Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Teman laki-laki saya juga berjanji, padahal dia sering terlambat. - My male friend also promised, whereas he is often late.

Usually no. Teman laki-laki saya means “my male friend.” For “boyfriend,” Indonesians say pacar (laki-laki) or just pacar. If you want to stress “just a friend,” you can say teman (saya) yang laki-laki or, colloquially, teman cowok.

Why is there a hyphen in laki-laki? Are there alternatives?

Laki-laki is a reduplication and is hyphenated per standard orthography. Alternatives:

lelaki (one word, also common)
pria (more formal, adult male)
Colloquial: cowok (guy)

What’s the difference between teman laki-laki saya and teman saya laki-laki?

Teman laki-laki saya = “my male friend” (selects a friend whose gender is male; the possessor saya comes after the noun).
Teman saya laki-laki = “my friend is male” (states the friend’s gender; it sounds like an identification/equational sentence). You can also say teman saya yang laki-laki (“the friend of mine who is male”) if you’re specifying among several friends.

Is the word order with possession fixed? Can I say saya teman laki-laki?

Possession in Indonesian is typically “noun + possessor”: teman saya, teman laki-laki saya. Saying saya teman laki-laki is ungrammatical for “my male friend.”

What exactly does juga do here, and where should it go?

Juga means “also/too.” The neutral spot is after the subject: Teman laki-laki saya juga berjanji. You can put it later for emphasis—Teman laki-laki saya berjanji juga—to stress that promising is an additional action, but the most common placement is after the subject.

What nuance does padahal add? How is it different from walaupun/meskipun or sedangkan?

Padahal introduces a fact that contrasts with and undermines the previous clause—often with a hint of “he should know better” or “ironically.” It’s like “even though/whereas actually.”

Walaupun/Meskipun = “although,” a neutral concessive marker: Walaupun dia sering terlambat, dia juga berjanji.
Sedangkan contrasts two subjects/situations side by side (“whereas”): Dia tepat waktu, sedangkan temannya sering terlambat.
Padahal highlights a disappointing or ironic contradiction more than the others.

Can I start the sentence with Padahal?

Yes: Padahal dia sering terlambat, teman laki-laki saya juga berjanji. This fronting puts extra emphasis on the contradictory fact. The original order is more common.

Why is there a comma before padahal?

Indonesian typically uses a comma before coordinating or contrastive conjunctions like padahal, tetapi, namun when they join two clauses. So ..., padahal ... is standard.

Do I have to repeat dia? Can I say ..., padahal sering terlambat?

You can drop dia in informal speech: ..., padahal sering terlambat. It’s understood from context. In careful or formal writing, repeating dia is clearer.

What’s the difference between dia, ia, and beliau?

dia = he/she (neutral, common in speech and writing).
ia = he/she (more formal/literary; mostly as a subject).
beliau = he/she (honorific for respected people).
Here, dia fits well. You could write padahal ia sering terlambat in formal prose.

Is sering in the right place? Can it go after terlambat?

Yes, sering (often) normally precedes the predicate: dia sering terlambat. Putting it after (dia terlambat sering) sounds ungrammatical. Synonyms: seringkali, kerap.

Difference between terlambat and telat?

Both mean “late.” Terlambat is standard/formal; telat is colloquial. In writing or formal contexts, prefer terlambat.

How does berjanji work? Do I need to add “to do something,” or an object?

Berjanji = “to make a promise.” It can stand alone if the content is understood from context: Dia berjanji. Common patterns:

berjanji untuk/akan + verb: Dia berjanji untuk datang.
berjanji bahwa + clause: Dia berjanji bahwa dia akan datang.
berjanji kepada + person: Dia berjanji kepada saya. Related words:
menjanjikan + thing (to someone): Dia menjanjikan bantuan kepada saya.
In casual speech, janji can act as a verb: Dia janji mau datang.