Saya cuba tulis perkara positif, bukan hanya mengeluh tentang tekanan.

I try to write positive things, not just complain about stress.

Breakdown of Saya cuba tulis perkara positif, bukan hanya mengeluh tentang tekanan.

• saya: I
• tentang: about
• tulis: to write
• cuba: to try
• mengeluh: to complain
• tekanan: the stress
• perkara: the thing
• positif: positive
• bukan hanya: not just

Questions & Answers about Saya cuba tulis perkara positif, bukan hanya mengeluh tentang tekanan.

Why is it “cuba tulis” and not “cuba untuk tulis” or “cuba untuk menulis”?

In everyday Malay, when cuba (try) is followed directly by a verb, you usually:

• Drop “untuk”
• Often use the base verb (tulis) rather than the meN- form (menulis)

So these are all grammatical, but differ in style:

• Saya cuba tulis… – very natural, conversational, neutral.
• Saya cuba menulis… – also correct; sounds a bit more formal or careful.
• Saya cuba untuk menulis… – correct, but often feels heavier/more formal, like in writing, speeches, or when emphasizing effort.
• Saya cuba untuk tulis… – less common; mixing untuk with the base verb is not wrong but sounds a bit awkward to many speakers.

For normal spoken or informal written Malay, “Saya cuba tulis …” is a very natural choice.

Why is it “tulis” and not “menulis” here?

Malay verbs often have two common forms:

• Base verb: tulis (write)
• meN- verb: menulis (to write / writing)

After certain “helper” or modal-like verbs, Malay often uses the base form, for example:

• boleh tulis (can write)
• nak / mahu tulis (want to write)
• perlu tulis (need to write)
• cuba tulis (try to write)

So “cuba tulis” is very natural.

You can say “cuba menulis”, but:

• cuba tulis → more colloquial and common in speech
• cuba menulis → a bit more formal or “bookish”; can suggest the activity or process of writing rather than just the act

In most contexts, both are acceptable; in this sentence, “cuba tulis” just sounds more naturally conversational.

What exactly does “perkara positif” mean? Is it like “positive things”?

Yes.

• perkara = matters, issues, things (more abstract than physical objects)
• positif = positive

So “perkara positif” is roughly:

• “positive things”
• “positive matters”
• “positive topics”

It usually refers to:

• Good or encouraging topics
• Positive aspects of life
• Uplifting or optimistic content

It’s more abstract than benda, which is more like “things/objects”:

• benda positif → sounds more like “positive stuff / things” (informal)
• perkara positif → “positive matters/topics” (a bit more neutral or formal)

Could I say “benda positif” instead of “perkara positif”?

You can, but the tone changes slightly.

• perkara positif

  • Slightly more formal/neutral
  • Suits writing, reflections, discussions about life, feelings, etc.

• benda positif

  • More informal, conversational
  • Feels like “positive stuff / good things”

In a diary-like or reflective sentence, “perkara positif” is a very natural choice. “benda positif” would make it sound a bit more casual. Both are understandable and correct.

Why is it “bukan hanya mengeluh” and not “tidak hanya mengeluh”?

Malay has two common negators: bukan and tidak.

Basic rule:

• bukan

  • Negates nouns, pronouns, and whole clauses, often with contrast.
  • Example: Itu *bukan masalah saya (That is *not my problem).

• tidak

  • Negates verbs and adjectives.
  • Example: Saya *tidak letih (I am *not tired).

However, in the pattern “not only X (but also Y)”, Malay normally uses:

• bukan hanya X, (tetapi) juga Y
• or bukan sahaja X, (malah) Y

So:

• bukan hanya mengeluh ≈ “not only complaining”
• tidak hanya mengeluh is understandable but sounds less idiomatic and less natural.

Think of “bukan hanya…” as a set phrase for “not only…” in this kind of contrast.

What’s the difference between “hanya” and “sahaja” here?

In this sentence, they are basically interchangeable:

• bukan hanya mengeluh
• bukan sahaja mengeluh

Both mean: “not just / not only complaining”.

