sukar dikatakan bahawa

It Is Difficult to Say That

Level 5

Used in formal writing to say 'It is difficult to say that...' or 'It can hardly be said that...' without making a definitive rejection.

How It Works

In high-level academic and journalistic Malay, sukar dikatakan bahawa serves as a critical hedging device. It allows a writer to acknowledge a possibility while signaling that the evidence is insufficient or the situation is too complex for a firm conclusion.

Key features include:

  • Impersonal Construction: It does not take a human subject. You do not say 'I find it difficult to say...'; instead, the structure implies 'It is difficult [for anyone] to say...'.
  • Passive Voice: The use of the di- prefix in dikatakan is mandatory to maintain the impersonal, objective tone.
  • Formal Register: This is a hallmark of Bahasa Melayu Baku (Standard Malay). In casual speech, Malaysians would typically use Susah nak cakap... instead.
  • Mandatory Conjunction: Unlike English, where 'that' is often optional, the word bahawa must be included to link the frame to the statement being doubted.

Examples (3)

  1. Sukar dikatakan bahawa ekonomi negara akan pulih sepenuhnya menjelang hujung tahun ini.

    It is difficult to say that the national economy will fully recover by the end of this year.

    Word by Word: Difficult is-said that economy country will recover fully towards end year this.

    Used here in an economic context to show analytical caution regarding a future prediction.

  2. Sukar dikatakan bahawa watak tersebut mewakili aspirasi seluruh masyarakat pada zaman itu.

    It can hardly be said that the character represents the aspirations of the entire society of that era.

    Word by Word: Difficult is-said that character mentioned represent aspiration whole society at era that.

    In literary criticism, this frame suggests that a claim about a character's symbolism is an overgeneralization.

  3. Sukar dikatakan bahawa strategi ini akan membuahkan hasil tanpa sokongan padu daripada semua pihak.

    It is difficult to say that this strategy will yield results without solid support from all parties.

    Word by Word: Difficult is-said that strategy this will produce result without support solid from all parties.

    This demonstrates the use of the pattern to highlight a necessary condition (support) that is currently missing or uncertain.

Common Mistakes

  • Using active 'mengatakan' where the fixed frame uses the passive 'dikatakan'.

    Sukar mengatakan bahawa projek itu gagal.
    Sukar dikatakan bahawa projek itu gagal.

    The usual frame is 'sukar dikatakan bahawa', an impersonal statement with no doer. 'Sukar mengatakan' is also heard, but it points to someone doing the saying.

  • Leaving out 'bahawa' in a formal sentence.

    Sukar dikatakan projek itu akan berjaya.
    Sukar dikatakan bahawa projek itu akan berjaya.

    'Bahawa' is optional in speech, but formal writing normally keeps it to link the frame to the clause.

  • Using the colloquial 'susah' in a formal academic context.

    Susah dikatakan bahawa data ini tepat.
    Sukar dikatakan bahawa data ini tepat.

    'Susah' is the common word for 'difficult' in daily life, but 'sukar' is the appropriate choice for the high-level formal register this pattern belongs to.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

sukar dikatakan bahawaLevel 5It Is Difficult to Say That

Learn This First

To understand 'sukar dikatakan bahawa', a learner needs to be familiar with the passive voice (di-) to understand 'dikatakan' (is said), and the conjunction 'bahawa' which functions like 'that' to introduce a statement. Familiarity with similar frames like 'dapat dikatakan bahawa' helps the learner recognize this as a formulaic expression for hedging or qualifying a statement.

Words in This Pattern

sukarkatabahawa