Saya semakin risau tentang kesihatan nenek saya.

I am increasingly worried about my grandmother’s health.

Breakdown of Saya semakin risau tentang kesihatan nenek saya.

• saya: I
• adalah: to be
• tentang: about
• saya: my

Questions & Answers about Saya semakin risau tentang kesihatan nenek saya.

Why is saya used twice in this sentence?

Because the sentence contains two different kinds of possession/reference:

• The first saya is the subject: I
• The second saya shows possession in nenek saya: my grandmother

So Malay is simply saying:

• Saya = I
• nenek saya = my grandmother

This is completely normal in Malay. Unlike English, it does not sound repetitive.

What does semakin mean here?

Semakin means increasingly, more and more, or getting more and more.

So Saya semakin risau gives the idea of:

• I am becoming more worried
• I am increasingly worried
• I’m getting more and more anxious

It shows a gradual change over time.

Why is there no word for am in the sentence?

Malay usually does not need a verb like am / is / are in this kind of sentence.

In English, we say:

• I am worried

In Malay, you can simply say:

• Saya risau

That already means I am worried.

So Malay often leaves out the equivalent of the English to be when describing states or qualities.

Is risau a verb or an adjective?