Learn Hardcore Malay: Topi keledar itu ketat di leher saya tetapi saya rasa lebih selamat. - That helmet is tight on my neck but I feel safer.

Both topi keledar and helmet are understood. Topi keledar sounds a bit more formal/standard, while helmet (the loanword from English) is very common in casual conversation.

What is the function of itu here? Does it mean that, the, or something else?

In topi keledar itu, the word itu is a demonstrative that usually means that.

However, Malay doesn’t have separate words for the and that the way English does. Itu can signal:

that helmet (specific, maybe one you mentioned or can see), or
the helmet (specific in context, not just any helmet)

So topi keledar itu can be translated as that helmet or the helmet, depending on the context.

Why is there no word for is in Topi keledar itu ketat di leher saya?

Malay usually does not use a linking verb like is/are/am before adjectives.

Structure:

Topi keledar itu = subject (that helmet)
ketat di leher saya = predicate (tight at my neck)

You do not say: Topi keledar itu adalah ketat… in normal speech. You just put the adjective ketat after the noun phrase.

So:

The helmet is tight → Topi keledar itu ketat
My shirt is red → Baju saya merah (literally: shirt my red)

What exactly does ketat mean? Is it only for clothing or also for rules, etc.?

Ketat basically means tight.

Common uses:

Physical tightness:
- Seluar ini ketat. = These pants are tight.
- Topi keledar itu ketat di leher saya. = The helmet is tight at my neck.
Figurative tight/strict:
- Peraturan itu sangat ketat. = The rules are very strict.

So you can use ketat for both physical tightness and strictness. Context makes the meaning clear.

Why do we say di leher saya and not just leher saya after ketat?

You need the preposition di to show location, similar to at / on / in in English.

di leher saya = at/on my neck
Without di, leher saya just means my neck (a noun phrase), not on my neck.

So:

ketat di leher saya = tight at my neck
Saying ketat leher saya is not natural; it sounds incomplete or incorrect because the relation at/on is missing.

Could you explain leher saya word order? Why not saya leher?

In Malay, possession is usually shown by putting the possessor after the noun:

leher = neck
saya = I / me / my

So:

leher saya = my neck (literally neck my)

You generally don’t say saya leher to mean my neck. The pattern is:

buku saya = my book
rumah mereka = their house
telefon kamu = your phone

Is di leher saya closer to on my neck or around my neck?

Literally, di is more like at / on / in, so di leher saya is at/on my neck.

But in natural English, when talking about something worn, around my neck often sounds better:

Topi keledar itu ketat di leher saya → The helmet is tight around my neck.

So while the literal preposition is at/on, context allows you to translate it as around for more natural English.

What does tetapi mean, and is it formal or informal?

Tetapi means but or however.

It is more formal/standard.
In everyday speech and informal writing, people often use tapi instead.

So:

Tetapi saya rasa lebih selamat. (standard / more formal)
Tapi saya rasa lebih selamat. (colloquial / casual)

Both are correct; choose based on how formal you want to sound.

What is the function of rasa in saya rasa lebih selamat?

Here, rasa means to feel (emotionally or subjectively).

saya = I
rasa = feel
saya rasa = I feel

It can also mean to taste when talking about food, but in this sentence it clearly means to feel:

Saya rasa lebih selamat. = I feel safer.

How does lebih selamat express the comparative safer?

Malay often forms comparatives using lebih (more) before an adjective:

selamat = safe
lebih selamat = more safe → safer

Other examples:

cantik = beautiful → lebih cantik = more beautiful / prettier
cepat = fast → lebih cepat = faster

There is no change to the adjective itself; you just add lebih.

Why is there no word for than after lebih selamat? In English we say safer than…

Malay can use daripada to mean than, but it isn’t always needed if the comparison is understood from context or implied.

Saya rasa lebih selamat. = I feel safer (than before / than without the helmet) – the than part is understood.
If you want to be explicit:
- Saya rasa lebih selamat daripada dulu. = I feel safer than before.
- Saya rasa lebih selamat daripada tanpa topi keledar. = I feel safer than without a helmet.

Why is saya repeated in di leher saya tetapi saya rasa lebih selamat? Can you omit the second saya?

Each clause usually has its own subject stated clearly, especially in careful or formal speech.

Clause 1: Topi keledar itu ketat di leher saya
Clause 2: tetapi saya rasa lebih selamat

You could omit the second saya in relaxed, fast speech if it’s very clear who the subject is, but saya is normally kept:

…di leher saya tetapi rasa lebih selamat. – possible in conversation, but sounds a bit incomplete or less clear.

For learners and in writing, it’s better to repeat saya as in the original sentence.

Could Topi keledar saya replace Topi keledar itu here?

Yes, but it changes the nuance slightly.

Topi keledar itu = that/the helmet (already known or visible, but not necessarily mine)
Topi keledar saya = my helmet

So:

Topi keledar itu ketat di leher saya… = That helmet is tight at my neck… (could be mine or not; context decides)
Topi keledar saya ketat di leher saya… = My helmet is tight at my neck… (clearly your own helmet)

Is the word order Topi keledar itu ketat di leher saya fixed, or can I move words around?

The basic order is quite fixed: Subject + Predicate.

Topi keledar itu (subject)
ketat di leher saya (predicate/adjectival phrase)

You cannot normally move ketat before the noun, like ketat topi keledar itu – that is ungrammatical in standard Malay. Adjectives generally come after the noun:

topi keledar ketat = a tight helmet
baju merah = red shirt

In this sentence, the order used is the natural and correct one.