Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Skripsi yang saya tulis sekarang belum punya judul yang pasti. - The thesis that I am writing now does not yet have a definite title.

It usually refers to an undergraduate thesis written to complete a bachelor’s degree (S1).
For a master’s thesis, Indonesians more often say tesis.
For a doctoral dissertation, they say disertasi.

So while skripsi is often translated as “thesis” in English, it specifically implies a bachelor’s-level final paper in the Indonesian university system.

Why is yang used after skripsi in Skripsi yang saya tulis sekarang? What does yang do here?

Here, yang introduces a relative clause, similar to English “that” or “which”:

Skripsi yang saya tulis sekarang
= “the thesis that I am writing now”

Structure:

skripsi = head noun (“thesis”)
yang = introduces extra information about skripsi
saya tulis sekarang = clause explaining which thesis

So yang links skripsi to the describing clause saya tulis sekarang. It is not optional here; without yang, the phrase would be ungrammatical or unclear.

Why is it tulis and not menulis in yang saya tulis?

This is a very typical Indonesian pattern in relative clauses:

menulis is the active verb “to write”.
But in structures like [noun] + yang + [subject] + [verb], the verb often appears in its base form (without the me- prefix).

So:

Saya menulis skripsi. = I write/am writing a thesis.
Skripsi yang saya tulis = the thesis that I write/am writing.

You do not normally say:

✗ skripsi yang saya menulis

Using the base verb tulis after saya in this relative clause is standard and natural, not slang or incorrect.

What is the role of sekarang here? How does Indonesian express “I am writing (now)” if the verb doesn’t change?

Indonesian verbs do not change form for tense or aspect, so you show time with time words and sometimes with aspect markers.

In Skripsi yang saya tulis sekarang:

sekarang = “now”, indicating present time.
The verb tulis itself doesn’t change, but sekarang tells you it’s happening now, so we translate it as “that I am writing now”.

You could also say:

Skripsi yang sedang saya tulis sekarang…
Here sedang explicitly marks an ongoing action (like English “be -ing”).
Often, either sedang or sekarang alone is enough; using both just makes it extra clear.

What is the difference between belum and tidak here? Why is it belum punya and not tidak punya?

tidak = “not / does not”, a simple negation.
belum = “not yet”, implying that something hasn’t happened so far but is expected or possible in the future.

In this sentence:

belum punya judul yang pasti = “doesn’t have a definite title yet”
→ suggests that a definite title will probably be chosen later.

If you said:

tidak punya judul yang pasti = “does not have a definite title”
→ sounds more permanent or categorical, without that “yet” nuance.

For a work-in-progress thesis, belum is the natural and polite choice.

Is punya here just “to have”? Could we also say belum ada judul or belum memiliki judul?

Yes, punya here means “to have” in a fairly neutral, everyday way.

Alternatives:

Skripsi … belum punya judul yang pasti.
= The thesis doesn’t yet have a definite title.
– Neutral, common in spoken and informal written Indonesian.
Skripsi … belum ada judul yang pasti.
= There isn’t yet a definite title for the thesis.
– Slightly more impersonal (“there is not yet a title”).
Skripsi … belum memiliki judul yang pasti.
= The thesis has not yet possessed/does not yet have a definite title.
– Sounds more formal, typical in academic or official writing.

All are grammatically correct; the difference is mainly register and style.

Why is it judul yang pasti instead of just judul pasti? What does yang do in this part?

Both are possible, but there’s a nuance:

judul pasti
- Simple noun + adjective: “definite title”.
- Short, neutral.
judul yang pasti
- yang here emphasizes the adjective, a bit like “a title that is definite”.
- Often feels a little clearer or more specific, highlighting the quality.

In many contexts, you can use either, but:

judul yang pasti can feel slightly more emphatic or careful, which fits the idea of wanting a clearly fixed, settled title.

Why is yang used twice in the sentence (after skripsi and after judul)? Is that normal?

Yes, it’s normal. Each yang starts a different descriptive phrase:

Skripsi yang saya tulis sekarang
- yang introduces the relative clause saya tulis sekarang, describing skripsi.
judul yang pasti
- yang introduces pasti as a describing word for judul.

Indonesian allows multiple yang-phrases in one sentence, each attaching to a different noun. They work independently; the first yang is about skripsi, the second is about judul.

Can I replace saya with aku here? What would change?

Grammatically, you could say:

Skripsi yang aku tulis sekarang belum punya judul yang pasti.

The difference is formality and tone:

saya = neutral/formal; polite and safe in almost all situations (class, with lecturers, in writing).
aku = informal/intimate; used with friends, family, people of similar age or status.

For talking to a lecturer or writing in anything academic, saya is more appropriate. With close friends, aku is perfectly fine.

Could I just say skripsi saya instead of Skripsi yang saya tulis sekarang?

You could, but the meaning is slightly different:

skripsi saya = “my thesis” (any thesis that belongs to me; no time information).
skripsi yang saya tulis sekarang = “the thesis that I am writing now”
– Adds the idea that it is currently being written, not just any thesis you own or wrote in the past.

If the “writing now” idea is important (work-in-progress), keeping yang saya tulis sekarang is better. If you just mean “my thesis” in general, skripsi saya is enough.

Is sekarang necessary? What happens if I remove it?

If you remove sekarang:

Skripsi yang saya tulis belum punya judul yang pasti.

This is still correct Indonesian. The difference:

With sekarang: clearly now, present time, ongoing thesis.
Without sekarang: more general; could be something you are writing now or something you wrote at some time. Context will decide.

So sekarang just makes the present-time aspect explicit.

How would I say this in a more formal, written style, for example in an email to a professor?

A more formal version could be:

Skripsi yang sedang saya tulis saat ini belum memiliki judul yang pasti.

Changes and effects:

sedang: explicit “currently in progress” → more careful/standard.
saat ini instead of sekarang: slightly more formal.
memiliki instead of punya: higher-register verb “to possess/have”.

Your original sentence is fine in many contexts, but this version sounds clearly formal and academic.