Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Tugas berikutnya mudah.

berikutnya literally comes from berikut (“following”) plus the suffix -nya. Together they mean “the next one” or “the following.” It’s often used after a noun to specify the “next” item in a sequence.

Why is there no word for “is” (the copula) in Tugas berikutnya mudah?

In Indonesian, you generally omit a linking verb like “is” when making simple descriptive statements. The structure [Noun] + [Adjective] automatically conveys “Noun is Adjective.”

Why is the adjective mudah placed after the noun instead of before?

Indonesian adjectives almost always come after the noun they modify. So you say “rumah besar” (“house big”) instead of “big house.”

Could you use selanjutnya instead of berikutnya? If so, is there any difference?

Yes, tugas selanjutnya mudah is equally correct.

berikutnya often emphasizes “the one immediately after.”
selanjutnya is more neutral, like “the next in line.”
In everyday use they’re interchangeable in this context.

How would I emphasize that the next task is very easy?

You can add intensifiers like:

Tugas berikutnya sangat mudah. (“sangat” = very)
Tugas berikutnya mudah sekali. (“sekali” = extremely/very much)

If there are multiple tasks, how do I say “the next tasks are easy”?

You can pluralize tugas (though it’s often understood without reduplication) or simply mark the adjective for plural context. For example:

Tugas-tugas berikutnya mudah. (explicit plural)
Tugas berikutnya mudah-mudah saja. (colloquial, implying “all of them are easy”)

Is there any nuance if I add itu at the end: Tugas berikutnya mudah itu?

Adding itu (“that”) here sounds redundant or awkward, because berikutnya already specifies “the next one.” You’d only add itu if contrasting or pointing out a specific task in a larger context:

Tugas berikutnya itu mudah, tapi yang setelahnya sulit. (“That next task is easy, but the one after is hard.”)