Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Kolega laki-laki saya juga pusing karena kurang tidur. - My male colleague is also dizzy because of lack of sleep.

Structure: Noun + descriptor + possessor + adverb + predicate + reason-clause. So: Kolega laki-laki saya (my male colleague) juga pusing (is also dizzy) karena kurang tidur (because of not enough sleep).

Why is it “kolega laki-laki saya” and not “saya kolega laki-laki”?

In Indonesian, the possessor follows the noun: kolega saya = my colleague (not saya kolega). Descriptors like adjectives also follow the noun: kolega laki-laki. When you have both, the common order is Noun + descriptor + possessor: kolega laki-laki saya = my male colleague. This mirrors patterns like buku merah saya (my red book).

Is the hyphen in “laki-laki” required? Are there alternatives?

Standard spelling uses the hyphen: laki-laki.
One-word alternative: lelaki (formal/literary feel).
Synonym: pria (concise, neutral/formal).
Very colloquial: cowok (casual/slang). So you can also say kolega pria saya (my male colleague).

How do I say “female colleague”?

Neutral/common: kolega perempuan saya
Also common/formal: kolega wanita saya
Colloquial/slang: kolega cewek saya (use only in casual settings) Many speakers prefer perempuan in everyday and even formal contexts.

Is “kolega” the most natural word for “colleague”? What are alternatives?

Kolega is correct and formal. Very common alternatives:

rekan kerja (coworker/colleague; neutral-formal)
teman kantor (office mate; casual) Examples:
Rekan kerja laki-laki saya juga pusing karena kurang tidur.
Teman kantor saya juga pusing karena kurang tidur.

Does “juga” have to be placed where it is? What changes if I move it?

Placement affects scope (what “also” applies to):

Kolega laki-laki saya juga pusing karena kurang tidur. = My male colleague is also dizzy (someone else was dizzy too).
Kolega laki-laki saya pusing juga karena kurang tidur. ≈ similar, but the “also” can feel attached to the predicate (“is dizzy too”).
Kolega laki-laki saya pusing karena kurang tidur juga. = The reason is also “lack of sleep” (i.e., there are other reasons as well). Context and intonation clarify the intended scope.

Can I front the reason clause (“Because of…”)?

Yes:

Karena kurang tidur, kolega laki-laki saya juga pusing. A comma after the fronted reason is recommended in writing.

Is there any difference between “karena,” “gara-gara,” and “sebab”?

karena: neutral, standard.
gara-gara: informal and often implies annoyance/negative cause.
sebab: somewhat formal/literary; also a noun meaning “cause.” Examples:
Dia pusing karena kurang tidur.
Dia pusing gara-gara kurang tidur. (more casual/colloquial)
Dia pusing sebab kurang tidur. (formal flavor)

What exactly does “pusing” mean? Is it just “dizzy”?

Pusing covers:

Physical dizziness/vertigo.
Feeling woozy/light-headed.
Colloquial “headache” or “mind-boggled/stressed” by problems. For a clear “headache,” use sakit kepala. Example: Dia sakit kepala karena kurang tidur.

How do I say “has a headache” versus “is dizzy”?

Has a headache: sakit kepala (e.g., Dia sakit kepala.)
Is dizzy: pusing (e.g., Dia pusing.) Both can take reasons with karena: Dia pusing/sakit kepala karena kurang tidur.

What does “kurang tidur” literally mean, and are there synonyms?

Kurang tidur literally “lacking sleep/not enough sleep.” Synonym: tidak cukup tidur. As a noun phrase in formal contexts: kekurangan tidur (sleep deprivation).

Dia pusing karena kurang tidur.
Dia pusing karena tidak cukup tidur.
Kekurangan tidur berdampak buruk pada kesehatan.

Is “kurang tidur” a noun or a verb phrase? How does “kurang” work?

It can function as:

A verb-like predicate: Dia kurang tidur (He doesn’t sleep enough).
A reason phrase after karena: karena kurang tidur. Kurang before adjectives/nouns/numbers means “insufficient/less”: kurang sehat (not very healthy), kurang dua (minus two).

How do I mark singular or plural for “kolega”?

Indonesian doesn’t mark number by default; context decides. To be explicit:

Singular human: add seorang → Seorang kolega laki-laki saya…
Plural humans: para or a quantifier → Para kolega laki-laki saya…, Beberapa kolega laki-laki saya…
You can also add a number with orang: Dua orang kolega laki-laki saya…

What’s the difference between “kolega laki-laki saya” and “kolega saya yang laki-laki”?

Both can mean “my male colleague,” but:

Kolega laki-laki saya: simple descriptor inside the noun phrase.
Kolega saya yang laki-laki: uses yang to pick out the male one(s) among my colleagues; sounds contrastive/selective.

Can I say “kolega saya laki-laki” without “yang”?

That tends to read as a full clause “my colleague is male.” For an attributive meaning (“male colleague”), prefer:

kolega laki-laki saya, or
kolega saya yang laki-laki (when contrasting/clarifying).

Is “saya” the right pronoun here? What about “aku” or “gue”?

saya: polite/neutral; safe for workplace and formal settings.
aku: informal/intimate.
gue: very casual/Jakarta slang. In office contexts, saya is the safest choice.

What happens if I drop “saya”?

Kolega laki-laki juga pusing karena kurang tidur loses the possessor and sounds like a general statement about male colleagues (in general or in the context). If you mean “my,” keep saya.

Is there a more colloquial way to say “because of not sleeping enough,” like “stayed up late”?

Yes:

begadang = stay up late / pull an all-nighter. Example: Dia pusing karena begadang.

How can I intensify “pusing”?

Formal/neutral: sangat pusing, pusing sekali
Colloquial: pusing banget Example: Kolega laki-laki saya sangat pusing karena kurang tidur.

Any quick pronunciation tips for key words?

laki-laki: lah-kee LAH-kee (hyphen shows full reduplication)
juga: JOO-gah
karena: kah-RE-nah (often reduced to “karna” in speech)
pusing: POO-sing Indonesian vowels are pure; keep them short and clear.