Learn Hardcore Malay: Daripada mengeluh tentang kerja, dia menulis diari untuk mengatur fikirannya. - Instead of complaining about work, he/she writes a diary to organize his/her thoughts.

Dari usually means from (a place, time, source):
- Saya datang dari London. – I come from London.
Daripada can also mean from but is often used:
- for comparisons:
  Dia lebih tinggi daripada saya. – He is taller than me.
- for “instead of / rather than” choices, as in your sentence.

So here daripada introduces an alternative action: rather than doing X, (he/she) does Y.

Why is it mengeluh and not just keluh?

Mengeluh is the correct verb form meaning "to complain".

Keluh is the root (base) word.
meN-
- keluh → mengeluh (because of Malay prefix rules).

In Malay, many verbs use the meN- prefix:

tulis → menulis (to write)
atur → mengatur (to arrange/organize)
keluh → mengeluh (to complain)

Using just keluh as a verb on its own is not natural here; you normally say mengeluh to express complaining as an action.

What is the nuance of mengeluh? Is it just "to complain"?

Mengeluh means to complain / to grumble / to sigh about problems.

Nuance:

It often suggests expressing dissatisfaction, frustration, or stress, sometimes repeatedly.
It can be neutral or slightly negative, depending on tone:
- Neutral: someone under stress talking about difficulties.
- Negative: someone who keeps complaining instead of doing something.

Similar words:

merungut – to complain/grumble (often more “whiny”/negative in tone).
mengadu – to report/complain (often to an authority, or to tell problems).

In this sentence, mengeluh tentang kerja is like “complaining about work” as an unproductive habit.

What does tentang kerja mean, and can I replace tentang with something else?

Tentang kerja means "about work".

tentang = about, regarding, concerning
kerja = work, job (general word for work)

So:

mengeluh tentang kerja = complain about work

You can often replace tentang with:

mengenai (more formal/neutral):
mengeluh mengenai kerja
pasal (informal, conversational):
mengeluh pasal kerja

All three are understandable, but in standard written Malay, tentang and mengenai are more common than pasal.

Why does the sentence start with Daripada mengeluh…? Is this structure common?

Yes, it’s a common structure that matches English “Instead of -ing, (someone) …”.

Pattern:

Daripada
- verb (in meN- form) + extra info, dia
  - main clause

In your sentence:

Daripada mengeluh tentang kerja, dia menulis diari…
→ Instead of complaining about work, he/she writes a diary…

You can also move the daripada phrase to the end:

Dia menulis diari untuk mengatur fikirannya daripada mengeluh tentang kerja.

This is still understandable, but the original order (starting with Daripada…) sounds more natural and clearer for the “instead of …” meaning.

What does dia mean? How do I know if it’s "he" or "she"?

Dia means “he” or “she” (and sometimes “they” for a single person). Malay does not mark gender in third-person pronouns.

So:

dia = he / she
You can only know the gender from context, names, or previous sentences.

Example:

Ali sangat penat. Daripada mengeluh tentang kerja, dia menulis diari…
Here, dia = Ali = he.

If the previous context mentions a woman, dia would be “she”.

Why is it menulis diari and not just tulis diari?

Both menulis diari and tulis diari can appear, but:

menulis diari is the standard verb form and fits well in neutral or formal language.
tulis diari is more informal / conversational, often used in speech or casual writing.

In standard sentences like yours, menulis diari is preferred.

Also:

menulis = to write (with the meN- verb prefix)
diari = diary (a loanword from English)

What does untuk do in untuk mengatur fikirannya?

Here untuk means “to / in order to / for the purpose of”.

dia menulis diari untuk mengatur fikirannya
→ he/she writes a diary to organize his/her thoughts

Structure:

untuk
- verb = to do something (purpose)
  - untuk belajar – to study
  - untuk berehat – to rest
  - untuk mengatur fikiran – to organize thoughts

You could drop untuk in some colloquial contexts, but in careful/standard Malay, untuk clearly shows the purpose of writing the diary.

What exactly does mengatur mean here? Could I use another verb like mengurus or menyusun?

Mengatur here means “to arrange / to organize (mentally)”.

mengatur fikiran ≈ organize/structure your thoughts

Other verbs:

menyusun – to arrange/put in order (often physical things, but can be abstract):
- menyusun buku – arrange books
- menyusun idea – arrange ideas
mengurus – to manage/administer (tasks, business, responsibilities):
- mengurus masa – manage time
- mengurus kerja – manage work

You could say:

menyusun fikirannya – arrange her/his thoughts
(sounds okay, maybe a bit more “ordering them one by one”)
mengurus fikirannya – unusual; we don’t normally “manage” thoughts this way.

Mengatur fikiran is a common fixed expression for organizing or sorting out thoughts.

What does fikirannya mean, and why is there -nya at the end?

Fikirannya = fikir + an + nya:

fikir – to think / thought (root)
fikiran – thought(s) / thinking / mind (noun)
fikiran + nya → fikirannya – his/her thoughts / his/her mind

So fikirannya means “his/her thoughts”.

You could also say:

fikiran dia – also “his/her thoughts”

Difference:

fikirannya sounds slightly more compact and natural in written or semi-formal Malay.
fikiran dia is more neutral/informal and is fine in speech.

In this sentence, mengatur fikirannya = “to organize his/her thoughts”.

Is this sentence formal, informal, or neutral? How might it sound in more casual speech?

The given sentence is neutral, suitable for:

essays
articles
general written Malay
polite speech

A more casual / spoken version could look like:

Daripada asyik mengeluh pasal kerja, dia tulis diari untuk susun fikiran dia.

Changes:

asyik mengeluh – keeps on complaining
pasal – about (informal)
tulis instead of menulis
susun instead of mengatur
fikiran dia instead of fikirannya

Meaning stays the same, but the tone becomes more conversational.