Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Ibu menanyakan alasan saya terlambat, dan saya menjawab dengan tenang. - Mother asks my reason for being late, and I answer calmly.

If you’re talking about your own mother, capitalized Ibu works like “Mom/Mother.”
If it’s a respectful title for an older woman/teacher (like “Ms., Ma’am, Madam”), Ibu can also mean that. Without more context, many readers will first read it as “Mom.”

Why is Ibu capitalized?

Kinship terms are capitalized when used as a proper name or form of address (similar to “Mom” vs. “my mom”). Compare:

Ibu menanyakan … = “Mom asked …”
ibu saya menanyakan … = “my mother asked …”
ibu itu = “that lady/mother” (generic, lowercase)

What’s the difference between menanyakan and bertanya?

bertanya = “to ask (a question)” and is intransitive. You add the person asked with kepada and the content with a clause or prepositional phrase:
Example: Ibu bertanya kepada saya mengapa saya terlambat.
menanyakan = “to ask about/ask for” and is transitive; its direct object is the thing being asked about:
Example: Ibu menanyakan alasan (keterlambatan saya).
The person asked, if mentioned, is added with kepada: … menanyakan alasan … kepada saya.

Can I say Ibu menanyakan saya …?

No. With menanyakan, the direct object should be the thing asked about, not the person. Say:

Ibu menanyakan alasan saya terlambat (kepada saya).
Or use bertanya: Ibu bertanya kepada saya tentang alasan saya terlambat.

What about menanyai—how is it different?

menanyai targets a person as the direct object (often implying repeated or thorough questioning):

Ibu menanyai saya tentang alasan saya terlambat. Compare:
menanyakan [thing] (kepada [person])
menanyai [person] (tentang [thing])

Is alasan saya terlambat correct, or should it be alasan mengapa saya terlambat / alasan keterlambatan saya?

All are acceptable, with slight nuance:

alasan saya terlambat = “the reason (I was) late” (clausal; natural in speech)
alasan mengapa/kenapa saya terlambat = explicitly “the reason why” (clear, neutral)
alasan keterlambatan saya = uses the noun keterlambatan (“lateness”); feels more formal.

Can I use kenapa instead of mengapa?

Yes. kenapa is common and informal/neutral; mengapa is more formal. Either fits:

Ibu menanyakan kenapa/mengapa saya terlambat.

Why is there no “to be” verb in saya terlambat?

Indonesian doesn’t use a copula before adjectives. saya terlambat literally “I late,” meaning “I am late.”

What’s the difference between terlambat and keterlambatan?

terlambat = adjective/adverb “late.”
Example: saya terlambat; datang terlambat.
keterlambatan = noun “lateness/delay.”
Example: alasan keterlambatan saya.

Is the comma before dan necessary?

Usually no. In formal Indonesian (PUEBI), you typically do not put a comma before dan when linking clauses. So:
Ibu menanyakan alasan saya terlambat dan saya menjawab dengan tenang.
Writers sometimes add a comma for rhythm, but it’s not required.

Can I move dengan tenang to another position?

Yes. Word order is flexible for adverbials:

Saya menjawab dengan tenang. (default)
Dengan tenang, saya menjawab. (fronted for emphasis) Both are fine.

Why dengan tenang and not tenang saja or santai?

dengan tenang = “calmly” (neutral/formal; focuses on composed manner).
tenang saja = “calmly/it’s no big deal” (more colloquial, downplaying the situation).
santai = “relaxed/casual,” which can sound informal or insufficiently serious. For answering composedly, dengan tenang is safest.

Do we need to repeat saya in the second clause?

Yes, to avoid ambiguity. Without the second saya, the subject would default back to Ibu:

With repetition: … dan saya menjawab … (I answered)
Without repetition: … dan menjawab … (reads as “and [she] answered …”)

Can I drop the first saya before terlambat?

If you say alasan terlambat, it becomes generic (“the reason for being late”), not clearly “my lateness.” To keep the meaning, use alasan saya terlambat or alasan keterlambatan saya.

How would I say this in the passive voice?

Several options:

Saya ditanya Ibu tentang alasan saya terlambat, dan saya menjawab dengan tenang.
More formal: Saya ditanya oleh Ibu tentang alasan keterlambatan saya, dan saya menjawab dengan tenang.

Does menjawab need an object?

Not necessarily. menjawab can stand without an explicit object, as in the sentence. If you want to be explicit:

saya menjawabnya dengan tenang (“I answered it calmly”)
saya menjawab pertanyaannya dengan tenang (“I answered her question calmly”)

Can I use membalas or merespons instead of menjawab?

menjawab is the default for answering a question.
membalas is “to reply/return” (texts, emails, gestures: membalas pesan, membalas dengan senyum).
merespons (“to respond”) is fine but feels more formal/technical. In conversation about a question, menjawab is most natural.

Can I use lalu or kemudian instead of dan?

Yes, if you want to highlight sequence:

Ibu menanyakan …, lalu/kemudian saya menjawab dengan tenang. dan simply links the clauses; lalu/kemudian adds a “then/after that” sense.

Should I use aku instead of saya?

Use saya in neutral or polite contexts (e.g., with teachers, elders, formal writing). aku is more intimate/informal (friends, family). With Ibu (as “Mom”), aku is common in speech; with Ibu as “Ms./Ma’am,” stick to saya.

Is Bu acceptable here?

Bu is the clipped spoken form used in address (“Ma’am/Ms.”). As a narrative subject, you typically write Ibu. In direct address you’d say, for example, Bu, saya terlambat (“Ma’am, I’m late”).