Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Saya masih bingung memilih jurusan yang paling cocok untuk saya. - I am still confused about choosing the major that is most suitable for me.

Saya – subject: I / me
masih – adverb: still
bingung – predicate (adjective functioning like a verb): confused
memilih jurusan – verb phrase: to choose a major / study program
- memilih – to choose
- jurusan – major / field of study
yang paling cocok untuk saya – relative clause describing jurusan: that is most suitable for me
- yang – relative pronoun: that / which / who
- paling cocok – most suitable
- untuk saya – for me

So overall:
Saya (subject) + masih (adverb) + bingung (predicate) + memilih jurusan (verb phrase) + yang paling cocok untuk saya (relative clause modifying jurusan).

Why is bingung used without a verb like adalah or to be?

In Indonesian, adjectives can directly function as predicates without a linking verb like to be.

Saya bingung. = I am confused. (no am in Indonesian)
Dia lapar. = He/She is hungry.

So bingung is an adjective meaning confused, but in sentences it acts like am confused / is confused without any extra verb. You should not say Saya adalah bingung here; that sounds wrong.

What exactly does masih add to the meaning? Could we omit it?

Masih means still and shows that the state continues up to now.

Saya bingung memilih jurusan...
– I’m confused about choosing a major… (neutral, just stating the confusion)
Saya masih bingung memilih jurusan...
– I’m still confused about choosing a major… (implies: I was confused before, and it hasn’t been resolved yet)

You can omit masih grammatically, but the nuance of ongoing/continuing confusion would be lost.

Why is it bingung memilih without a preposition like tentang or untuk before memilih?

In Indonesian, certain adjectives or verbs can be directly followed by another verb phrase without a preposition. Bingung is one of them.

Saya bingung memilih jurusan.
Literally: I am confused (about) choosing a major.

You don’t need tentang or untuk here. Adding them usually sounds less natural:

Saya bingung untuk memilih jurusan... – understandable, but less natural in everyday speech.
Saya bingung tentang memilih jurusan... – also understandable, but more awkward.

The most natural is simply bingung + verb:

Saya bingung menjawab pertanyaan itu. – I’m confused about how to answer that question.

What does memilih mean, and how is it formed? Why not just pilih?

The root is pilih = choose / select.
With the prefix me-, it becomes memilih, which is the active verb form: to choose.

Indonesian often uses me- + root for active verbs:

tulis → menulis (to write)
baca → membaca (to read)
pilih → memilih (to choose)

You will see bare pilih in other constructions (e.g. as a command Pilih satu! = Choose one!), but in a normal active sentence like this, memilih is the natural form.

What exactly does jurusan mean? Is it the same as “major”?

Jurusan typically means:

university major / program / field of study
e.g. jurusan kedokteran – medical major
jurusan teknik informatika – computer engineering / informatics

It can also mean route / line in transport contexts (like a bus route), but in an education context it’s best translated as major or field of study.

It’s different from:

fakultas – faculty (larger unit, e.g. Faculty of Engineering)
prodi (program studi) – study program (formal/administrative term)

What does yang do in jurusan yang paling cocok untuk saya?

Yang introduces a relative clause describing jurusan:

jurusan yang paling cocok untuk saya
= the major that is most suitable for me

Breakdown:

jurusan – major
yang paling cocok untuk saya – that is most suitable for me

So yang here is like English that / which / who in relative clauses.

Can I remove yang and say jurusan paling cocok untuk saya?

Yes, you can say:

jurusan paling cocok untuk saya

This is still natural and common, especially in speech. Yang before superlatives (paling...) is often optional.

Nuance:

jurusan yang paling cocok untuk saya – a bit more explicit/complete; very natural in both spoken and written Indonesian.
jurusan paling cocok untuk saya – slightly more compact; also natural.

Both are grammatically correct.

What is the difference between paling cocok and sangat cocok?

paling cocok = the most suitable (superlative)
- Implies comparison with others: this is number one.
sangat cocok = very suitable (strong degree, but not necessarily number one)

So:

jurusan yang paling cocok untuk saya – the major that is the most suitable for me (compared to other majors)
jurusan yang sangat cocok untuk saya – a major that is very suitable for me (strongly suitable, but not about ranking as “the most”).

Why is saya repeated at the end? Could we just say jurusan yang paling cocok?

Untuk saya (for me) makes it clear that the suitability is specifically for me, not in general.

jurusan yang paling cocok untuk saya
– the major that is most suitable for me

If you say only:

jurusan yang paling cocok
– the major that is most suitable (but it doesn’t say: suitable for whom). Context might make it clear, but adding untuk saya removes ambiguity.

Grammatically, you can omit untuk saya if the context already makes “for me” obvious.

What’s the difference between saya and aku in this sentence?

Both mean I / me, but they differ in formality and context:

Saya masih bingung memilih jurusan...
- saya – polite, neutral, formal; safe in almost any situation (talking to teachers, in writing, with strangers).
Aku masih bingung memilih jurusan...
- aku – informal, used with friends, family, people of the same age or younger (depending on region and relationship).

Meaning is the same; only the level of formality and social distance changes.

Is Saya masih bingung jurusan yang paling cocok untuk saya (without memilih) also correct?

Yes, this is also grammatically correct, and it changes the nuance slightly:

Saya masih bingung memilih jurusan yang paling cocok untuk saya.
– Focus on the act of choosing. I’m still confused about choosing which major is most suitable for me.
Saya masih bingung jurusan yang paling cocok untuk saya.
– Focus more on which major is suitable. I’m still confused about which major is most suitable for me.

Both are natural; the original with memilih highlights the decision process more.

Are there other common ways to express this idea besides using bingung?

Yes, some alternatives (with slightly different nuances):

Saya masih ragu memilih jurusan yang paling cocok untuk saya.
– I still have doubts about choosing the most suitable major for me. (focus on doubt/uncertainty)
Saya masih bimbang memilih jurusan yang paling cocok untuk saya.
– I’m still torn / undecided about choosing the most suitable major for me. (more literary/formal)
Saya masih galau soal jurusan yang paling cocok untuk saya.
– I’m still feeling conflicted / troubled about which major is most suitable for me. (very informal, emotional tone, common in casual speech and social media)

Bingung is the most neutral and widely used in everyday speech.