Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Dia tidak panik; malah dia membantu orang lain. - He/She does not panic; instead he/she helps other people.

Both. Dia is a gender‑neutral third‑person singular pronoun. Context tells you whether it’s he or she. If you need to be explicit, use a noun like pria itu (the man) or wanita itu (the woman), or the person’s name.

Why is it tidak and not bukan before panik?

Use tidak to negate verbs and adjectives, and bukan to negate nouns/pronouns/noun phrases.

Correct: Dia tidak panik. (panik = adjective/stative verb)
Correct: Dia bukan dokter. (dokter = noun) You can see bukan with contrastive focus: Bukannya panik, malah dia membantu… (“It’s not that he panicked; instead he helped…”).

Is panik an adjective or a verb in Indonesian?

It functions like a stative adjective (“to be panicked”) and can also act like an intransitive verb (“to panic”). Dia panik is natural. The noun is kepanikan (“panic” as a thing), e.g., Kepanikan melanda… (“Panic swept over…”).

What nuance does malah add?

Malah means “instead/on the contrary,” highlighting a result that’s the opposite of what one might expect. It adds a slight sense of surprise or reversal.

Can I use bahkan, justru, or sebaliknya instead of malah?

Bahkan = “even” (adds intensity, not always a reversal): Dia tidak panik; bahkan dia membantu orang lain.
Justru = “precisely/instead” (close to malah, a bit more formal): Dia tidak panik; justru dia membantu…
Sebaliknya = “on the contrary” (linking two clauses, more formal/written): Dia tidak panik; sebaliknya, dia membantu…
Malahan = variant of malah, slightly more formal.

Where can malah go in the sentence?

Flexible:

Dia malah membantu orang lain.
Malah dia membantu orang lain.
Dia tidak panik; malah membantu orang lain. All are natural; place malah before the clause or predicate you want to contrast.

Do I have to repeat dia after malah?

No. Indonesian often drops repeated subjects. These are all fine:

Dia tidak panik; malah dia membantu… (emphasizes the subject)
Dia tidak panik; malah membantu… (more concise)

Can I use ia instead of dia?

Yes, especially in written/formal style: …; malah ia membantu… Note: ia is typically subject-only; as an object you’d use dia (e.g., kepada dia, not ❌kepada ia).

When would I use beliau?

Use beliau for a respected third person (elder, authority): Beliau tidak panik; malah beliau membantu orang lain. It’s polite/formal; don’t use it for yourself.

Is the semicolon necessary here?

It’s fine and works like in English: two related independent clauses. You could also write:

Dia tidak panik. Malah dia membantu orang lain.
Dia tidak panik, malah dia membantu orang lain. (comma is common in Indonesian)

What’s the form of membantu?

Root bantu (“help”), with the meN- prefix → membantu (transitive “to help [someone]”). Synonym: menolong (often “to rescue/assist someone in trouble”). Colloquial: bantuin (with -in), or ngebantu.

What exactly does orang lain mean?

“Other people” (indefinite). It doesn’t necessarily mean “strangers”; it could just be “others around [him/her].”

How do I make “other people” clearly plural or definite?

Plural emphasis: orang-orang lain (“other people [plural]”).
Definite “the others (in a known set)”: orang lainnya or orang-orang lainnya.
Non-person “the others”: yang lain / lainnya (without orang).

How do I say “didn’t panic at all”?

Use sama sekali:

Dia sama sekali tidak panik; malah…
Dia tidak panik sama sekali; malah…

How do I show past or future time?

Indonesian has no tense inflection; add time words:

Past/recent: tadi, barusan, kemarin.
Completed: sudah/telah.
Future: akan. Example: Dia tidak panik waktu kejadian; malah dia membantu orang lain.

Any casual alternatives for the whole sentence?

Yes:

Dia nggak/ga panik; dia malah bantu orang lain.
Emphatic contrast: Bukannya panik, malah dia bantu orang lain.

Can I use a passive version?

Yes, to highlight the people helped:

Standard: Malah orang lain dibantu olehnya.
With clitic: Malah orang lain dibantunya.
Colloquial: Orang lain malah dibantu dia.

Any quick pronunciation tips?

dia: “DEE-ya.”
tidak: final -k is often a glottal stop in speech (“tidaʔ”).
malah: stress on first syllable (“MA-lah”).
orang: ng is a velar nasal.
panik: “PA-neek.”