Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Makan pagi bersama keluarga membuat saya bahagia.

Both are correct and understood. In Indonesia, sarapan is the more common everyday choice; makan pagi is a literal “eat morning” and sounds a bit more formal/literal or regional. In Malaysia, makan pagi is very common. For a neutral Indonesian sentence, Sarapan bersama keluarga membuat saya bahagia is slightly more natural.

Can a verb phrase like "makan pagi" really act as the subject?

Yes. Indonesian freely uses a verb (or verb phrase) as a subject, much like an English gerund. Here, Makan pagi bersama keluarga is the subject of membuat.

Is "bersama" the same as "dengan"? Which should I use?

Both can mean “with.” Bersama highlights doing something together (“together with”), while dengan is the general “with.” All are fine:

Sarapan bersama keluarga… (together with)
Sarapan dengan keluarga… (with) For informal speech, you might hear bareng: Sarapan bareng keluarga…

Do I need to say "keluarga saya" to mean "my family"?

Not necessarily. Keluarga often implies “my family” from context, especially when the speaker later says saya. If you want to be explicit, use keluarga saya (neutral/formal) or keluargaku (casual). Note keluarganya usually means “his/her family” or “that family,” depending on context.

Why is it "membuat saya bahagia"? Where is “to be”?

Indonesian doesn’t use a copula (“to be”) before adjectives. The pattern is: X membuat Y bahagia = “X makes Y happy,” where bahagia is a predicate adjective.

What’s the difference between "membuat saya bahagia" and "membahagiakan saya"?

They mean the same in this sentence. Membuat saya bahagia (make me happy) is very common and neutral. Membahagiakan saya is a single verb (“to make [someone] happy”), a bit more compact and slightly more formal/literary. Note: Membahagiakan can appear without an explicit object (e.g., Hal itu membahagiakan.), but membuat bahagia normally needs an object: membuat saya bahagia.

Can I drop "saya" and just say "membuat bahagia"?

Not in this structure; it sounds incomplete. Keep the object (saya), switch to membahagiakan (e.g., …membahagiakan.), or rephrase: Saya bahagia ketika/ saat sarapan bersama keluarga. In casual style, you can also say membuatku bahagia (using the clitic -ku).

Could the word order be "membuat bahagia saya"?

No. The natural order is object first, then complement: membuat saya bahagia. A near-synonym that works the same way is menjadikan: Sarapan… menjadikan saya bahagia. Don’t put bahagia before saya in this pattern.

What tense/aspect does the sentence express?

Indonesian has no tense marking by default, so this reads as a general or habitual truth. Add time words if needed:

Habit: Selalu sarapan… membuat saya bahagia.
Past: Tadi pagi sarapan… membuat saya bahagia.
Future: Akan sarapan… membuat saya bahagia.

How would I say this more casually or more formally?

Casual: Sarapan bareng keluarga bikin aku senang.
Neutral: Sarapan bersama keluarga membuat saya bahagia.
Formal/compact: Sarapan bersama keluarga membahagiakan saya.

Can I add "itu" after the subject?

Yes. Sarapan bersama keluarga itu membuat saya bahagia singles out or emphasizes that specific activity (“that breakfasting with family…”), making the subject more definite or topical.

Can I move "bersama keluarga" to the front?

You can for topicalization: Bersama keluarga, makan pagi membuat saya bahagia. It’s correct but slightly marked. The original flow (Makan pagi bersama keluarga…) is the most natural.

How do I pronounce the tricky words?

membuat: mem-bu-at (three syllables). The u is like “oo” in “food,” each vowel is pronounced.
keluarga: ke-luar-ga (four syllables). Roll or tap the r lightly.
bahagia: ba-ha-gi-a (four syllables). g is always hard, as in “go.”

What’s happening morphologically in "membuat"?

It’s meN- + buat (“make”). The meN- prefix forms an active transitive verb; before a word starting with b, it surfaces as mem-, hence mem-buat → membuat.

Is "memakan pagi" ever correct?

No. Memakan means “to eat/consume (something)” and isn’t used to mean “have breakfast.” Use sarapan or makan pagi. You will see memakan in senses like memakan waktu (“take up time”).

If I want to say "makes us happy," should I use "kami" or "kita"?

Both are “we/us,” but:

kami excludes the listener.
kita includes the listener. So: …membuat kami bahagia (us, not you) vs …membuat kita bahagia (us, including you).