned] + [possessor]

So:

tulisan awak = your writing
rumah saya = my house
kereta dia = his/her car

Putting awak first (awak tulisan) is ungrammatical in this context. The normal way is tulisan awak for “your writing.”

Can I say awak punya tulisan instead of tulisan awak?

Yes, you can say awak punya tulisan, and it is understandable:

Awak punya tulisan jelas. – Your writing is clear.

However:

tulisan awak sounds a bit more neutral and concise.
awak punya tulisan can sound more casual or colloquial.

Both are correct in everyday speech, but tulisan awak is simpler and very natural.

What is the role of awak here? Is it formal or informal?

Awak means you (second-person singular) and is:

Common in Malaysia
Generally informal / neutral, often used with friends, peers, or younger people.

For more formality or politeness, you might use:

anda – formal, polite, often used in writing, advertising, customer-facing language.
encik / puan / cik
- name or alone, like sir / madam / miss.

So:

Tulisan awak jelas. – friendly/neutral
Tulisan anda jelas. – polite/formal

Why is there no word like “is” in Tulisan awak jelas?

Malay does not usually use a verb like “to be” (am/is/are) between a noun and an adjective.

The structure is simply:

[noun / noun phrase] + [adjective]

So:

Tulisan awak jelas. – Your writing clear → Your writing is clear.
Dia tinggi. – He/She tall → He/She is tall.
Rumah itu besar. – That house big → That house is big.

You only add adalah in more formal sentences, usually when the part after it is a noun phrase, not a simple adjective:

Tulisan awak adalah bukti usaha awak. – Your writing is proof of your effort.

Is jelas only “clear” in the visual sense, or can it also mean “clear” as in “easy to understand”?

Jelas can mean both:

Visually clear – easy to see / easy to read
- Tulisan awak jelas. – Your writing is clear (easy to read).
Clear in meaning – easy to understand
- Penjelasan awak sangat jelas. – Your explanation is very clear.

Context tells you whether it’s about appearance, understanding, or both.

How would I say “Your writing is very clear”?

You can add an intensifier before jelas:

Tulisan awak sangat jelas. – Your writing is very clear.
Tulisan awak memang jelas. – Your writing is really clear (indeed).
Tulisan awak jelas sekali. – Your writing is very clear (quite strong/emphatic, a bit more formal/literary).

The most common everyday choice is sangat jelas.

How would I turn Tulisan awak jelas into a yes–no question, like “Is your writing clear?”?

Two common ways:

Add ke at the end (very common in Malaysian speech):
- Tulisan awak jelas ke? – Is your writing clear?
Use a question mark and questioning intonation (especially in writing):
- Tulisan awak jelas? – Your writing is clear? (spoken as a question)

You don’t need to change the word order.

What is the basic word order in this sentence?

The structure of Tulisan awak jelas is:

Tulisan – noun (writing/handwriting)
awak – possessive pronoun (your)
jelas – adjective (clear)

So the pattern is:

[Noun + possessor] + [adjective]

This is a very typical Malay pattern:

Baju saya baru. – My shirt is new.
Kereta dia besar. – His/Her car is big.

Can tulisan be plural, like “writings”? How do I know if it’s singular or plural?

Malay usually does not mark plural with a separate ending. Tulisan can be:

writing / handwriting (singular, general)
writings (plural), depending on context

Examples:

Saya suka tulisan awak. – I like your writing / writings.
Banyak tulisan dia telah diterbitkan. – Many of his/her writings have been published.

In Tulisan awak jelas, it’s most naturally understood as “your writing/handwriting is clear,” but context could allow “your writings are clear.”

What is the difference between Tulisan awak jelas and Awak menulis dengan jelas?

Both relate to clarity, but they focus on slightly different things:

Tulisan awak jelas.
- Focuses on the result: your writing/handwriting (the text on the page) is clear.
Awak menulis dengan jelas. – You write clearly.
- Focuses on the action/ability: you write in a clear way.

In many contexts, both could be used, but tulisan awak jelas is about how the writing looks/comes out; awak menulis dengan jelas is about how you perform the act of writing.

How would I say “Your speech is clear” using the same pattern?

You can use another noun + jelas:

Pertuturan awak jelas. – Your speech is clear.
(more formal)

More natural everyday alternatives:

Cara awak bercakap jelas. – The way you speak is clear.
Cakap awak jelas. – Your speech/what you say is clear.

The same adjective jelas is used; only the noun changes.