Word of the day: How to use 'Payah'

Payah can be used in the following ways:

Adjective: dfficult, effortful, bothersome

Payah can be used to describe that a certain action is rather difficult to be done due to it requiring a lot of effort. It is used when the speaker is annoyed or frustrated.

Examples:

1. Belajar bahasa Melayu tak payah.

It's not tough to learn Malay.  

2. Payah sangatkah nak dengar cakap? 

Is it so hard to listen to my words?

3. Kena pecat tiba-tiba mesti payah, kan.

It must be hard to be fired suddenly, right?

4. Hidup ini tak sepayah yang kita sangka.

This life isn't as tough as we thought.


Tak payah 

(Imperative/Auxiliary) Verb: no need, don't have to

Tak payah can come before a verb to express that there is no need to do the action. Use with a soft tone, it is comparable with tak perlu, in which the speaker's intention is merely to state that something is not needed as opposed to what the listener expects. When used in a harsh tone, it is rather sarcastic, as if telling the listener they don't have to go through any trouble to do something the speaker thinks they should.

Examples:

1. Tak apa, tak payah bayar balik.

It's okay, you don't need to pay (me) back.

2. Tak payah susah-susah.

You shouldn't have (gone through all the trouble for this).

3. Kalau tak sedap, tak payah makan.

If it's not delicious, don't eat then! {said frustratedly}

4. Kalau sibuk sangat tak payah balik rumah.

If you're so busy, then you don't even have to come home. {said frustratedly}


 Try writing your own sentences in the comment below...

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