Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Anak-anak suka berenang di laut ketika ombak kecil. - The children like swimming in the sea when the waves are small.

The hyphen indicates reduplication, a common way in Indonesian to form a plural. anak means “child,” and anak-anak means “children.” The hyphen shows it’s one word formed by repeating the root.

Why is there no article like “the” or “a” before anak-anak or laut?

Indonesian does not have articles such as a, an, or the. Nouns stand alone, and whether they’re definite or indefinite is understood from context.

What does suka mean, and why is it followed directly by berenang?

suka means “to like” or “to enjoy.” Unlike English, you don’t need to or untuk before the next verb. So suka berenang literally is “like swim,” i.e. “like to swim.”

What’s the difference between renang and berenang?

renang is the root noun/verb “swim,” while berenang is the standard intransitive verb “to swim,” formed by adding the prefix be- plus the infix -er-. In everyday speech people sometimes drop the prefix and still say renang, but berenang is the more formal verb.

Why is the preposition di used in di laut, and could we use pada laut instead?

di is the normal preposition for location (“in,” “at,” “on”). pada can also mean “at” but is more formal or used for time/events. di laut is the natural way to say “in the sea.” Saying pada laut would sound odd unless you’re using a very formal style or poetic context.

Why is ketika used for “when,” and can we use saat or waktu instead?

ketika, saat, and waktu all can mean “when.”

ketika is more formal and always introduces a clause.
saat is slightly less formal.
waktu is a noun, so you usually need pada waktu (“at the time”).
You could say Saat ombak kecil, anak-anak suka berenang di laut, but Waktu ombak kecil by itself is less common without pada.

Why is there no verb like “are” in ketika ombak kecil?

Indonesian often drops the verb adalah (“to be”) in simple descriptive clauses. ketika ombak kecil literally reads “when waves small” and is understood as “when the waves are small.”

Could we add yang before kecil—ketika ombak yang kecil?

Yes. yang is a relative pronoun meaning “that” or “which.” ketika ombak yang kecil (“when the waves that are small”) is grammatically correct but more wordy. In everyday speech you usually omit yang if the description is clear.

What about adding the possessive suffix -nya to make ketika ombaknya kecil?

You can say ketika ombaknya kecil (“when its/the waves are small”). -nya makes it explicit (“the waves”), but it’s not required here because context already tells you which waves you mean. Adding -nya can sound more casual or conversational.

Can we swap the clauses to Ketika ombak kecil, anak-anak suka berenang di laut?

Absolutely. Indonesian allows flexible clause order. Starting with the time clause (Ketika ombak kecil) can emphasize when the action happens, but the meaning remains the same.