Learn Hardcore Malay: Keluarga saya tidak semua sokong pilihan yang sama, tetapi kami tetap bahagia. - Not everyone in my family supports the same choices, but we are still happy.

Putting saya keluarga would sound ungrammatical; Malay does not reverse it the way English sometimes can (like we students). For my family, it should always be keluarga saya.

What exactly does tidak semua sokong mean? Why is tidak before semua, not before sokong?

tidak semua sokong literally means not all support.

semua sokong = all (of them) support
tidak semua sokong = not all (of them) support

By placing tidak before semua, you are negating the idea all, not the verb sokong itself. In English, we also usually say not all support, not all not support.

If you moved the negative differently, the meaning would shift:

tidak semua sokong → Not everyone supports. (Some do, some don’t.)
semua tidak sokong → Everyone does not support. (No one supports.)

The sentence here wants to say that some family members disagree, not that everyone disagrees, so tidak semua sokong is correct.

Can I say tidak semua menyokong instead of tidak semua sokong? What is the difference between sokong and menyokong?

Yes, you can say:

Keluarga saya tidak semua menyokong pilihan yang sama …

It is grammatically correct and natural.

Difference in nuance:

sokong is the root verb. It is very common in everyday speech and is slightly more informal and direct.
menyokong is the meN- verb form from the root sokong. It often sounds a bit more formal or standard, and is frequent in writing, news, and formal contexts.

In many cases, especially in conversation, sokong and menyokong are interchangeable in meaning:

Saya sokong awak.
Saya menyokong awak.

Both mean I support you. Here, the choice of sokong fits the conversational tone of the sentence.

What does pilihan mean, and how is it related to pilih?

pilih = to choose (verb)
pilihan = choice / option / selection (noun)

pilihan is a noun formed from the verb pilih. It’s like:

pilih → choose
pilihan → a choice / the choice

So:

pilihan yang sama = the same choice / the same option

This noun-forming pattern is common in Malay:

makan (to eat) → makanan (food)
ajar (to teach) → ajaran (teaching / doctrine)
pilih (to choose) → pilihan (choice)

Why do we use yang in pilihan yang sama? Could I say pilihan sama instead?

yang here works like a linker that turns sama (same) into a describing part for pilihan (choice):

pilihan yang sama = the choice which is the same / the same choice

In this type of noun phrase (noun + adjective), you generally include yang:

rumah yang besar = big house
orang yang baik = good person
pilihan yang tepat = the right choice

You will sometimes hear pilihan sama in very casual speech, but pilihan yang sama is the standard, clearly correct form and is the best choice for learners.

What exactly does tetapi kami tetap bahagia express? What is the role of tetap?

tetapi kami tetap bahagia can be understood as:

but we are still happy / but we remain happy / but we are nevertheless happy

The key word tetap means still, remain, nevertheless, and expresses that the situation has not changed in spite of something:

Walaupun susah, dia tetap cuba.
Even though it is hard, he still tries / he keeps trying.
Dia marah, tetapi saya tetap tenang.
He is angry, but I remain calm.

In this sentence, tetap shows that despite not all family members supporting the same choice, the family’s happiness continues unchanged:

disagreement exists → nevertheless → we remain happy.

What is the difference between tetap and masih? Could I say kami masih bahagia instead of kami tetap bahagia?

Both tetap and masih can relate to the idea of something continuing, but they are used differently:

masih ≈ still (in a temporal sense; the situation continues in time)
tetap ≈ remain / nevertheless (adds a sense of firmness, in spite of something)

Compare:

Kami masih bahagia.
- We are still happy.
- Focus: happiness continues up to now.
Kami tetap bahagia.
- We remain / are nevertheless happy.
- Focus: we stay happy despite something (problems, disagreements, etc.).

In your sentence, tetap is better because it emphasizes contrast with the first clause (not everyone supports the same choice). Kami masih bahagia would sound more like a time‑based statement and less like a contrastive one.

Is the word tetapi formal? Can I use tapi instead?

Yes:

tetapi = but (more formal / standard)
tapi = but (more informal / conversational)

You will hear tapi constantly in everyday speech. For a casual tone, you can say:

Keluarga saya tidak semua sokong pilihan yang sama, tapi kami tetap bahagia.

Both are correct; tetapi just sounds a bit more formal or written, while tapi is more spoken and relaxed.

Can I drop kami in tetapi kami tetap bahagia, and just say tetapi tetap bahagia?

Grammatically, Malay often allows you to drop pronouns if the subject is clear from context. So in casual speech, someone might say:

… tetapi tetap bahagia.

and listeners will understand that kami (we) is implied.

However:

In a full, clear sentence (especially for learners), it is better to keep kami.
Without kami, the sentence becomes less explicit: it could be interpreted as but (we/they) remain happy, relying entirely on context.

So:

tetapi kami tetap bahagia → clear and natural
tetapi tetap bahagia → acceptable in spoken, context‑rich situations, but less clear for learning purposes

Why does the sentence use tidak instead of bukan?

Malay has two main negators:

tidak → used with verbs and adjectives
bukan → used with nouns and for contrastive emphasis (like saying is not X but Y)

In the phrase tidak semua sokong:

sokong is a verb (to support)
semua sokong functions as a verb phrase (all support)
You are negating that verb phrase, so you use tidak.

Examples:

Saya tidak setuju.
I do not agree. (verb → tidak)
Dia bukan doktor.
He is not a doctor. (noun → bukan)
Ini bukan salah awak.
This is not your fault. (noun phrase → bukan)

So Keluarga saya tidak semua sokong … correctly uses tidak because the negation targets the verbal idea of supporting.

Could I say Tidak semua keluarga saya sokong pilihan yang sama instead? Does it change the meaning?

Yes, you can say:

Tidak semua keluarga saya sokong pilihan yang sama, tetapi kami tetap bahagia.

This is also natural and keeps virtually the same meaning.

Subtle differences in emphasis:

Keluarga saya tidak semua sokong …
Starts by introducing my family, then says not all support ….
Slightly more focus on my family as the topic.
Tidak semua keluarga saya sokong …
Starts with tidak semua (not all), so it slightly emphasizes the not all part first.

In everyday use, both are fine and will be understood the same way: some family members support the choice, some do not, but the family is still happy.