Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Saya juga gugup, alih-alih duduk diam saya berlatih pelan-pelan. - I am also nervous; instead of sitting still I practice slowly.

It means “instead of.” Structure: Alih-alih + verb/noun phrase, [main clause]. Example: Alih-alih duduk diam, saya berlatih pelan-pelan. Register: fairly neutral-to-formal; in casual speech many people say daripada or ketimbang instead.

Is the punctuation in the sentence natural?

More natural would be to add a comma after the “instead of” phrase, or split into two sentences, for clarity:

Saya juga gugup. Alih-alih duduk diam, saya berlatih pelan-pelan.
Or: Saya juga gugup; alih-alih duduk diam, saya berlatih pelan-pelan.

Do I need untuk after alih-alih?

No. Alih-alih is directly followed by a verb or noun phrase: alih-alih duduk diam, alih-alih kopi. You don’t add untuk.

What’s the nuance difference among gugup, grogi, deg-degan, and cemas?

gugup: nervous/flustered (performance anxiety; may stammer, fumble).
grogi: colloquial for nervous/awkward (slangy).
deg-degan: heart-pounding nervous/excited (onomatopoeic).
cemas: worried/anxious (internal worry, not necessarily flustered). Related: tegang = tense; takut = afraid.

Where can I place juga? Is Saya juga gugup different from Saya gugup juga?

Saya juga gugup = “I’m also nervous,” straightforward.
Saya gugup juga = often sounds like an afterthought (“I’m nervous too, by the way”) or in contrast to something said before. Avoid starting with Juga saya...; that’s not natural.

Why use saya and not aku or gue?

saya: neutral/formal and safest in writing or with strangers.
aku: informal/neutral with peers or close relations.
gue/gw: very informal Jakarta slang. Choose based on context and audience.

What exactly does duduk diam mean? Could I say diam saja or berdiam diri instead?

duduk diam = “sit still” (physically sitting and not moving/messing around).

diam saja = “just keep still/quiet” (not necessarily sitting).
berdiam diri = “to remain still/silent” (more formal/literary). Use duduk diam when the sitting posture is part of the idea.

Is diam duduk possible, or is the order fixed?

Use duduk diam. Saying diam duduk is unnatural in this meaning.

Why berlatih and not latihan or melatih?

Root: latih.
berlatih = to practice (oneself). Example: Saya berlatih pelan-pelan.
latihan = practice/exercise (noun). Colloquially you can say Saya latihan to mean “I’m practicing,” but it’s less formal.
melatih = to train/coach (someone else). Example: Pelatih itu melatih atlet.

Can berlatih take an object, like “practice my speech”?

It’s intransitive, but you can add a complement to specify the field: berlatih pidato, berlatih piano, berlatih lari. It’s not a direct object in a grammatical sense, but it’s perfectly natural.

What does reduplication in pelan-pelan add? Could I just say pelan?

pelan-pelan intensifies the sense of “slowly/gently/gradually.”
pelan alone also works: Saya berlatih pelan.
perlahan-lahan is a more formal/neutral alternative; perlahan is also fine.

How should I write reduplication: with a hyphen?

Yes. Standard spelling uses a hyphen: pelan-pelan, deg-degan. In texting you’ll see pelan2 or pelan pelan, but that’s nonstandard.

Where can I place pelan-pelan in the clause?

Common options:

After the verb: Saya berlatih pelan-pelan (most common).
Before the verb: Saya pelan-pelan berlatih (focus on the manner).
At the start: Pelan-pelan, saya berlatih (stylistic). All are acceptable.

Can I omit the second saya?

You can: … alih-alih duduk diam, berlatih pelan-pelan. In careful writing, keeping saya is clearer and more natural. Dropping it risks sounding like a note fragment.

What are some natural alternatives to the whole sentence?

Saya juga gugup. Daripada duduk diam, saya berlatih pelan-pelan.
Saya juga gugup; bukannya duduk diam, saya malah berlatih pelan-pelan.
Saya juga gugup; alih-alih duduk diam, saya justru berlatih pelan-pelan.
Saya juga gugup. Daripada duduk diam, lebih baik saya berlatih pelan-pelan.

Is duduk-duduk the same as duduk diam?

No. duduk-duduk means “to sit around/hang out” (relax, pass the time). duduk diam means “sit still.”

Does pelan-pelan ever mean “quietly,” or only “slowly”?

Primarily “slowly/gently.” With sound-related verbs, it can imply “softly”: bicara pelan-pelan = “speak softly/quietly.” In berlatih pelan-pelan, it means “practice slowly,” not “quietly.”

How do I pronounce key words?

gugup: GOO-goop (both g hard; u as in “put” but longer).
alih-alih: ah-LEEH ah-LEEH (final h is a light breath).
diam: DEE-um (two syllables: di-am).
duduk: DOO-dook (u = “oo”).
pelan-pelan: puh-LAN puh-LAN (first e is a schwa).