"Mereka tetap memasak nasi."

Translation: They still cook rice.

[FangDarwin]

"They are still cooking rice." not valid?

[AjittPaii]

They keep cooking rice is better translation. They still cook rice means Mereka masih memasak nasi.

[LarsXensen]

I thought masih and tetap were synonymous here. What is the difference?

[AjittPaii]

I can give you example.
Keep/still = tetap.

In spite of him telling them to stop cooking the rice, they kept cooking it.
Meskipun dia menyuruh mereka berhenti memasak nasi, mereka tetap memasaknya.

This indicate that even if "case/event X" happened, "A" would still (tetap) do it.

While the other one
Still=Masih

When he arrived at home, they are still cooking rice.
Ketika dia sampai di rumah, mereka masih memasak nasi

Notice that "they are still cooking rice" instead of "they still cook rice"
This sentence indicate that before he left the home, they already have been cooking rice. When he arrived back at home, they still cook rice. In this case he didn't tell them to not cook the rice.

In short 'still'(masih) is used when there are many things happening/occurrences, yet they 'still' (masih) do the same thing. Another example, he took a bath, they still (masih) cook rice; he ate dinner, they still (masih) cook rice, and so on...

Sorry I can only give examples, there are other specific use for these words. Although I'm a native Indonesian speaker, I can't explain more. The difference between these words is too subtle to be understood by foreigner with minimal exposure to the language. But when I hear it in the wrong context, I know it's wrong.

You can just remember Keep=Tetap, Still=Masih

[UpzahwvW]

Thanks for the explanation. I wonder whether the difference between /tetap/ and /masih/ is the intentionality of the action. Perhaps /masih/ simply refers to the ongoing aspect of the action, whereas /tetap/ has that as well, but more strongly emphasized that "This isn't an accident. It's by design or by will."

[__K.]

So, it says, you use “tetap” when you keep doing something despite the contradictory circumstance. I think “tetap” has a connotation of “but still” and “even so,” and the will against the circumstance that is not helping.

“I told them to stop cooking, yet, they were, still/but still/even so (tetap), cooking.”

[hantuhutan]

Would "nevertheless" be a possible translation for tetap?

[Ms.Fixer]

I believe "nevertheless" exactly captures the connotation of the original sentence. I also agree with @AjittPaii on the difference between "tetap" and "masih".

I threw the same question on HiNative. Several Indonesian native speakers gave me crystal-clear answers, which also support hantuhutan's assumption.

https://hinative.com/questions/18123493

Comparing with "masih", the nuance with "tetap" is

"They don't stop cooking rice DESPITE all the chaos" as a sample interpretation.

Meanwhile "masih" in the same sentence means that they haven't finished cooking rice yet.

[ZoeVincent5]

You could mor accurately say masi instead of tetap

[Mengerti]

"They still make rice" was given as wrong. Come on, man. :-)