Learn Hardcore Malay: Saya kadang-kadang malu bertanya di kelas, padahal guru sebenarnya sangat ramah. - Sometimes I am shy to ask in class, whereas the teacher is actually very friendly.

Kadang-kadang saya malu bertanya di kelas, padahal guru sebenarnya sangat ramah.
Saya kadang-kadang malu bertanya di kelas, padahal guru sebenarnya sangat ramah.

Putting “kadang-kadang” at the beginning sounds a bit more emphatic (“Sometimes, I feel shy…”). Putting it after “saya” is very common and neutral.

Writing it with a hyphen (kadang-kadang) is the standard spelling in Malay, because it is a full reduplication of kadang.

Why is it “malu bertanya” and not “malu untuk bertanya” (shy to ask)?

In Malay, you can often put a verb directly after an adjective without using “untuk”.

So:

malu bertanya ≈ “shy to ask / embarrassed to ask”

“Untuk” is not wrong here, but it is not necessary. The following are both acceptable:

Saya kadang-kadang malu bertanya di kelas.
Saya kadang-kadang malu untuk bertanya di kelas.

The version without “untuk” (malu bertanya) is shorter and very common; it sounds natural and idiomatic.

Does “malu” here mean “shy” or “ashamed”? What nuance does it have?

“Malu” can mean both “shy” and “embarrassed/ashamed” depending on context.

In this sentence:

Saya kadang-kadang malu bertanya di kelas…

the more natural English interpretation is “shy” or “too embarrassed”:

“Sometimes I’m shy to ask in class.”

It does not usually mean a deep moral shame here; it’s more like social shyness, feeling self-conscious in front of others.

What exactly does “padahal” mean here? Could I use “walaupun” instead?

“Padahal” introduces a contrast between expectation and reality. Roughly:

padahal ≈ “even though / though actually / whereas in fact”

In this sentence, it contrasts:

I am shy to ask in class
vs
the teacher is actually very friendly

So the idea is: “I’m shy to ask in class, even though the teacher is actually very friendly.”

You cannot always replace “padahal” with “walaupun”, but in this sentence:

Saya kadang-kadang malu bertanya di kelas, walaupun guru sebenarnya sangat ramah.

is grammatically okay and understandable. However, “padahal” more strongly carries the idea of a situation that should logically make you not shy, but you are still shy. It highlights that contradiction more directly than “walaupun”.

What is the function of “sebenarnya”, and why is it placed before “sangat ramah”?

“Sebenarnya” means “actually / in fact / really”.

In “guru sebenarnya sangat ramah”, it modifies the whole idea that the teacher is very friendly:

Literally: “the teacher actually is very friendly”
Natural English: “the teacher is actually very friendly”

You can move “sebenarnya” to other positions, for example:

Sebenarnya guru sangat ramah.
Guru sangat ramah sebenarnya.

All are possible; each slightly changes the rhythm and focus. The original “guru sebenarnya sangat ramah” feels very natural in speech and writing.

Why is it “guru” (singular) when in English we might say “teachers”?

Malay nouns do not usually change form for plural. “Guru” can mean:

“a teacher / the teacher”, or
“teachers” (in general), depending on context.

In this sentence, “guru” is likely understood as “the teacher” (the one who teaches that class). If you wanted to make it clearly plural, you could add a word that shows plurality:

Para guru sebenarnya sangat ramah. – “The teachers are actually very friendly.”
Guru-guru sebenarnya sangat ramah. – also plural (by reduplication).

But in everyday usage, “guru” on its own is enough if the context is clear.

What’s the difference between “di kelas” and “dalam kelas”?

Both can be translated as “in class / in the classroom”, but there is a nuance:

di kelas
- Very common in this kind of sentence
- Focuses more on location / situation: “in class (as an activity/situation)” or “in the classroom”
dalam kelas
- More literally “inside the class/inside the classroom”
- Slightly stronger physical sense of being inside something

In this context, “di kelas” is the most natural choice to express “when I’m in class” or “during class”.

Is the word order “Saya kadang-kadang malu bertanya” fixed, or can I say “Kadang-kadang saya malu bertanya”?

You can use both:

Saya kadang-kadang malu bertanya di kelas…
Kadang-kadang saya malu bertanya di kelas…

They are both grammatically correct. The difference is mainly emphasis:

Starting with “Kadang-kadang” emphasizes the “sometimes” part.
Putting “kadang-kadang” after “saya” feels slightly more neutral.

In everyday speech and writing, both patterns are used frequently.

Can I omit “Saya” and just say “Kadang-kadang malu bertanya di kelas…”?

You can, and people do omit pronouns in casual speech when the subject is clear from context:

Kadang-kadang malu bertanya di kelas, padahal guru sebenarnya sangat ramah.

However, in a standalone sentence, especially in writing for learners or in more formal contexts, it is clearer and more natural to include “Saya”:

Saya kadang-kadang malu bertanya di kelas…

So: omission is possible in informal or context-rich situations, but keeping “saya” is safer and clearer.

Could I say “Saya kadang-kadang berasa malu bertanya di kelas” instead? Does “berasa” change the meaning?

Yes, you can say:

Saya kadang-kadang berasa malu bertanya di kelas…

Here:

berasa ≈ “to feel”

So it would be closer to:

“Sometimes I feel shy to ask in class…”

“Malu bertanya” (without berasa) is still perfectly natural and is actually more common. Adding “berasa” just makes the feeling a bit more explicit; the overall meaning is very similar.

Is “padahal” considered formal or informal? Is this sentence more spoken or written style?

“Padahal” is used in both spoken and written Malay. It is not slang; it’s standard.

The whole sentence:

Saya kadang-kadang malu bertanya di kelas, padahal guru sebenarnya sangat ramah.

is neutral enough to be used:

in casual speech
in writing (e.g. essays, personal reflections)

It’s not extremely formal, but it is standard and correct.

What does “ramah” mean exactly? Is it just “friendly”?

“Ramah” usually means:

friendly, warm, approachable, kind in social interaction

So “guru sebenarnya sangat ramah” is:

“the teacher is actually very friendly / very kind (in the way they interact with people)”

It focuses on how the teacher behaves socially — being polite, welcoming, easy to talk to.