Learn Hardcore Malay: Saya panik ketika kunci kereta saya hilang.

Malay does not use verb conjugation or auxiliary verbs to show past, present, or future tense. Context, time adverbs, or separate words (e.g. sudah, telah, akan) indicate time. In this sentence, the sequence of events makes it clear you panicked when the key got lost.

Is panik here a verb or an adjective?

Panik can function as both an adjective and a stative (intransitive) verb in colloquial Malay.

As a verb: Saya panik (“I panicked”).
As an adjective modifier: Dia kelihatan panik (“He/she looks panicked”).

What does ketika mean, and can I use bila or apabila instead?

Ketika means “when” or “at the time that” and is fairly neutral/formal.

Bila is more informal: Saya panik bila kunci kereta saya hilang.
Apabila is slightly more formal than bila but similar to ketika: Saya panik apabila kunci kereta saya hilang.
All three are grammatically correct; choice depends on style and register.

Why does the sentence use kunci kereta saya rather than kereta saya kunci or some other order?

Malay noun phrases follow the order: head noun + modifier + possessor.

kunci (head noun) + kereta (modifier: it’s a car key) + saya (possessor).
Thus kunci kereta saya = “the key of my car” = “my car key.”

Why is hilang used without an object (“lost” intransitive) instead of saying saya hilang kunci…?

Hilang is inherently intransitive (“to become lost”). The thing that is lost “undergoes” the action.

Correct intransitive: Kunci kereta saya hilang (“My car key got lost”).
To express “I lost my key,” use the noun form: Saya kehilangan kunci kereta saya.

Must I repeat saya twice? Can I drop one?

You need the first saya to show the subject (“I panicked”). You need the second to mark possessor of the key. In casual speech, you might drop the second pronoun if context is crystal clear, but grammatically it’s safest to include both.

Could I say Saya panik waktu kunci kereta saya hilang instead?

Yes. Waktu (“time”) is another option for “when.” It’s slightly more casual than ketika, so Saya panik waktu kunci kereta saya hilang is perfectly natural in everyday conversation.

Is there any article equivalent to “the” or “a” in Malay?

No. Malay does not use definite (the) or indefinite (a/an) articles. Nouns stand alone; context or quantifiers (e.g. sebuah, itu) provide specificity if needed.

If I want to emphasize that I panicked badly, how can I modify panik?

You can add intensifiers or reduplicate words, for example:

Saya sangat panik… (“I was very panicked…”)
Saya benar-benar panik… (“I was totally panicked…”)
Saya panik teruk… (“I panicked severely…”)

All convey more intensity than plain panik.