Learn Hardcore Malay: Saya belum hafal semua formula matematik. - I have not memorized all the math formulas yet.

Saya tidak hafal semua formula matematik.
Literally: I do not memorise / I don’t know all the mathematical formulas (by heart).
➜ Sounds more permanent or neutral; it doesn’t suggest that you will necessarily memorise them later.

In everyday speech, belum strongly implies, “It hasn’t happened yet, but it might/will.”

Why is the word order belum hafal, and can I say saya hafal belum?

You cannot say saya hafal belum in standard Malay. The correct word order is:

Subject + (negator) + verb + object
➜ Saya belum hafal semua formula matematik.

So:

Saya = I
belum = not yet (negator)
hafal = to memorise / know by heart (verb)
semua formula matematik = all the mathematical formulas (object)

Malay negators like tidak, belum, bukan usually come before the verb or adjective they negate:

Saya tidak faham. = I don’t understand.
Dia belum makan. = He/She has not eaten yet.

So belum hafal is correct; hafal belum is wrong in standard Malay.

What does hafal mean exactly? Is it more like “learn” or “memorise”?

Hafal means to know something by heart / to have memorised something.

It’s closer to “memorise” or “have by heart” than to general “learn”.

Examples:

Saya sudah hafal lagu itu.
= I already know that song by heart.
Dia sedang menghafal sifir darab.
= He/She is memorising the multiplication tables.

So in the sentence:

Saya belum hafal semua formula matematik.
You’re specifically saying you have not memorised all the formulas yet (you don’t have them all in your head).

Why is there no word for “have” like in “I haven’t memorised”?

Malay usually doesn’t need an auxiliary verb like “have” for this kind of “perfect” meaning.

Instead, it uses aspect words like:

sudah / dah = already
belum = not yet

So:

Saya sudah hafal semua formula.
= I have (already) memorised all the formulas.
Saya belum hafal semua formula.
= I have not (yet) memorised all the formulas.

The idea of “have done X” is captured not by a separate verb like have, but by sudah or belum together with context.

Does semua always come before the noun, like in semua formula matematik?

Yes, semua (all) normally comes before the noun or noun phrase it modifies:

semua buku = all the books
semua pelajar = all the students
semua formula matematik = all the mathematical formulas

You can think of semua as working like “all (of) the …” before the noun.

Another pattern you may see is:

semua formula matematik itu = all those mathematical formulas
(itu = that/those)

But you generally don’t put semua after the noun the way English can do (e.g. the formulas all)—Malay keeps semua in front.

Why is it formula matematik and not something like formula-formula matematik to show plural?

In Malay, plural is often shown by context, not by changing the noun:

satu formula = one formula
banyak formula = many formulas
semua formula matematik = all (the) mathematical formulas

You can show plural by reduplication (repeating the word):

formula-formula matematik

This is grammatically correct but often not necessary when another word (like semua, “all”) already shows that it’s plural. Saying:

semua formula-formula matematik

can sound a bit heavy or redundant in everyday usage. Most people just say:

semua formula matematik

The plural meaning is already clear from semua.

What is the role of matematik after formula? Why is the order “formula matematik” and not “matematik formula”?

In Malay, when one noun modifies another (like “math formulas”), the main noun comes first, and the modifier follows.

So:

formula matematik
Literally: formulas (of) mathematics
= mathematical formulas

This pattern is very common:

buku sejarah = history book
guru matematik = mathematics teacher
kelas bahasa Melayu = Malay language class

So formula matematik is “formulas of mathematics,” which corresponds to English “mathematical formulas.” The order matematik formula would be incorrect.

What’s the difference between Saya and Aku? Could I say Aku belum hafal semua formula matematik?

Both Saya and aku mean “I / me”, but they differ in formality and context:

Saya
- Politer, more formal, neutral.
- Used in most situations: talking to strangers, teachers, in class, at work, on TV, etc.
Aku
- Informal, intimate.
- Used with close friends, siblings, sometimes with romantic partners.
- Can sound rude or overly familiar if used with someone you don’t know well or in a formal setting.

So:

Aku belum hafal semua formula matematik.
is grammatically correct, but you’d normally say it to friends or peers, not to a teacher or in formal speech.

For safe and polite usage, especially as a learner, Saya is the better default.

Can I drop saya and just say Belum hafal semua formula matematik?

Yes, in conversation, Malay speakers often omit the subject pronoun if it’s clear from context who is being talked about.

So:

Belum hafal semua formula matematik.
can mean: [I/you/he/she] haven’t memorised all the mathematical formulas yet.

Whether it’s “I”, “you”, or someone else depends on the situation, previous sentences, and who is speaking.

However, as a learner (especially in writing or when things might be unclear), it’s safer to keep Saya:

Saya belum hafal semua formula matematik.

How would I say “I have memorised all the mathematical formulas” (the positive version)?

You can use sudah (already) as the opposite of belum (not yet):

Saya sudah hafal semua formula matematik.
= I have already memorised all the mathematical formulas.

Contrast:

Saya belum hafal semua formula matematik.
= I have not memorised all the mathematical formulas yet.

You can also omit sudah if the context already makes it clear, but using sudah is a very natural way to emphasise that the action is completed.

Is there any difference between formula matematik and rumus matematik?

Both can refer to mathematical formulas, but there are some preferences:

formula matematik
- Common in everyday speech and in school contexts.
- Influenced by English “formula”.
rumus matematik
- More “native” Malay word (rumus).
- Also used in textbooks, exams, and formal descriptions of math formulas.

In many contexts, they are interchangeable, and learners can safely use formula matematik. But you may see rumus matematik in more “official” or technical Malay texts.

Does belum hafal refer to present time only? How does tense work here?

Malay does not mark tense (past, present, future) on the verb the way English does. Instead, time is understood from:

Context
Time words (e.g. tadi, esok, nanti, semalam)
Aspect markers like sudah (already), belum (not yet), sedang (in the middle of doing)

Saya belum hafal semua formula matematik.
could be translated as:

I haven’t memorised all the mathematical formulas yet.
I didn’t memorise all the mathematical formulas (yet, up to that point).

The exact English tense (present perfect / past) depends on the situation you’re talking about. Malay itself keeps the verb hafal the same; belum only tells you the action has not yet happened at the relevant time.