Learn Hardcore Malay: Walau siapa pun bos di pejabat, saya tetap hormat dia. - No matter who the boss is at the office, I still respect him/her.

In this sentence, “Walau siapa pun bos di pejabat” means “No matter who the boss at the office is” or “Whoever is the boss at the office”, introducing a condition that doesn’t change the fact mentioned in the main clause.

Why do we need “pun” after “siapa”? Can I just say “walau siapa bos di pejabat”?

The “pun” is important here. With words like siapa, apa, bila, di mana, adding “pun” creates an indefinite / “-ever” meaning:

siapa = who
siapa pun = whoever
apa = what
apa pun = whatever

So “walau siapa pun” = “no matter who / whoever”.

Saying “walau siapa bos di pejabat” without “pun” sounds odd and unidiomatic in Malay. The natural patterns are:

Walau siapa pun bos di pejabat…
Siapa pun bos di pejabat… (you can drop walau but keep pun)

What is the difference between “walau siapa pun”, “siapa pun”, and “walaupun”?

They are related but used slightly differently:

siapa pun bos di pejabat, saya tetap hormat dia.
= Whoever the boss at the office is, I still respect them.
Here “siapa pun” alone already means “whoever”.
walau siapa pun bos di pejabat, saya tetap hormat dia.
= Even whoever / no matter who the boss is, I still respect them.
“walau” adds a stronger concessive feel: even if it’s X or Y, it doesn’t matter.
walaupun usually comes before a full clause, not a question word:
- Walaupun dia bos yang garang, saya tetap hormat dia.
  (Even though he’s a strict boss, I still respect him.)

So in this exact structure, “walau siapa pun” or “siapa pun” are natural; “walaupun siapa” is unusual in Malay.

Is “walau” formal Malay, or is it more casual? Could I use “walaupun” instead?

“Walau” is common in both spoken and written Malay, but it has a slightly more casual / conversational feel compared to “walaupun”.

Walau siapa pun bos di pejabat… – very natural in speech and also acceptable in writing.
In more formal or careful writing, you might switch to a different structure rather than just replacing it with walaupun, for example:
- Siapa pun bos di pejabat, saya tetap menghormatinya.
- Tidak kira siapa bos di pejabat, saya tetap menghormatinya.

So: you can make the sentence more formal, but you usually change the structure, not simply “walau → walaupun” in this pattern.

Why is it “bos di pejabat” and not “bos saya di pejabat” or “bos di pejabat saya”?

All of these are possible; they just differ in how explicit and precise they are.

bos di pejabat
Literally: the boss at the office. In context, this usually implies “the boss at my office”, so Malay speakers often feel it’s understood and don’t bother adding “saya”.
bos di pejabat saya
Literally: the boss at my office. This is more explicit and is clear that you mean your workplace, not just any office.
bos saya di pejabat
Literally: my boss at the office. This could emphasize my boss (when we are at the office), slightly focusing more on the relationship than on the location.

In everyday speech, “bos di pejabat” is enough because the context usually makes it obvious whose office is meant.

Can “di pejabat” be moved to a different place in the sentence? Does that change the meaning?

Yes, you can move “di pejabat”, and it can slightly shift the nuance:

Walau siapa pun bos di pejabat, saya tetap hormat dia.
Focus: No matter who the boss at the office is, I respect that person (in general).
Walau siapa pun bos, saya tetap hormat dia di pejabat.
Focus: No matter who is the boss, I will (at least) respect them at the office. This can imply that respect is guaranteed in the workplace context, but maybe not necessarily outside it.

So position gives a subtle difference. The original version is the most neutral and natural for “whoever the boss at the office is”.

In “saya tetap hormat dia”, what exactly does “tetap” mean compared to “masih”?

Both can translate as “still”, but they feel different:

tetap = remain, stay, persist, regardless of change / obstacles
- It emphasizes determination or unchanging attitude:
  - Walau apa jadi, saya tetap sokong kamu.
    (No matter what happens, I still support you / I will stand by you.)
masih = still (continuing from before, not yet stopped)
- Emphasizes continuity in time:
  - Saya masih hormat dia.
    (I still respect him/her [I haven’t stopped yet].)

In this sentence, “saya tetap hormat dia” suggests:
“My respect remains / will remain, no matter who is the boss.”
So “tetap” fits better than “masih” because the whole sentence is about something that doesn’t change even if the boss changes.

Is “hormat” here a verb or a noun? Why not use “menghormati” instead?

In Malay, “hormat” can be both a noun (respect) and a verb (to respect), especially in less formal speech.

In “saya tetap hormat dia”, “hormat” works as a verb:
- saya (I) – subject
- tetap (still / remain) – adverb
- hormat (respect) – verb
- dia (him/her) – object

A more formal version would be:

Saya tetap menghormati dia.
Or even: Saya tetap menghormatinya.

So:

“saya tetap hormat dia” – everyday, colloquial, very common in speech.
“saya tetap menghormatinya” – more formal, more “textbook” Malay.

Why is the object pronoun “dia” used for both “him” and “her”? Is there any way to show gender?

Malay does not normally mark gender in third-person singular pronouns:

dia = he / she
mereka = they (no gender distinction)

If you need to make the gender clear, you usually rely on context or add a noun:

bos lelaki itu – that male boss
bos perempuan itu – that female boss

In this sentence, “saya tetap hormat dia” can mean “I still respect him” or “I still respect her”, and the gender would be clear from the wider context, not from the pronoun itself.

Is “dia” the most respectful pronoun here, or should I use “beliau” for a boss?

For someone of higher status (like a boss), “beliau” is often considered more respectful and formal than “dia”.

So you could say:

Walau siapa pun bos di pejabat, saya tetap menghormati beliau.

Nuances:

dia – neutral, everyday; can feel a bit casual for talking about a superior in a formal context.
beliau – respectful, used for superiors, older people, or people you want to show respect to, especially in writing or polite speech.

In casual conversation among colleagues, “dia” is extremely common and usually acceptable. In formal writing or very polite speech, “beliau” is safer.

Is there a more fully “textbook formal” version of this sentence?

Yes. A more formal, polished version could be:

Walau siapa pun bos di pejabat saya, saya tetap menghormatinya.

or, adding a clearly respectful pronoun:

Walau siapa pun bos di pejabat saya, saya tetap menghormati beliau.

Changes from the original:

pejabat saya – explicitly “my office”
menghormati instead of hormat – more formal verb
menghormatinya / beliau instead of plain dia – more formal, more respectful

The original sentence is perfectly natural in colloquial / everyday Malay, while these alternatives are suited to written or official contexts.