Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Saya minum teh hangat kalau cuaca dingin. - I drink warm tea when the weather is cold.

Saya minum teh hangat can mean:
- I drink warm tea (general habit)
- I am drinking warm tea (right now – if the context makes that clear)
There is no am / is / are / do / will in the Indonesian sentence. Time is normally understood from context or added with time words like:
- tadi (earlier, just now)
- sekarang (now)
- nanti (later)
- setiap hari (every day)

So the sentence is neutral for tense; English must choose one depending on context.

What is the difference between saya and aku for I? Can I say Aku minum teh hangat kalau cuaca dingin?

Yes, you can say Aku minum teh hangat kalau cuaca dingin. The difference:

saya
- More formal / neutral / polite
- Safe in most situations, including with strangers, in the office, in writing.
aku
- More casual / intimate
- Used with friends, family, or people of the same age in informal situations.

Your sentence with aku would sound more casual, but it’s grammatically correct.

Why is it teh hangat and not hangat teh? What is the usual adjective order in Indonesian?

In Indonesian, adjectives usually come after the noun they modify.

teh hangat = warm tea
- teh (tea) + hangat (warm)
cuaca dingin = cold weather
- cuaca (weather) + dingin (cold)

Putting the adjective before the noun, like hangat teh, is not correct in standard Indonesian.

What is the difference between hangat and panas? Why not teh panas?

Both relate to temperature, but they feel different:

hangat = warm, pleasantly hot
- Comfortable, not too hot
- teh hangat suggests tea that is warm enough to enjoy but not burning.
panas = hot
- Can be very hot
- teh panas suggests the tea is hot, possibly just made.

So teh hangat is like warm tea, and teh panas is like hot tea. Both are correct; the choice depends on how hot you mean.

Does kalau mean if or when here?

Kalau can mean both if and when, depending on context.

Here, Saya minum teh hangat kalau cuaca dingin can be understood as:
- I drink warm tea when the weather is cold (habitual)
- Or I drink warm tea if the weather is cold

In everyday speech, kalau is commonly used for both if and when in conditional or time clauses.

Can I use jika instead of kalau? Is there any difference?

You can say:

Saya minum teh hangat jika cuaca dingin.

Differences:

kalau
- Very common in spoken, everyday Indonesian
- Neutral, informal to semi-formal
jika
- Slightly more formal
- Used more in writing, instructions, official or literary style

Meaning-wise, they are almost the same in this sentence.

Why do we say cuaca dingin and not just dingin? Can I say Saya minum teh hangat kalau dingin?

cuaca dingin literally means the weather is cold.
In casual conversation, speakers might say just kalau dingin if it’s clear from context that they’re talking about the weather or the temperature in general.

So:

Saya minum teh hangat kalau cuaca dingin – clearer, more explicit.
Saya minum teh hangat kalau dingin – more casual, relies on context.

Both can be heard, but the version with cuaca is clearer for learners.

Is cuaca the same as udara? Could I say kalau udara dingin?

They are related but not exactly the same:

cuaca = weather (overall condition: rainy, sunny, cold, hot)
udara = air (the air itself)

You can say:

kalau udara dingin – literally if/when the air is cold
kalau cuaca dingin – if/when the weather is cold

Both are understandable. Cuaca dingin sounds more like talking about the weather; udara dingin sounds a bit more like the air temperature around you.

Is it okay to drop saya and just say Minum teh hangat kalau cuaca dingin?

Yes, in conversational Indonesian, subject pronouns are often omitted when context makes it clear.

Minum teh hangat kalau cuaca dingin.
- Literally: Drink warm tea when the weather is cold.

This can sound like:

A casual description of your own habit (I).
Or an instruction / suggestion (You should drink warm tea when it’s cold).

Context and tone will decide how it’s understood.

Why is the verb minum and not meminum? What’s the difference?

minum is the basic root verb: to drink
meminum is the me- verb form (with the prefix me-), but in modern Indonesian:
- minum is standard as a verb.
- meminum exists but is much less common and often feels more formal or literary.

In everyday Indonesian, you usually use:

Saya minum teh. (I drink tea.)
Dia minum air. (He/She drinks water.)

Using meminum here would sound unnatural in most daily contexts.

How would I say I am drinking warm tea because the weather is cold instead of when/if the weather is cold?

Change kalau to karena:

Saya minum teh hangat karena cuaca dingin.
- I drink / I am drinking warm tea because the weather is cold.

karena = because, so it expresses a reason, not a condition or time.

Can I put the kalau clause at the beginning, like in English: When the weather is cold, I drink warm tea?

Yes, you can switch the order:

Kalau cuaca dingin, saya minum teh hangat.

Both are correct:

Saya minum teh hangat kalau cuaca dingin.
Kalau cuaca dingin, saya minum teh hangat.

The meaning is the same; only the emphasis can slightly change.

How would I make this clearly a habitual sentence, like I usually drink warm tea when the weather is cold?

Add an adverb of frequency:

Saya biasanya minum teh hangat kalau cuaca dingin.
- biasanya = usually

Other options:

Saya sering minum teh hangat kalau cuaca dingin.
- sering = often

These make the habitual nature explicit.

What is the difference between dingin and sejuk? Could I say cuaca sejuk here?

Both refer to cool/cold, but with different nuance:

dingin
- cold, can be uncomfortably cold
- neutral word for low temperature
sejuk
- cool / pleasantly cool
- often has a positive feel, like refreshing mountain air

If you say:

cuaca dingin – the weather is cold
cuaca sejuk – the weather is cool / pleasantly cool

You could say Saya minum teh hangat kalau cuaca sejuk, but that sounds more like you drink warm tea when it’s pleasantly cool, not necessarily cold.