Saya semakin risau tentang kesihatan nenek saya.

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.

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.

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.

In this sentence, risau works like an adjective/state word, meaning worried or anxious.

So:

• Saya risau = I am worried

But in Malay, word classes can be a bit more flexible than in English, so learners may see words used in ways that feel less rigid. For this sentence, the easiest way to understand risau is as worried.

Because semakin modifies the state risau.

The pattern is:

• semakin + adjective/state

Examples:

• semakin risau = increasingly worried
• semakin sukar = increasingly difficult
• semakin baik = getting better

So semakin risau is the natural order.

Tentang means about or concerning.

So:

• risau tentang kesihatan nenek saya = worried about my grandmother’s health

Yes, tentang is a very natural choice here.

You may also see other words in similar contexts, such as:

• mengenai = regarding/concerning
• sometimes akan after certain verbs or in more formal/literary styles

But for everyday Malay, tentang is clear and natural.

Kesihatan means health.

It comes from the root:

• sihat = healthy

With the circumfix:

• ke- ... -an

So:

• sihat = healthy
• kesihatan = health

This is a very common Malay word formation pattern. It often turns a root into an abstract noun.

Other examples:

• selamat = safe
• keselamatan = safety

In Malay, possession usually works like this:

• noun + possessor

So:

• nenek saya = my grandmother
• buku saya = my book
• rumah saya = my house

This is the normal Malay order. English does the opposite:

• my grandmother

Malay does not normally say saya nenek for my grandmother.

In normal usage, nenek saya straightforwardly means my grandmother.

• nenek = grandmother / grandma
• nenek saya = my grandmother

It is a common and neutral way to refer to one’s grandmother.

Yes. Bimbang also means worried/anxious, and in many contexts it is interchangeable with risau.

For example:

• Saya semakin bimbang tentang kesihatan nenek saya.

This sounds natural too.

Very roughly:

• risau often feels very common and conversational
• bimbang can sound a little more formal or more serious in some contexts

But both are correct.

A simple breakdown is:

• Saya = subject
• semakin risau = becoming more worried / increasingly worried
• tentang kesihatan nenek saya = about my grandmother’s health

So the structure is roughly:

• Subject + degree/change marker + state + about-phrase

This is a very natural Malay sentence pattern.

Yes, depending on context.

A speaker might say:

• Saya makin risau tentang kesihatan nenek saya.

Here, makin is a very common shorter form of semakin in everyday speech.

Both are correct:

• semakin = a bit more standard/formal
• makin = very common in conversation

It is neutral and natural. It works well in both everyday conversation and standard written Malay.

Some parts affect the tone slightly:

• saya is polite/standard for I
• semakin sounds standard
• risau is natural and common

If you wanted a more casual spoken style, you might hear:

• Aku makin risau tentang kesihatan nenek aku.

But that is more informal and depends on the relationship and situation.