Breakdown of Kalau saya tidak tulis diari, barulah saya sedar saya lupa banyak perkara kecil.
Questions & Answers about Kalau saya tidak tulis diari, barulah saya sedar saya lupa banyak perkara kecil.
All three introduce a conditional/“if” or “when” clause, but they differ slightly in tone and use:
- kalau – very common in everyday speech; neutral–informal.
- Kalau saya tidak tulis diari… (natural in conversation)
- jika – more formal/written, often used in essays, official texts.
- Jika saya tidak menulis diari… (sounds more formal)
- apabila – more like “when(ever)” than “if”, often for situations expected to happen.
- Apabila saya tidak menulis diari… = “When(ever) I don’t write in my diary…”
In this sentence, kalau and jika can be swapped with only a slight change in formality. Apabila is possible, but it sounds more like a general whenever this happens statement, not a hypothetical “if”.
Malay often uses the bare verb root in everyday speech, especially after tidak/tak, sudah, belum, etc.
- tulis = root form (“write”)
- menulis = standard active verb form (“to write”)
Both are grammatically correct:
- Kalau saya tidak tulis diari… – very natural, colloquial.
- Kalau/Jika saya tidak menulis diari… – more standard/formal.
In formal writing (essays, official documents), menulis is preferred.
Both exist, but they emphasize slightly different things:
- tulis diari – “write a diary / keep a diary.” Focus: the activity of diary-writing in general.
- tulis dalam diari – “write in (my) diary.” Focus: putting specific entries into the diary book.
In this sentence, tulis diari is natural because it refers to the general habit of keeping a diary.
barulah roughly means “only then”, “that’s when”, “only at that point” and adds a sense of sequence or contrast.
- Kalau saya tidak tulis diari, saya sedar saya lupa…
= If I don’t write a diary, I realize I forget… - Kalau saya tidak tulis diari, barulah saya sedar saya lupa…
= Only when I don’t write a diary do I realize I forget…
= I finally / only then realize it.
It emphasizes that the realization comes as a result of not writing the diary, and not earlier.
These three are related but differ in meaning:
- sedar – “to be aware / to realize”
- saya sedar = “I realize / I’m aware”
- menyedari (takes an object) – “to realize (something)”
- Saya menyedari bahawa saya lupa banyak perkara kecil.
- menyedarkan (causative) – “to make someone realize / to awaken”
- Pengalaman itu menyedarkan saya. = That experience made me realize.
In everyday speech, saya sedar (bahawa) saya lupa… is perfectly natural and simpler. Using menyedari would be more formal and require an object:
- Saya menyedari bahawa saya lupa banyak perkara kecil.
Malay verbs usually do not change form for tense. Time is understood from context or added time words.
- saya lupa can mean:
- “I forget” (habitually): Saya lupa banyak perkara kecil = I (tend to) forget many small things.
- “I forgot” (past): Tadi saya lupa bawa kunci. = Earlier I forgot to bring the keys.
In this sentence, because of the diary context, it can be understood as a general tendency (habit) or as repeated past forgetting; English often chooses present simple (“I forget”) or present perfect (“I have forgotten”) depending on nuance.
Malay usually shows plurality with words like banyak (many), beberapa (several), semua (all), so repeating the noun is not necessary:
- banyak perkara kecil = many small matters/things
- perkara-perkara kecil = small matters (plural marked by repetition)
If you add both banyak and repetition (perkara-perkara), it can sound a bit heavy or overly formal. In normal speech/writing, banyak perkara kecil is preferable.
Yes, but there is a nuance:
- perkara – “matters”, “issues”, “points” (more abstract, events/facts)
- benda – “things” (usually more physical or informal)
In a diary context, perkara kecil suggests small events/details/matters (e.g., conversations, feelings, minor incidents).
benda kecil would sound more like small physical things or is just more casual.
Both are understandable, but perkara kecil fits well if you mean little events or details of life.
tidak and tak both mean “not” for verbs and adjectives:
- tidak – standard, neutral; used in both formal and informal contexts.
- tak – shortened, informal, very common in speech and casual writing.
You could say:
- Kalau saya tak tulis diari, barulah saya sedar…
This is very natural in conversation. For formal writing or exams, tidak is safer.
Yes, that is grammatically correct, and slightly more formal/explicit:
- barulah saya sedar saya lupa banyak perkara kecil
- barulah saya sedar bahawa saya lupa banyak perkara kecil
bahawa = “that” (introducing a clause). In spoken Malay, it is often omitted when the meaning is clear. The original sentence is natural and idiomatic without bahawa.
The usual pattern is:
- [Condition] + , + [Result]
Kalau saya tidak tulis diari, barulah saya sedar…
You can start with Barulah… but you must keep the condition clear, and it sounds more dramatic/emphatic:
- Barulah saya sedar saya lupa banyak perkara kecil kalau saya tidak tulis diari.
This stresses the realization more than the condition. The original order is more neutral and common.
Both are used, but with slightly different typical uses:
- diari – “diary” in the sense of a daily personal record.
- jurnal – “journal”; can be personal, but also used for academic journals, logbooks, etc.
In this context of everyday life memories, diari is the most natural choice. A personal reflective notebook could be called jurnal, but the common term for a diary is diari.