Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Saya mengambil tisu dan lap dari tasmu karena tanganku basah. - I take a tissue and a cloth from your bag because my hands are wet.

-mu = your; tasmu = your bag
-ku = my; tanganku = my hand(s) They attach directly to the preceding word with no space and no hyphen: tasmu, tanganku, bukunya.

Can I say “tas kamu” instead of “tasmu”? Any difference?

Yes. tasmu and tas kamu both mean “your bag.”

tasmu is a bit tighter/more colloquial in writing.
tas kamu is equally natural, especially in speech. For formal speech, use tas Anda.

Why use “mengambil” instead of just “ambil”? Are both correct?

Both are correct.

mengambil sounds a bit more formal/complete.
In everyday speech you’ll often hear: Aku/Saya ambil tisu… (dropping the meN- prefix). All mean “take/get.”

What’s the difference between “mengambil,” “mengambilkan,” and “ambilin”?

mengambil: to take/get something. Saya mengambil tisu…
mengambilkan: to get something for someone (benefactive). Saya mengambilkan tisu untukmu.
ambilin: colloquial for the benefactive: Ambilin tisu dong! (Get me a tissue, please.)

Why is it “dari tasmu” and not “di tasmu”?

dari = from (source). You take something from a place: mengambil … dari tasmu.
di = at/in/on (location). “Mengambil … di tasmu” is ungrammatical for source.

Does “tanganku” mean one hand or both hands?

Indonesian usually doesn’t mark number, so tanganku can mean one or both. To be precise:

One hand: salah satu tanganku
Both hands: kedua tanganku

Is “tangan” the right word for “hand,” or does it mean “arm”?

tangan generally covers the hand and lower arm area in everyday speech. More specific terms:

telapak tangan = palm
pergelangan tangan = wrist
lengan = (upper) arm

Is “tisu” the correct spelling? I often see “tissue.”

Standard Indonesian spelling is tisu. You may see “tissue” informally, but tisu is preferred.

What exactly is “lap”? Is “kain lap” better? What about “serbet”?

lap = a rag/cloth used for wiping or cleaning; kain lap just makes it clearer it’s a cloth.
serbet = napkin (for dining), not a cleaning rag.

How do I say “a tissue,” “two tissues,” or “some tissues”?

a tissue: selembar tisu
two tissues: dua lembar tisu
some tissues: beberapa tisu or beberapa lembar tisu For “rag”: sehelai lap or simply satu lap.

Can I put the “because” clause first?

Yes. Both are natural:

Karena tanganku basah, saya mengambil tisu dan lap dari tasmu.
Saya mengambil tisu dan lap dari tasmu karena tanganku basah. Use a comma when the “karena …” clause comes first.

Do I need “itu” (that) anywhere for naturalness?

No. tasmu is already definite (“your bag”). Add itu only if you want to specify a particular one emphatically: dari tasmu itu (“from that bag of yours”).

Is the sentence polite enough? How could I soften it?

It can sound a bit direct. More polite:

Formal: Maaf, boleh saya ambil tisu dan kain lap dari tas Anda? Tangan saya basah.
Informal: Maaf ya, boleh aku ambil tisu dan lap dari tasmu? Tanganku basah.

Should I say “karena … maka …”?

Avoid using both together in one clause pair (it’s often seen but considered redundant). Use either:

Karena …, … or
…, maka … (more formal/literary) Never “karena … jadi …” in the same pair.

Should I add “sedang” or “lagi” before “basah” to mean “right now”?

Not necessary—basah already states the current state. To emphasize “right now,” you can say:

tanganku lagi basah (colloquial)
tanganku benar-benar basah (really wet)
tanganku baru kena air (just got wet)

Can I drop the subject “saya” in this sentence?

Yes, subject drop is common if context is clear, e.g., Ambil tisu dan lap dari tasmu; tanganku basah. Note that without a subject, it may sound like a command. To state what you’re doing, keep saya/aku: Aku/Saya ambil tisu dan lap…