Learn Hardcore Malay: Saya rasa kulit anggur agak masam. - I feel the grape skin is rather sour.

rasa as a verb: to feel / to have an impression / to think
- Saya rasa dia marah. = I feel / think he is angry.
rasa as a verb about taste: to taste
- Rasa sup ini. = Taste this soup.
rasa as a noun: taste / flavour / feeling
- rasa manis = sweet taste

In everyday speech, saya rasa is a very common way to say I think / I feel (that) about an opinion. Context tells you whether it’s about an opinion or literally tasting something. Here, because the rest of the sentence is a statement about what grape skin is like, listeners will take it as I think.

What exactly does kulit anggur mean? Is it singular or plural?

kulit anggur literally means grape skin (the peel of a grape).

Malay generally does not mark singular vs plural on nouns, so kulit anggur can mean:

grape skin (singular, in general)
grape skins (plural, in general)
the skin of grapes (collective)

The exact interpretation comes from context. In most real use, kulit anggur agak masam is understood as a general statement: grape skin is rather sour (in general), not about one specific grape.

What is the function of agak here? Does it mean quite, rather, or a bit?

In agak masam, agak is a softener/degree word. It usually means something like:

rather
quite
somewhat
a bit / kind of

So:

masam = sour
agak masam = rather/quite/somewhat sour (not extremely, but noticeably)

It can sound slightly softer or more polite than a blunt sangat masam (very sour), and less strong than sangat or terlalu.

Other examples:

Air ini agak sejuk. = This water is rather/quite cold.
Dia agak penat. = He/She is somewhat tired.

Why is there no word for is before agak masam? How do you say is in Malay?

Malay normally does not use a separate verb for is/are/am before adjectives or nouns in simple present-tense statements.

So:

kulit anggur agak masam literally: grape skin rather sour
Interpreted as: grape skin is rather sour

Similarly:

Dia tinggi. = He/She is tall.
Makanan itu sedap. = The food is delicious.

There are words like ialah and adalah, but:

They are not used before adjectives like masam.
They are typically used in more formal writing, often linking two nouns or noun phrases:
- Budak itu ialah adik saya. = That kid is my younger sibling.

So in everyday speech with adjectives, you simply put the subject + adjective, no separate is.

Could I say saya fikir kulit anggur agak masam instead of saya rasa? What is the difference between rasa and fikir?

You can say Saya fikir kulit anggur agak masam, and it is grammatically correct. Both are understood as I think that grape skin is rather sour, but there is a nuance:

saya rasa:
- Very common in everyday conversation.
- Can convey I feel / I have the impression.
- Sounds a bit more subjective, based on taste, feeling, or personal experience.
saya fikir:
- Literally I think in a more cognitive/logical sense.
- Can sound a little more formal or intellectual, depending on context.
- More often used when talking about ideas, reasoning, or planning.

For something about taste or a personal impression of food, saya rasa sounds more natural and idiomatic.

Can I drop saya rasa and just say Kulit anggur agak masam? Does the meaning change?

Yes, you can simply say Kulit anggur agak masam.

Saya rasa kulit anggur agak masam.
- Emphasis: my opinion / my experience (I think grape skin is rather sour).
Kulit anggur agak masam.
- Emphasis: a more neutral/general statement (Grape skin is rather sour).

In practice, both are slightly subjective anyway, but saya rasa highlights that you’re explicitly giving a personal opinion. Without saya rasa, it sounds more like a general descriptive fact.

Is the word order in Saya rasa kulit anggur agak masam fixed? Can I move agak somewhere else?

The natural word order here is:

Saya (subject)
rasa (verb: think/feel)
kulit anggur (noun phrase: grape skin)
agak masam (adjective phrase: rather sour)

You should keep agak directly before the adjective it modifies:

agak masam (rather sour)
agak besar (quite big)
agak lambat (rather slow)

So these are:

Natural:
- Saya rasa kulit anggur agak masam.
Not natural:
- Saya rasa agak kulit anggur masam.
- Saya agak rasa kulit anggur masam.

The pattern [subject] [rasa] [thing] [adjective phrase] is the regular and expected one.

What exactly does masam mean? Does it only describe taste?

masam primarily means sour (as a taste), but it has a few related uses:

Taste (most common)
- masam = sour
- Buah ini masam. = This fruit is sour.
- Susu itu sudah masam. = The milk has turned sour.
Smell (sour/acidic smell)
- Baju itu berbau masam. = That shirt smells sour.
Figurative: expression / mood (kind of sour, sulky, unhappy face)
- Muka dia masam. = His/Her face looks sour (unhappy/sulky).

In your sentence, masam clearly refers to taste.

How would this sentence change in the past tense, like I thought grape skin was rather sour?

Malay usually does not change the verb form for tense. Instead, it relies on context or adds time words.

To imply past tense, you can add a time marker, for example:

Tadi saya rasa kulit anggur agak masam.
- Just now I thought grape skin was rather sour.
Dulu saya rasa kulit anggur agak masam.
- I used to think grape skin was rather sour.

Without a time word:

Saya rasa kulit anggur agak masam.
- Can mean I think / I feel (now), but in the right context it can also be understood as past (similar to English I felt that… in storytelling). Context tells the listener which.

What is the level of formality of saya rasa? Would aku rasa work here too?

saya rasa is neutral and polite, suitable for:
- Talking to strangers
- Talking to older people
- Formal or semi-formal settings
aku rasa is informal / casual, used:
- With close friends
- With siblings or peers
- In relaxed, familiar situations

So:

Saya rasa kulit anggur agak masam.
Polite, safe in almost any context.
Aku rasa kulit anggur agak masam.
Very natural with friends, but not polite to use with someone you should respect (teachers, elders, etc.).

The rest of the sentence stays the same; only the pronoun changes the tone.

Is Saya rasa kulit anggur agak masam a complete sentence, or is kulit anggur agak masam acting like a clause inside it?

It can be understood in both ways, but grammatically it is natural to see kulit anggur agak masam as a clause inside the bigger sentence:

Main clause:
- Saya rasa … = I think / I feel …
Embedded clause:
- kulit anggur agak masam = grape skin is rather sour

So the overall structure is:

Saya rasa [kulit anggur agak masam].

Malay normally does not need a word like that (as in I think that…) here. You can add bahawa in very formal writing:

Saya rasa bahawa kulit anggur agak masam. but in normal speech and writing, people simply say:
Saya rasa kulit anggur agak masam.