Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Dia malu bertanya di kelas. - She/He is embarrassed to ask in class.

Ia: also “he/she,” common in formal writing as a subject.
Beliau: respectful “he/she” for elders or people of higher status.
-nya: possessive clitic (“his/her/their”), e.g., bukunya = “his/her/their book.”

How do we know the tense? Is this past, present, or future?

Indonesian doesn’t mark tense on the verb. Time is inferred from context or time words:

Past: Dia tadi/kemarin malu bertanya di kelas. (earlier/yesterday)
Habitual: Dia biasanya/sering malu bertanya di kelas.
Future: Dia akan (terlalu) malu untuk bertanya di kelas nanti.
Negative: Dia tidak malu bertanya di kelas.

Why is there no untuk? Can I say malu untuk bertanya?

Both are fine:

Dia malu bertanya di kelas. (very natural)
Dia malu untuk bertanya di kelas. (a bit more formal/emphatic) With degree words, untuk is common: Dia terlalu malu untuk bertanya.

Does malu mean “shy” or “ashamed”?

Both, depending on context:

“Shy/embarrassed” about doing something: Dia malu bertanya di kelas.
“Ashamed” because of something: Dia malu karena nilainya jelek. Related words:
sungkan/segan: socially hesitant, out of deference.
canggung/kikuk: awkward.
grogi/gugup: nervous.

What does the prefix ber- in bertanya do?

ber- often forms intransitive verbs. Bertanya = “to ask (a question)” without a direct object. If you mention the person or topic, use a preposition:

Person: bertanya kepada/pada/sama guru
Topic: bertanya tentang PR

Can I use tanya instead of bertanya?

In conversation, yes:

Dia malu tanya/nanya di kelas. (colloquial) For standard/formal Indonesian, prefer bertanya. Transitive variants:
menanyai (object is a person): Saya menanyai dia. = I questioned him/her.
menanyakan (object is a thing/topic): Saya menanyakan harga. You can add a recipient: … kepada guru.

Why di kelas and not ke/pada/kepada kelas?

di = at/in (location): di kelas = in/at class.
ke = to (movement): ke kelas = to the class (destination).
pada/kepada = to (a recipient). Use with people, not places: bertanya kepada guru.

Does di kelas mean “in class” the activity, or the physical room?

It can mean either, depending on context:

Activity/time setting (“during class”): natural reading here.
Physical room: also possible. If you want to be explicit, use:
- Activity/time: saat pelajaran, waktu kelas berlangsung
- Physical room: di ruang kelas or di dalam kelas

What’s the difference between di kelas and di dalam kelas?

Both can mean “in the class(room).” Di dalam kelas highlights being physically inside the room. Di kelas is more general and is the default.

Is the word order fixed? Could I say Dia bertanya malu di kelas or front the place?

Dia bertanya malu di kelas is ungrammatical. Keep malu before the verb it modifies: malu bertanya.
You can front the place for emphasis: Di kelas, dia malu bertanya. (emphasizes the setting)

Can I drop dia?

Only if the subject is obvious from context, or in headlines/notes: Malu bertanya di kelas. In normal conversation, include dia (or a name) to avoid ambiguity.

How do I say “ask a question” or “ask the teacher” more explicitly?

“Ask a question”: mengajukan pertanyaan or just bertanya.
- Dia malu mengajukan pertanyaan di kelas.
“Ask the teacher”:
- Dia malu bertanya kepada/pada guru. (standard)
- Dia malu bertanya ke/sama guru. (colloquial)
- With a specific topic: Dia malu menanyakan hal itu kepada guru.

How do I negate or intensify malu?

Negation: tidak/tak/nggak malu
Degree:
- agak/kurang malu (a bit/less)
- sangat/amat malu (very; formal)
- malu sekali / malu banget (very; neutral/colloquial)
- terlalu malu (too shy)

Does this imply one question or many?

Indonesian doesn’t mark number here. Bertanya is neutral: “ask (a question/anything).” To be explicit:

One: mengajukan satu pertanyaan
Many: mengajukan beberapa/banyak pertanyaan

Is there an idiom with malu bertanya?

Yes: Malu bertanya, sesat di jalan (“If you’re too shy to ask, you’ll get lost”). It encourages asking questions.