Tolong beritahu bos tentang mesyuarat esok.

Please tell the boss about the meeting tomorrow.

Breakdown of Tolong beritahu bos tentang mesyuarat esok.

• tentang: about
• bos: the boss
• esok: tomorrow
• mesyuarat: the meeting
• tolong: please
• beritahu: to tell

Questions & Answers about Tolong beritahu bos tentang mesyuarat esok.

What does Tolong mean here, and is it necessary?

Tolong literally means help, but at the start of a sentence it functions like please in English.

So:

• Tolong beritahu bos… ≈ Please tell the boss…
• Without tolong: Beritahu bos tentang mesyuarat esok.
  This is still grammatical, but sounds more direct, like a bare command “Tell the boss…” rather than a polite request.

You don’t have to use tolong, but adding it softens the sentence and makes it more polite in everyday speech.

Why is there no word for you in the Malay sentence?

Malay often drops the subject pronoun when it is obvious from context. Imperatives (commands/requests) especially work like this.

• English: Please tell the boss…
• Literal Malay with subject: (Awak) tolong beritahu bos tentang mesyuarat esok.
  (awak = you)

Normally people just say:

• Tolong beritahu bos tentang mesyuarat esok.

It is clearly addressed to the listener, so you is understood and can be omitted. Adding awak is possible but can sometimes sound a bit pointed or less natural in casual speech unless you need to be explicit about who you mean.

What exactly is beritahu? Is it related to beri?

Yes. Beritahu comes from beri (to give) + tahu (to know), so literally “give know” → inform / tell.

You will see it in two spellings:

• beritahu (combined – very common in modern usage)
• beri tahu (separated – also acceptable)

Meaning and usage are the same in everyday speech.

There is also a longer, more formal form:

• memberitahu = to inform, to notify
  e.g. Saya sudah memberitahu bos. – I have informed the boss.

In your sentence, beritahu is used as the verb tell / inform.

What is bos? Is it formal, and are there alternatives?

Bos is a loanword from English boss and is very widely used in everyday Malay.

• Tolong beritahu bos… – Please tell the boss…

Depending on formality and context, you might also hear:

• ketua – leader/head (more generic, can be formal)
• majikan – employer (more formal/legal context)
• pengurus – manager
• penyelia – supervisor

In casual work conversation, bos is perfectly natural. In a very formal letter, you might choose something like ketua jabatan (head of department) instead.

What does tentang mean, and can I replace it with something else?

Tentang means about / regarding / concerning.

• tentang mesyuarat esok – about tomorrow’s meeting

You can often replace tentang with:

• mengenai – about/regarding (slightly more formal)
• berkenaan (dengan) – regarding, in connection with (formal)
• pasal – about (very informal/colloquial)

So you could say:

• Tolong beritahu bos mengenai mesyuarat esok. (a bit more formal)
• Tolong beritahu bos pasal mesyuarat esok. (very casual)

In this sentence, tentang is neutral and very common.

Why is esok (tomorrow) at the end? Can it go somewhere else?

Time words like esok (tomorrow) are quite flexible in Malay. All of these are possible and natural:

• Tolong beritahu bos tentang mesyuarat esok.
• Tolong beritahu bos esok tentang mesyuarat.
• Esok, tolong beritahu bos tentang mesyuarat.

However, mesyuarat esok (tomorrow’s meeting) is a very common chunk, so putting esok right after mesyuarat sounds particularly natural:

• tentang mesyuarat esok – about tomorrow’s meeting

If you move esok far away, it can slightly change the focus (for example, emphasizing when you should tell the boss rather than which meeting), but in casual speech, people won’t over-interpret this.

How do I say “Tell my boss” or “Tell your boss” in Malay?

You add a possessive word after bos:

• bos saya – my boss
  Tolong beritahu bos saya tentang mesyuarat esok.
  Please tell my boss about tomorrow’s meeting.

• bos awak – your boss (casual)
  Tolong beritahu bos awak tentang mesyuarat esok.

For more polite or formal you, you might use:

• bos encik (to a man, formal)
• bos puan / cik (to a woman, formal)

e.g. Tolong beritahu bos encik tentang mesyuarat esok.

In very formal contexts you might avoid bos and say ketua saya, majikan saya, etc.

What is mesyuarat exactly? Is it always a business meeting?

Mesyuarat means meeting in the sense of a formal or semi‑formal gathering to discuss something (often work-related, organizational, committee, etc.).

It’s typically used for:

• office meetings
• committee meetings
• club/association meetings
• official / scheduled discussions

For more casual get-togethers, you’d often use words like:

• perjumpaan – gathering/meeting (can be formal or informal)
• temu janji – appointment
• lepak – hang out (slang)

In your sentence, mesyuarat esok is understood as tomorrow’s (formal) meeting.

What is the difference between Tolong beritahu bos… and just Beritahu bos…?

The difference is in politeness and tone:

• Tolong beritahu bos tentang mesyuarat esok.
  Sounds like a polite request: Please tell the boss…

• Beritahu bos tentang mesyuarat esok.
  Sounds more direct, like a straightforward instruction or order: Tell the boss…

Both are grammatically correct. In everyday conversation, adding tolong is a simple way to soften the command and sound more courteous.

Can I put tolong at the end, like “…tolong”?

Yes, you can move tolong to the end in speech:

• Beritahu bos tentang mesyuarat esok, tolong.

This still has the meaning of please, but the nuance is slightly different:

• Tolong beritahu bos… – very standard polite request.
• Beritahu bos…, tolong. – can sound more like you’re adding “please” as a reminder or softening after giving an instruction.

Both are acceptable; the version with tolong at the front is more common and neutral.

How would I say “Can you tell the boss about tomorrow’s meeting?” instead of a direct command?

You can turn it into a question using boleh (can) or sudi (would you be willing to, more polite):

• Boleh tak beritahu bos tentang mesyuarat esok?
  Can (you) tell the boss about tomorrow’s meeting?

• Boleh awak beritahu bos tentang mesyuarat esok?
  Can you tell the boss about tomorrow’s meeting?

More polite:

• Sudi tak beritahu bos tentang mesyuarat esok?
  Would you be willing to tell the boss about tomorrow’s meeting?

In all of these, you can be left out because it’s understood from context.

Is this sentence suitable for formal writing, or is it more casual?

Tolong beritahu bos tentang mesyuarat esok. is natural in spoken Malay and informal or semi‑formal written messages (e.g. WhatsApp to a colleague).

For more formal writing (emails, memos, official letters), you’d usually:

• avoid bos
• use more formal verbs and connectors

For example:

• Mohon maklumkan kepada ketua jabatan tentang mesyuarat yang akan diadakan esok.
  (Kindly inform the head of department about the meeting that will be held tomorrow.)

• Sila maklumkan kepada majikan tentang mesyuarat esok.

So the original sentence is grammatically fine but stylistically more on the casual/spoken side.

Is there any difference between esok, esok hari, and pada esok hari?

They all refer to tomorrow, but with different levels of formality:

• esok – tomorrow (neutral, very common)
  Tolong beritahu bos tentang mesyuarat esok.

• esok hari – literally tomorrow day, slightly more emphatic or formal, but still common in speech and writing.
  …tentang mesyuarat esok hari.

• pada esok hari – on tomorrow (day), quite formal and often used in official writing.
  …tentang mesyuarat yang akan diadakan pada esok hari.

In everyday conversation, esok alone is usually enough.