Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Saya sudah menutup jendela, malah angin masih masuk. - I have already closed the window, yet the wind still comes in.

It marks completed action (aspect), not past tense. So Saya sudah menutup jendela = “I have already closed the window” / “I already closed the window.” Indonesian doesn’t inflect for tense; time is inferred from words like sudah, context, or time adverbs.

More formal: telah (e.g., Saya telah menutup jendela).
Colloquial: udah (e.g., Saya udah nutup jendela).
Without it (Saya menutup jendela), it can sound habitual or generic unless context clarifies time.

Why is it “menutup,” and not “tutup,” “menutupi,” or “menutupkan”?

menutup = to close (a door/window/etc.). Standard active verb: Saya sudah menutup jendela.
tutup can be used as a bare verb in casual speech: Saya udah tutup jendela (informal). It’s also an adjective “closed.”
menutupi = to cover something with something (not “to close”): Saya menutupi jendela dengan kertas.
menutupkan = to close something for someone (benefactive): Saya menutupkan jendela untuk nenek. Use when the “for someone” nuance matters.

What exactly does “malah” mean here?

malah means “instead/even (contrary to expectation).” It adds a twist: despite the first clause, something unexpected happens in the second. It often implies mild surprise or frustration: “I’ve already closed the window; yet, if anything, the wind still comes in.”

Where can I put “malah” in the sentence?

It typically comes before what you want to highlight.

Clause-initial: Malah angin masih masuk.
Before the focused element: Angin malah masih masuk.
After the first clause: Saya sudah menutup jendela, malah angin masih masuk. Avoid placing malah at the very end of the clause.

Can I replace “malah” with tapi/namun/padahal/justru/bahkan? What’s the difference?

tapi/namun = but/however (neutral contrast): Saya sudah menutup jendela, tapi angin masih masuk.
padahal = even though/whereas (unmet expectation). Pattern usually flips: Angin masih masuk, padahal saya sudah menutup jendela. Or Padahal saya sudah menutup jendela, angin masih masuk.
justru = precisely/on the contrary (strongly counterintuitive): Saya sudah menutup jendela, justru angin masih masuk.
bahkan = even (adds intensity to an already escalated point). It doesn’t replace malah one-to-one here; bahkan would more likely pile onto a list or emphasize degree.
malahan ≈ malah (often a bit more emphatic/formal).

How does “masih” differ from “tetap,” “terus,” and “lagi”?

masih = still (continuation from before): Angin masih masuk.
tetap = remains/persists despite attempts/conditions: Angin tetap masuk (stronger stubbornness).
terus = keeps on/continually (ongoing action): Angin terus masuk (constant draft).
lagi = again/at the moment (progressive). Not idiomatic here: Angin lagi masuk sounds odd.

Do I need “ke” or “ke dalam” after “masuk”?

No, not unless you want to specify a destination.

General: Angin masih masuk.
With destination: Angin masih masuk ke kamar / ke rumah.
ke dalam (“to the inside”) is optional and emphatic: Angin masih masuk ke dalam kamar. Without a destination, ke dalam is redundant.

How do I say “the window” vs “a window” in Indonesian?

Indonesian doesn’t require articles. jendela is neutral for “a/the window.” To make it explicitly definite:

jendela itu = that/the specific window.
jendelanya = the (context-known) window / its window. Example: Saya sudah menutup jendelanya.

How do I express plural “windows”?

Use a quantifier or reduplication:

semua jendela = all the windows
jendela-jendela = windows (plural by reduplication)
semua jendelanya = all the (relevant) windows

Are there passive or alternative ways to say the first clause?

Yes:

Short passive (very common): Jendela sudah saya tutup, malah angin masih masuk.
Full passive: Jendela sudah ditutup (oleh saya), malah angin masih masuk. These shift focus to the window/action rather than the doer.

Can I flip the clauses or use concessive patterns?

Absolutely:

Angin masih masuk, padahal saya sudah menutup jendela.
Meskipun/Walaupun saya sudah menutup jendela, angin masih masuk. These foreground the surprising result.

Is “angin masih masuk” related to the idiom “masuk angin”?

No. masuk angin is an idiom meaning “to catch a chill”/“feel under the weather.” Angin masih masuk literally means “wind still enters.” Word order completely changes the meaning.

Is it okay to drop the meN- prefix or otherwise be more casual?

In casual speech, yes:

Aku udah nutup jendela, malah angin masih masuk. You can drop meN- (→ nutup/tutup), use aku instead of saya, and udah for sudah.

Can I add sentence particles to sound more natural in conversation?

Yes, to convey attitude:

Surprise/complaint: Aku udah nutup jendela, kok angin masih masuk?
Exasperation: … masih aja masuk.
Softening/persuasion (in other contexts): dong/deh/loh (use sparingly and contextually).

What’s the difference between “menutup” and “tertutup”?

menutup = to close (action): Saya menutup jendela.
tertutup = closed (state/result): Jendela sudah tertutup. You can say: Jendela sudah tertutup, tapi/malah angin masih masuk to emphasize the state.

Can I add a word to show I closed it tightly?

Use rapat or rapat-rapat:

Saya sudah menutup jendela rapat-rapat, malah angin masih masuk. This highlights you closed it tightly, yet the wind still gets in.

Do I need the comma before “malah”?

It’s good style to separate the two clauses with a comma: …, malah …. In informal writing you’ll see both with and without the comma. In speech, it corresponds to a slight pause.