Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Tim kecil itu masih bahu-membahu meskipun listrik padam. - The small team is still working shoulder to shoulder even though the power is out.

Literally it is shoulder-to-shoulder. Idiomatically it means to cooperate closely, to work together, often with a sense of solidarity in facing difficulty. It does not require actual physical contact.

Is bahu-membahu formal, informal, or neutral? Are there good synonyms?

It’s neutral and common in both spoken and written Indonesian. Useful synonyms:

bekerja sama (work together; very general)
bergotong-royong or gotong royong (mutual aid, often community-oriented)
berkolaborasi (collaborate; more formal/technical)

Do I need to add saling (each other) before bahu-membahu?

No. bahu-membahu itself already encodes mutual action. You may see saling bahu-membahu in real-life usage; it’s acceptable but a bit redundant and more emphatic.

Can bahu-membahu take a direct object? How do I expand the idea?

It’s intransitive by itself. To say what they are working together on, add another verb or a prepositional phrase:

bahu-membahu mengatasi masalah (work together to overcome the problem)
bahu-membahu untuk memperbaiki generator (work together to fix the generator)
bahu-membahu dalam keadaan darurat (work together in an emergency)

Why is there no word for “is” in listrik padam?

Indonesian often omits a copula (is/are) with adjectives and certain stative verbs. padam means out/extinguished. So listrik padam = the electricity is out, with no linking verb needed.

What’s the nuance difference between padam and mati for power going out?

Both are used. padam is a bit more formal/neutral (used for lights, fire, power). mati is more colloquial; you’ll hear mati lampu (power outage) a lot. listrik padam and listrik mati both sound natural.

What does masih add here, and how does it compare to tetap or terus?

masih = still (continuation from a prior state): they are still working together.
tetap = remain/keep (stresses persistence despite obstacles): they remain working together.
terus = keep on/continue (continuous action): they keep working. With bahu-membahu, masih or tetap sound more natural than terus.

Where should masih go, and how do I negate this idea?

Place masih before the predicate: Tim kecil itu masih bahu-membahu. For negatives:

masih tidak = still not (They still are not…)
tidak lagi = no longer (They are no longer…) Example: Tim kecil itu tidak lagi bahu-membahu (They no longer work together).

What does itu do after tim kecil? Is it “that” or “the”?

Post-nominal itu marks the noun as specific/definite: that small team / the small team (known to the speakers). ini would mean this (near the speaker). In formal writing, tersebut also marks definiteness: tim kecil tersebut.

Why is kecil after tim? Could I use yang?

Adjectives normally follow nouns in Indonesian: tim kecil (small team). yang is used to introduce relative clauses or to add emphasis/contrast; tim yang kecil is possible but tends to contrast with another team (the one that is small).

If I want “a small team,” do I need a word like “a/an”?

You can add a classifier like sebuah: sebuah tim kecil = a small team. But Indonesian often omits it when context makes it clear. Note: tim kecilnya usually means his/her/the small team (definite, sometimes possessive); use with care.

How does meskipun work here? Can I use other words, and do I need tetapi in the main clause?

meskipun means although/even though. Synonyms: walaupun, meski/ walau (slightly shorter), biarpun (colloquial), kendati (formal). You can write either:

Main clause first: … meskipun …
Or start with the concessive clause: Meskipun listrik padam, … Adding tetapi/namun in the main clause is optional for emphasis: Meskipun…, namun…

Could I drop masih without changing the grammar? What nuance changes?

Yes. Tim kecil itu bahu-membahu meskipun listrik padam is fine. Dropping masih removes the “still/continuation” nuance and simply states they work together despite the outage.

Does the sentence express present or past time?

Indonesian doesn’t inflect for tense. Time is inferred or marked lexically:

Past: tadi, kemarin, sudah (already)
Progressive: sedang
Ongoing from before: masih So you adjust with time words as needed.

Does tim kecil itu imply multiple people even without a plural marker?

Yes. Indonesian doesn’t require plural marking; tim already implies multiple members. If you want to highlight the people, you can say para anggota tim kecil itu (the team members).

What pattern is bahu-membahu an example of, and are there similar forms?

It’s a reduplicated/affixed pair that conveys reciprocity (mutual action), e.g.:

tolong-menolong (help each other)
hormat-menghormati (respect one another)
pukul-memukul, sikut-menyikut (hit/jostle one another) These typically don’t need saling, though adding it is common for emphasis.