Learn Hardcore Malay: Pelanggan asing itu minta maaf kerana lewat. - That foreign customer apologizes for being late.

In Malay, demonstratives come after the noun phrase. pelanggan asing itu literally means “that foreign customer,” and often functions like “the foreign customer (already known in context).”

Without itu, pelanggan asing = “a foreign customer” (indefinite).
With ini, pelanggan asing ini = “this foreign customer.”
Don’t say itu pelanggan asing if you mean “that foreign customer.” Itu pelanggan asing is an equational sentence: “That is a foreign customer.”

What does minta maaf literally mean, and how is it different from maaf or maafkan saya?

minta maaf = “to ask for forgiveness” → “to apologize.” Polite and neutral in speech.
maaf = “sorry/pardon” (short, casual; like saying “Sorry”).
maafkan saya = “forgive me” (more direct and personal).
More formal: memohon maaf (“to request forgiveness”). All are acceptable; choose based on formality and tone.

Why is there no pronoun before lewat (e.g., dia or saya)?

Malay often omits the subject in a reason clause when it’s clear it refers to the main subject. … minta maaf kerana lewat is understood as “apologized for being late (the same person).”

You can add a pronoun for clarity: … minta maaf kerana dia/saya lewat.
In very formal style you might nominalize: … memohon maaf atas kelewatan (“apologized for the delay”).

kerana vs sebab vs atas — which one should I use here?

kerana and sebab both mean “because.” kerana is a bit more formal; sebab is more colloquial.
- minta maaf kerana/sebab lewat are both fine.
atas means “for/over (the matter of)” and normally takes a noun, not an adjective:
- Formal: memohon maaf atas kelewatan (not “atas lewat”).
Other formal options: akibat, disebabkan (oleh).

Is lewat the same as lambat or terlambat?

lewat = “late (past the scheduled time).” Very natural in Malaysian Malay.
lambat = “slow/late.” In speech you’ll often hear maaf sebab lambat.
terlambat = “late/too late.” Common in Indonesian; also understood in Malay. Typical pairings:
minta maaf kerana lewat (very standard)
minta maaf sebab lambat (casual)
Indonesian style: minta/ mohon maaf karena terlambat

Does the sentence mark past tense? How would I say “apologized” explicitly?

Malay doesn’t inflect for tense. Context supplies time. To mark past/complete action, add a time cue or aspect marker:

tadi (earlier): … tadi minta maaf kerana lewat.
sudah/telah (already; formal): … telah/sudah minta maaf kerana lewat. Future: akan (will).

Can I front the reason and say: Kerana lewat, pelanggan asing itu minta maaf?

Yes. Kerana lewat, pelanggan asing itu minta maaf. is natural and emphasizes the cause. Use a comma after the fronted reason clause.

Is asing the right word for “foreign”? Could it also mean “strange”?

asing means “foreign” or “unfamiliar.” With people, it can mean “a foreigner” or “a stranger,” depending on context. In pelanggan asing, the default reading is “foreign (non-local) customer,” not “weird customer.” Alternatives:

pelanggan luar negara = overseas customer
pelanggan warga asing = foreign national (very explicit)

Do adjectives always follow the noun, like pelanggan asing?

Yes, the default order is Noun + Adjective:

pelanggan asing (foreign customer)
rumah besar (big house) If the description is longer or needs focus, use yang:
pelanggan yang sangat asing itu (that very unfamiliar customer)

How do I pronounce the tricky parts (pelanggan, maaf, kerana, lewat)?

pelanggan: pə-LANG-gan. The ng is like the “ng” in “sing,” then a hard g.
maaf: MA-ahf (two syllables: ma-af).
kerana: kə-RA-na (first ‘e’ is a schwa).
lewat: LE-wat (e as in “lay,” not a schwa).
asing: AH-sing (final ng like “sing”).
itu: EE-too.

Why can lewat stand alone as a predicate? Why not add adalah?

In Malay, adjectives can function as predicates without a linking verb:

Dia lewat. = “He/She is late.” You generally don’t use adalah/ialah before adjectives. Adalah is used with nouns/nominal phrases, not here.

Is memohon maaf atas kelewatan a good alternative?

Yes—this is formal and common in writing:

Pelanggan asing itu memohon maaf atas kelewatan. Notes:
memohon maaf is more formal than minta maaf.
atas requires a noun; kelewatan is the nominalized form of lewat (ke-…-an).

Any differences if I say this in Indonesian?

Minor adjustments:

kerana → karena
lewat or more commonly terlambat A natural Indonesian version: Pelanggan asing itu minta/mohon maaf karena terlambat. Colloquial Indonesian might also use telat instead of terlambat.

Is pelanggan related to langgan? What about langganan?

Yes:

langgan = to subscribe/patronize (a service/vendor)
pelanggan = customer/client (agent noun)
langganan = subscription; also “regular” as in pelanggan langganan (regular customer) So pelanggan is the person who “langgan” (patronizes).