Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Dia menyentuh salju dingin itu.

Dia is a gender‑neutral third‑person singular pronoun. It can mean he, she, or even they (singular) depending on context.
Indonesian normally doesn’t mark grammatical gender. If you really need to make the gender clear, you use context, a name, or an extra word like laki-laki (male) or perempuan (female), e.g. dia (laki-laki itu) = that man, he.

Why does menyentuh cover both touched and touches? Where is the past tense?

Indonesian verbs don’t change form for tense. Menyentuh can mean touch, touches, touched, or is touching, depending on context.
If you want to be explicit, you add separate words, for example:

Dia sudah menyentuh… = He/She has already touched…
Dia sedang menyentuh… = He/She is (currently) touching…

What is the function of itu at the end of salju dingin itu?

Itu is a demonstrative that usually means that, and often also works like the (specific one).
So salju dingin itu is that cold snow or the cold snow (we’re talking about / over there), not just any cold snow in general.
Without itu, the phrase feels more general or descriptive: salju dingin = (some) cold snow.

Why is the word order salju dingin itu and not itu salju dingin?

In Indonesian, the normal order is: noun + adjective(s) + demonstrative.
So you say salju dingin itu:

salju = noun (snow)
dingin = adjective (cold)
itu = demonstrative (that/the)
Putting itu before the noun (e.g. itu salju) is possible in some contexts, but it’s not the standard pattern for a noun phrase like this and can sound marked or stylistic.

What part of speech is dingin here? Is it an adjective or a verb?

In salju dingin itu, dingin functions as an adjective modifying salju: cold snow.
Indonesian words like dingin are flexible: they can be adjectives (salju dingin = cold snow) or predicate adjectives / stative verbs (salju itu dingin = that snow is cold). The role is determined by position and structure, not by word endings.

Could you also say salju yang dingin itu? What’s the difference?

Yes, salju yang dingin itu is also correct.

salju dingin itu = that cold snow (simple modifier, smoother, more neutral)
salju yang dingin itu = that snow that is cold (the yang adds a slight emphasis or makes it sound a bit more like a relative clause: the snow which is cold).
In many everyday contexts, salju dingin itu is perfectly natural and slightly simpler.

Why is it menyentuh and not just sentuh?

The base word is sentuh (touch). When you add the meN- prefix, it becomes menyentuh, which is the normal active verb form: to touch / touches / touched.
This meN- prefix (here realized as meny- before s) typically marks an active verb with an explicit subject (here dia).
Bare sentuh is usually seen in dictionary form, commands (Sentuh! = Touch!), or some fixed expressions.

Could we drop dia and just say Menyentuh salju dingin itu?

Yes, in informal speech and when the subject is obvious from context, Indonesians often drop the pronoun.
Menyentuh salju dingin itu would then be understood as (He/She) touched that cold snow or Touching that cold snow, depending on context.
However, in a neutral textbook example, including dia is clearer for learners.

Is salju singular or plural here? Does it mean snow or snows?

Indonesian nouns generally don’t mark singular vs. plural. Salju can mean snow or snows, but in practice it’s usually mass snow.
Number is inferred from context or added with extra words if needed (e.g. banyak salju = a lot of snow, butir-butir salju = snowflakes).

How formal is dia? Are there politer alternatives?

Dia is neutral and very common in both spoken and written Indonesian.
A more respectful third-person pronoun for older or higher‑status people is beliau (e.g. Beliau menyentuh…).
Another written/neutral form is ia, often used as a subject in more formal or literary texts: Ia menyentuh salju dingin itu.

If I say Salju itu dingin, is that the same as salju dingin itu?

No, they are different structures:

Salju itu dingin = That snow is cold. Here dingin is the predicate (describing the snow).
salju dingin itu = that cold snow. Here dingin is an adjective inside a noun phrase, and the whole phrase functions as the object of the verb.
So one is a full sentence (A is B), the other is just a noun phrase (that cold A).

Could itu ever mean it in this sentence, like He touched it, the cold snow?

In this sentence, itu is not a pronoun for it; it’s a demonstrative attached to the noun phrase (salju dingin itu = that cold snow).
If you wanted He/She touched it, without mentioning snow, you would normally say Dia menyentuhnya, using the enclitic -nya as the object pronoun: menyentuh + nya.
Here, because salju is stated explicitly, itu is better understood as that/the rather than it.

Could I replace menyentuh with another verb like memegang or meraba? Would the meaning change?

Yes, but the nuance changes.

menyentuh = to touch (neutral, brief contact)
memegang = to hold / to grip (more continuous contact, usually with the hand)
meraba = to feel around / grope (touching to sense or search for something, often without sight)
So Dia menyentuh salju dingin itu emphasizes the act of touching; Dia memegang salju dingin itu would feel more like He/She held that cold snow.