Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Keringat dingin muncul ketika dia presentasi, tetapi dia tetap fokus. - Cold sweat appeared when he/she presented, but he/she stayed focused.

It’s both a literal noun phrase and a fixed idiom. Literally it’s “cold sweat,” but it specifically refers to sweat caused by fear, anxiety, shock, or pain, not by heat or exercise. It’s a very natural collocation in Indonesian.

Example: Dia berkeringat dingin menjelang ujian.

Is Keringat dingin muncul natural? Would Indonesians say it that way?

Yes, it’s acceptable and understandable. Another very natural way is to make the person the subject:

Dia berkeringat dingin saat presentasi. You’ll also hear verbs that emphasize the flow of sweat:
Keringat dingin bercucuran. (pouring)
Keringat dingin mulai keluar. (started to come out)

Should I prefer Dia berkeringat dingin over Keringat dingin muncul?

Both are fine. Making the person the subject (with berkeringat dingin) often feels a bit more direct and idiomatic in everyday speech: Dia berkeringat dingin saat/ketika presentasi. The version with muncul sounds slightly more descriptive or narrative.

Is dia presentasi grammatical? Should it be dia sedang presentasi or something else?

In everyday Indonesian, dia presentasi (or more commonly dia sedang presentasi) is natural and understood as “he/she is presenting.” Strictly speaking, presentasi is a noun, but colloquially it’s often used as a verb. In more careful/formal language:

Dia sedang melakukan/memberikan presentasi.
If you mention what is presented: Dia mempresentasikan hasil penelitiannya. (transitive verb)

What’s the best way to say “give a presentation”?

Common options:

Neutral/formal: memberikan presentasi, melakukan presentasi
With an object (what is presented): mempresentasikan [sesuatu]
Colloquial/office talk: presentasi as a verb-like use (e.g., Dia lagi presentasi.)

Do I need a marker for past/progressive time here? Indonesian has no tense, right?

Correct—Indonesian doesn’t grammatically mark tense. Time/aspect is shown by context or particles:

Progressive: sedang (e.g., ketika dia sedang presentasi)
Past/earlier: tadi, kemarin, barusan
Completed: sudah/telah Your sentence is fine as-is; add markers only if you want to emphasize timing.

Difference between ketika, saat, and waktu?

All can mean “when.”

ketika: neutral/formal, common in writing.
saat: very common and natural in both speech and writing.
waktu: more colloquial in this use. All are fine here: ketika/saat/waktu dia presentasi. You’ll also see sewaktu in writing, similar to ketika.

Why use dia? Could it be ia or beliau?

dia: common, neutral pronoun for “he/she,” used in speech and writing.
ia: often used as a subject pronoun in formal writing; rarely in casual speech. Here, ketika ia presentasi would be fine in formal text.
beliau: respectful “he/she” for elders/important figures.

Is the comma before tetapi necessary?

It’s standard and recommended when linking two independent clauses: …, tetapi …. Many style guides prefer the comma there. You’ll also see the variant Namun, … starting a new sentence.

Difference between tetapi, tapi, and namun?

All convey “but/however.”

tetapi: more formal/neutral.
tapi: informal/conversational.
namun: formal, often starts a sentence: Namun, dia tetap fokus. In your sentence, tetapi suits a neutral or formal tone.

Why tetap fokus and not masih fokus?

tetap = “remain/keep” in spite of challenges; it implies resisting change: dia tetap fokus (he stayed focused despite the cold sweat).
masih = “still/yet,” a neutral continuation without that “in spite of” nuance: dia masih fokus (he is still focused).

Should it be fokus or berfokus?

Both exist but behave differently:

tetap fokus treats fokus like an adjective/predicate: “remain focused.” Very common.
berfokus (pada …) is a verb meaning “to focus (on …).” Use when specifying a target: Dia tetap berfokus pada materinya. Without “pada,” berfokus often feels incomplete.

Why is dingin after keringat? Isn’t it “cold sweat”?

In Indonesian, adjectives typically follow the noun. So keringat (noun) + dingin (adjective) matches the normal noun–adjective order. As a set phrase, keringat dingin is the standard order.

Can I drop the second dia and say …, tetapi tetap fokus?

Yes. Indonesian often omits repeated subjects when the meaning is clear. Keringat dingin muncul ketika dia presentasi, tetapi tetap fokus. is acceptable, though keeping dia can add clarity.

Any other natural ways to phrase the whole sentence?

Yes, for example:

Dia berkeringat dingin saat presentasi, tetapi dia tetap fokus.
Saat presentasi, dia mulai berkeringat dingin, tetapi tetap fokus. These sound very natural in everyday Indonesian.