General tendencies:

• hanya – common in both speech and writing; slightly more modern/neutral.
• sahaja – also common; can feel a bit more formal or old-fashioned in some contexts, but people use it a lot in everyday speech too.

In the “bukan hanya/sahaja …” structure, both are widely used.

Why is the adjective “positif” after “perkara”, not before it like in English?

Malay word order for noun + adjective is usually:

• Noun + Adjective

So:

• perkara positif = positive things
• makanan sedap = delicious food
• rumah besar = big house

You do not normally say “positif perkara” in Malay.

So the English “positive things” becomes “perkara positif” with the adjective after the noun.

Why is there no “yang” in “perkara positif”? Could I say “perkara yang positif”?

Both are possible:

• perkara positif – natural and concise
• perkara yang positif – also correct; slightly more formal/emphatic

Use “yang”:

1. Often before longer descriptions (like relative clauses):

   • perkara yang berlaku semalam (the things that happened yesterday)

2. Or for extra emphasis:

   • perkara yang positif (those things which are positive)

In your sentence, “perkara positif” is short and clear, so “yang” is not needed. “perkara yang positif” would sound a bit more formal or “heavy”, but still correct.

What does “mengeluh” mean exactly? Is it the same as “complain”?

mengeluh roughly corresponds to:

• to complain
• to grumble / to moan
• to sigh and express dissatisfaction

It often includes an emotional shade of:

• whining
• grumbling
• lamenting

Examples:

• Dia asyik mengeluh tentang kerja.
  = He keeps complaining about work.

• Jangan mengeluh, cuba selesaikan masalah itu.
  = Don’t complain; try to solve the problem.

So in “bukan hanya mengeluh tentang tekanan”, it means:
“not just complaining/grumbling about stress.”

What does “tentang” mean, and can I replace it with other words?

tentang means “about / regarding / concerning”.

In this sentence:

• mengeluh tentang tekanan = complain about stress

You could replace tentang with:

• mengenai – about, regarding
• berkenaan (dengan) – regarding, in relation to (more formal)

So:

• mengeluh tentang tekanan
• mengeluh mengenai tekanan
• mengeluh berkenaan tekanan (quite formal)

All mean roughly “complain about stress”. tentang is the most neutral and common choice.

Does “tekanan” literally mean “stress”? I thought it meant “pressure”.

You’re right: tekanan literally means pressure.

But it’s also used metaphorically for stress in everyday Malay:

• tekanan darah – blood pressure
• tekanan kerja – work pressure / job stress
• tekanan perasaan – emotional pressure / emotional stress

In “mengeluh tentang tekanan”, in normal context (like writing about your life), “tekanan” would usually be understood as mental/emotional stress or pressure from life/work, not physical pressure.

Why is the subject “I” (saya) not repeated before “mengeluh”?

In Malay, once the subject is clear, you don’t need to repeat it in the same sentence or closely connected clause.

Your sentence:

• Saya cuba tulis perkara positif, bukan hanya mengeluh tentang tekanan.

We understand that:

• Saya (I) is both:
  • the one who tries to write positive things, and
  • the one who (should) not just complain about stress.

Repeating it:

• Saya cuba tulis perkara positif, bukan hanya *saya mengeluh tentang tekanan.*

is unnecessary and sounds awkward here.

So it’s natural to say “…, bukan hanya mengeluh …” with the subject implied.

Could we say “daripada hanya mengeluh tentang tekanan” instead of “bukan hanya mengeluh tentang tekanan”?

Yes, but the meaning changes slightly.

Your original:

• bukan hanya mengeluh tentang tekanan
  = not only complaining about stress (implies: I do more than just complain)

If you say:

• Saya cuba tulis perkara positif, daripada hanya mengeluh tentang tekanan.

That feels more like:

• “I try to write positive things, instead of just complaining about stress.”

So:

• bukan hanya … – “not only … (but also do something else)”
• daripada hanya … – “rather than / instead of just …”

Both are natural; they just highlight different nuances. The original one emphasizes “I don’t just complain; I also do something positive.” The daripada version emphasizes the contrast/choice between two actions.