Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Teman laki-laki saya ketawa sambil tanya-tanya soal aplikasi. - My male friend laughs while asking around about the app.

It means a male friend. For boyfriend/girlfriend, Indonesians usually say pacar (gender‑neutral). If you want to make “male friend” extra clear, teman laki-laki or the informal teman cowok are common.

Why is laki-laki hyphenated? And does tanya-tanya also need a hyphen?

Hyphens are standard in reduplication. Laki-laki and tanya-tanya are both written with hyphens in standard Indonesian. In casual texting you might see laki2 or tanya2, but that’s not standard writing.

What’s the difference between ketawa and tertawa?

Both mean “to laugh.” Ketawa is informal/colloquial; tertawa is neutral-to-formal. In everyday speech, ketawa is very common; in writing or formal situations, tertawa is safer. You can intensify with things like terbahak-bahak (laughing loudly).

What does sambil do here?

Sambil means “while (doing something else)” and implies the same subject is doing both actions simultaneously. Example: Dia makan sambil nonton TV = “He eats while watching TV.” If the subjects differ, use other linkers like sementara or ketika.

What nuance does tanya-tanya add compared with tanya or bertanya?

Reduplication (tanya-tanya) suggests casually “asking around,” “asking multiple questions,” or “browsing for info.” Plain tanya (colloquial) or bertanya (more formal) is a simple “ask.” So tanya-tanya feels exploratory and informal.

Is tanya without a prefix okay, or should it be bertanya?

In speech, tanya is very common and perfectly fine. In careful or formal writing, prefer bertanya. Both are understood everywhere.

Can I use bertanya-tanya here instead of tanya-tanya?

Be careful: bertanya-tanya usually means “to wonder” (asking oneself), not “asking other people.” So ketawa sambil bertanya-tanya would read as “laughing while (he) was wondering,” which isn’t the same as asking others questions.

Why use soal instead of tentang or mengenai?

Soal is conversational “about/regarding.” Tentang is neutral; mengenai is more formal. All can work:

tanya-tanya soal aplikasi (casual)
bertanya tentang aplikasi (neutral)
bertanya mengenai aplikasi (formal)

Is menanyakan tentang okay?

Many people say it, but it’s often considered redundant. Prefer:

menanyakan aplikasi itu (kepada …) = ask about that app (to …)
or stick with bertanya tentang / tanya soal.

Does aplikasi mean smartphone app specifically?

Usually yes: software/app in tech contexts. For a job “application,” use lamaran; for a formal request, permohonan.

How is tense handled here? Is it past or present?

Indonesian doesn’t mark tense by default. Context or time words indicate it:

Past: tadi, kemarin, barusan
Progressive/current: sedang (neutral), lagi (colloquial)
Future: akan, nanti Example: Dia tadi ketawa sambil tanya-tanya (earlier).

Could I say Teman saya laki-laki instead of teman laki-laki saya?

They’re not interchangeable in function. Teman laki-laki saya is a noun phrase (“my male friend”) and works as the subject here. Teman saya laki-laki is a full clause (“my friend is male”); to use it as a subject you’d need yang: Teman saya yang laki-laki ketawa ….

Are there alternatives to teman laki-laki like teman cowok or teman pria?

Yes:

teman cowok = informal (slangy/urban)
teman pria = more formal/news style
teman laki-laki = neutral and clear

If he was laughing at someone, how would I say that?

Use menertawakan (to laugh at):

Dia menertawakan saya sambil tanya-tanya soal aplikasi = He laughed at me while asking about the app. Plain ketawa doesn’t specify the target.

Do I need sedang or lagi to show “was in the middle of” doing it?

Optional. Add them if you want a clear progressive feel:

Neutral: Dia sedang ketawa sambil tanya-tanya …
Colloquial: Dia lagi ketawa sambil tanya-tanya …

How do I say “the app,” “this app,” or “those apps”?

“the app”: aplikasinya
“this app”: aplikasi ini
“that app”: aplikasi itu
“those apps”: aplikasi-aplikasi itu (or just aplikasi itu; plural is often unmarked) For “some apps,” use beberapa aplikasi.

How do I say who he was asking, versus what he was asking about?

Ask about something: tanya soal/tentang X, bertanya tentang X
Ask someone: tanya ke/kepada/sama [orang], bertanya kepada [orang]
Formal transitive: menanyakan [hal] kepada [orang] Example: Dia tanya-tanya soal aplikasi ke saya = He asked me questions about the app.

Is it okay to drop saya (my) if context is clear?

Yes, Indonesian often drops possessors if understood, but teman laki-laki without saya sounds like “a male friend” (not necessarily yours). To say “a male friend of mine,” you can use seorang teman laki-laki saya or saya punya teman laki-laki ….

Is nanya-nanya acceptable instead of tanya-tanya?

Yes, nanya is a very common colloquial variant of tanya. Nanya-nanya carries the same “asking around” feel, but it’s informal: Dia ketawa sambil nanya-nanya soal aplikasi.