Learn Hardcore Malay: Saya minta maaf kerana lewat; alasan saya ialah bas lambat. - I apologize for being late; my reason is that the bus was slow.

Literally, minta maaf = “ask for forgiveness.” In practice it’s a natural, polite way to apologise: “I’m sorry.”
Variants and tone:
- Maaf = “Sorry.” (brief/interjection)
- Maafkan saya = “Forgive me.” (a bit more formal/earnest)
- Saya mohon maaf / Saya memohon maaf = formal/polite (“I apologize”).
Your sentence’s opener Saya minta maaf kerana… is perfectly idiomatic.

Why use kerana here? How is it different from sebab?

Both mean “because.” In most everyday contexts, kerana and sebab are interchangeable.
Subtle differences:
- kerana is slightly more formal/literary.
- sebab also functions as a noun meaning “reason” (e.g., sebab utama = main reason).
All of these are fine:
- Saya minta maaf kerana lewat.
- Saya minta maaf sebab saya lewat.
- Kerana bas lambat, saya lewat. / Sebab bas lambat, saya lewat.

Is kerana lewat correct after an apology, or should it be atas kelewatan (saya)?

Both are correct; they differ in formality/structure:
- kerana lewat (because [I’m] late) → uses a clause/adjective; neutral, natural.
- atas kelewatan (saya) (for my lateness) → uses a noun; more formal/official.
Examples:
- Neutral: Saya minta maaf kerana lewat.
- Formal: Saya mohon maaf atas kelewatan saya.

What’s the difference between lewat and lambat?

Overlap: both can mean “late.”
Nuances (rule of thumb):
- lewat = late in time/schedule. E.g., Mesyuarat bermula lewat.
- lambat = late OR slow (speed). E.g., Internet lambat (slow), Jam saya lambat 5 minit (clock is slow).
With people: Saya lewat or Saya lambat (both heard); with movement/speed, prefer lambat/perlahan; with schedule/timing, lewat is crisp.

Should it be bas lambat or bas lewat to mean “the bus was late”?

Both occur, but:
- bas lewat = unambiguously “the bus was late (arrived late).”
- bas lambat can mean “late” or “slow.” To be crystal clear:
  - Timing: Bas tiba/datang/sampai lewat.
  - Speed: Bas bergerak perlahan/lambat.
In your sentence, bas lewat is the safest if you mean “arrived late.”

Why use ialah here? How is it different from adalah, or from just leaving it out?

Rule of thumb:
- ialah links a subject to a noun phrase (equative): Masalahnya ialah kos.
- adalah typically precedes adjectives/prepositional or verbal predicates in formal style: Keputusan ini adalah muktamad.
In practice, many speakers use adalah broadly, but careful formal writing keeps the distinction.
Your predicate bas lambat can be read as a noun phrase (“a late/slow bus”), so ialah is fine. More precise options:
- Alasan saya ialah bas yang lewat.
- Nominalize: Alasan saya ialah kelewatan bas.
In informal speech, you can drop the copula: Alasan saya, bas lewat.

Is ialah kerana … acceptable, or is that considered wrong?

Many people say/write it, but formal guides often discourage ialah + kerana + clause because ialah prefers a noun phrase.
Safer rewrites:
- Alasan saya ialah kelewatan bas. (noun)
- Alasan saya: bas lewat. (colon)
- Ini kerana bas lewat. (standalone explanatory sentence)

Do I need yang (e.g., bas yang lambat) after ialah?

Not required, but yang can clarify that you’re using a noun phrase:
- Alasan saya ialah bas yang lewat/lambat.
Without yang, bas lambat can be read as either “a late/slow bus” (NP) or “the bus is late” (clause). Context usually resolves it.

Why is the adjective after the noun (e.g., bas lambat)? Can I say lambat bas?

In Malay, descriptive words typically follow the noun: rumah besar, kucing hitam, bas lambat.
lambat bas is ungrammatical as a noun phrase. If you want a full clause, you can say Bas itu lambat (“The bus is late”), where lambat is the predicate.

Is the semicolon natural in Malay? What else could I use?

Semicolons exist in Malay writing but are less common than in English.
Alternatives:
- Two sentences: Saya minta maaf kerana lewat. Alasan saya ialah bas lewat.
- Comma + coordinator: …, sebab bas lewat.
- Dash/colon in informal/explanatory style: … — alasan saya: bas lewat.

Why repeat saya? Could I shorten it?

Repetition is fine and clear. Shorter options:
- Maaf kerana lewat; bas lewat.
- Maaf kerana lewat. Sebabnya, bas lewat.
- Alasannya bas lewat. (general “the reason is…”, without specifying “my”)
Use alasan saya when you want to stress whose reason it is.

Can I put the cause first, like “Because the bus was late, I was late”?

Why is it spelled bas and not “bus”? Is that Indonesian vs. Malay?

How would I make the whole sentence more formal or more casual?

More formal:
- Saya mohon maaf atas kelewatan saya; alasan/puncanya ialah bas lewat.
- Saya memohon maaf atas kelewatan; ini kerana bas lewat.
More casual:
- Maaf, aku lewat; bas lewat tadi.
- Sorry aku lambat; bas lambat.

Malay has no past tense marking like “was.” How do I show it already happened?

Use time words/adverbs:
- tadi (earlier/just now): Bas lewat tadi.
- sebentar tadi, semalam, pagi tadi, etc.
With verbs, you can add sudah/telah (formal/completed), e.g., Bas telah sampai lewat, but for adjectives like lewat/lambat, a time word is usually enough.

Is there a good way to say “It wasn’t because of the bus; it was my fault” using the right negation?

Use bukan to negate nouns/nominal reasons and tidak to negate verbs/adjectives.
Examples:
- Bukan kerana bas lambat; saya yang terlambat bangun.
- Bukan bas yang lewat; saya saja yang silap.