Learn Hardcore Malay: Saya berkongsi fikiran saya dengan teman serumah di ruang tamu. - I share my thoughts with my roommate in the living room.

Saya berkongsi fikiran saya = I share my thoughts (clear whose thoughts they are).
Saya berkongsi fikiran is grammatically possible, but it sounds a bit incomplete or vague, like I share thoughts (in general), without clearly saying they are my thoughts.

In real conversation, people usually say fikiran saya (my thoughts) or even pendapat saya (my opinion). So the repeated saya is not redundant; it adds clarity and feels natural.

What is the difference between berkongsi and kongsi? Why is it berkongsi fikiran, not kongsi fikiran?

Kongsi is the base form and is often used as a noun (a share, a partnership, a shared house) or in some set expressions.
Berkongsi is the verb form meaning to share.

In standard Malay, when you want to say to share (something), you normally use berkongsi:

Saya berkongsi fikiran dengan dia. = I share my thoughts with him/her.
Mereka berkongsi bilik. = They share a room.

You might see kongsi used as a verb in casual speech or certain dialects, but berkongsi is the safe, standard choice for learners.

Is dengan necessary here? Can I say Saya berkongsi fikiran saya teman serumah without dengan?

You need dengan in this sentence.

Dengan means with and marks the person you are sharing with.
- Saya berkongsi fikiran saya dengan teman serumah.
  = I share my thoughts with my roommate.

Without dengan, teman serumah would sound like part of the object, not the person you share with, and the sentence becomes ungrammatical or confusing.

So:
✅ berkongsi … dengan [person]
❌ berkongsi … [person] (without dengan) in this meaning.

What exactly does teman serumah mean? Is it the same as roommate, housemate, or flatmate?

Teman serumah literally means same-house friend and corresponds to housemate / roommate / flatmate in general.

Malay doesn’t always distinguish between:

sharing the same room
sharing the same house/apartment but different rooms

So teman serumah can cover both, depending on the context. If you need to be more specific:

rakan sebilik = someone who shares the same room (roommate)
rakan serumah / teman serumah = someone who shares the same house/apartment

In everyday speech, teman serumah is perfectly fine for “roommate/housemate” unless the difference really matters.

How do I say “my roommate” more clearly? Should it be teman serumah or teman serumah saya?

In your sentence, teman serumah on its own usually implies my roommate from context, but to be explicit you can say:

teman serumah saya = my roommate / housemate
teman serumahku = my roommate (more informal, with the suffix -ku)

So your sentence could also be:

Saya berkongsi fikiran saya dengan teman serumah saya di ruang tamu.

That’s fully clear and natural: I share my thoughts with my roommate in the living room.

Is teman serumah singular or plural? How would I say “my roommates”?

Teman serumah itself is number-neutral: it can be singular or plural depending on context.

To make it clearly plural, you can say:

teman-teman serumah saya = my roommates
rakan-rakan serumah saya = my housemates / roommates

Examples:

Saya berkongsi fikiran saya dengan teman-teman serumah saya.
= I share my thoughts with my roommates.

What does ruang tamu mean exactly? Is it the same as “living room”?

Yes, ruang tamu means living room.

ruang = space/area
tamu = guest

So ruang tamu is literally guest area, the place where you receive visitors. It corresponds to:

living room
lounge
sitting room

Other related terms:

bilik tamu can also mean a room for guests, but often suggests a guest room (a bedroom for guests).
dewan = hall (large room, not a typical living room).

For a normal home living room, ruang tamu is the standard phrase.

Can I move di ruang tamu to another position? For example: Di ruang tamu, saya berkongsi fikiran saya dengan teman serumah.

Yes, you can move di ruang tamu quite freely. All of these are grammatical:

Saya berkongsi fikiran saya dengan teman serumah di ruang tamu.
Saya berkongsi fikiran saya di ruang tamu dengan teman serumah.
Di ruang tamu, saya berkongsi fikiran saya dengan teman serumah.

Differences are very minor:

Putting di ruang tamu at the beginning (Di ruang tamu, …) emphasizes the location first.
Keeping it at the end is the most neutral and common.

All are fine and natural in everyday Malay.

How do I change the tense? How would I say “I was sharing”, “I am sharing”, or “I will share”?

Malay doesn’t change the verb form for tense; instead, it adds time markers or aspect words. Starting from:

Saya berkongsi fikiran saya dengan teman serumah di ruang tamu.

You can add:

Past (I was sharing / I shared)
- Tadi / sebentar tadi / semalam / kelmarin etc.
- Tadi, saya berkongsi fikiran saya dengan teman serumah di ruang tamu.
  = Earlier, I shared my thoughts…
Progressive (I am sharing / I was in the middle of sharing)
- Use sedang before the verb.
- Saya sedang berkongsi fikiran saya dengan teman serumah di ruang tamu.
  = I am (currently) sharing my thoughts…
Future (I will share)
- Use akan (more formal) or just a future time word.
- Saya akan berkongsi fikiran saya dengan teman serumah di ruang tamu malam ini.
  = I will share my thoughts with my roommate in the living room tonight.

Is berkongsi fikiran the most natural way to say “share my thoughts”? Could I use pendapat or idea instead of fikiran?

All of these are possible, with slightly different nuances:

fikiran = thoughts, thinking (more general, can be feelings + ideas)
pendapat = opinion, point of view (often about an issue)
idea = idea (often specific ideas or suggestions)

Examples:

Saya berkongsi fikiran saya dengan teman serumah.
= I share my thoughts with my roommate. (quite general)
Saya berkongsi pendapat saya dengan teman serumah.
= I share my opinion with my roommate. (about some topic, decision, problem)
Saya berkongsi idea saya dengan teman serumah.
= I share my ideas with my roommate. (e.g. plans, suggestions)

All are natural; choose the noun based on what you mean.

Could I drop Saya and just say Berkongsi fikiran saya dengan teman serumah di ruang tamu?

In formal, complete sentences, you should keep the subject Saya.

Malay can drop subjects when they are very clear from context, especially in casual speech or after the subject has already been mentioned. But as a stand‑alone sentence for learners, you should say:

Saya berkongsi fikiran saya dengan teman serumah di ruang tamu.

Saying just Berkongsi fikiran saya dengan teman serumah di ruang tamu feels like a fragment, similar to saying Sharing my thoughts with my roommate in the living room without I am in English.

Can I use bersama instead of dengan? For example: Saya berkongsi fikiran saya bersama teman serumah.

Yes, you can use bersama in this sentence, and it is grammatical:

Saya berkongsi fikiran saya bersama teman serumah di ruang tamu.

Nuance:

dengan = with (very common, neutral, everyday)
bersama = together with (slightly more formal or a bit more “togetherness” feeling)

In daily conversation, dengan is more common. Bersama is often used in writing, speeches, or when slightly emphasizing doing something together. Both are correct here.