Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Ibu bangga pada saya.

my mother (most likely if you’re talking about your own mom),
Mother as a specific person already known in the context,
a polite form of address to an older woman, like Ma’am/Mrs. (as a title or when speaking to her).

With no possessor shown, Ibu bangga pada saya is a bit ambiguous. If you want to be crystal clear that it’s your own mom, say Ibu saya or Ibuku.

Why is there no word for “is”?

In Indonesian, adjectives can function as predicates without a linking verb. Bangga (proud) directly states the quality: Ibu bangga = “Mother is proud.” Don’t use adalah before adjectives here; Ibu adalah bangga is ungrammatical.

What does pada do in pada saya?

Pada is a preposition. With bangga, it marks the person or thing you are proud of. So bangga pada saya = “proud of me.” It’s not a literal “of”; it’s just the natural preposition used with this adjective.

Can I use other prepositions with bangga (like kepada, atas, akan, terhadap, sama)?

pada: neutral and common with people (e.g., bangga pada saya/dirimu).
kepada: also accepted and more formal; you’ll see/hear bangga kepada.
atas: good with nouns that name the reason (e.g., bangga atas prestasimu), but odd with a bare pronoun (avoid bangga atas saya).
akan: somewhat formal/literary; works with nouns/pronouns (e.g., bangga akan pencapaianmu/dirimu).
terhadap: formal and more “towards/regarding”; less natural with a pronoun in this context.
sama: very colloquial replacement for pada/kepada in speech (e.g., bangga sama kamu).

Could I drop pada saya and just say Ibu bangga?

Yes, it’s grammatical. It would mean “Mother is proud,” with the object of pride understood from context. If you need to be explicit, keep pada saya (or name the thing: atas prestasi saya, etc.).

How can I say “My mother is proud of me” more unambiguously or naturally?

Ibu saya bangga pada saya (neutral, explicit).
Ibuku bangga padaku (compact; -ku endings are common in writing and can feel closer/intimate).
Colloquial: Mama bangga sama aku / Ibu bangga sama aku.

Should Ibu be capitalized?

Use capital Ibu when it’s a form of address/title or refers to your specific mother out of respect (style-dependent).
Use lowercase ibu when it’s a common noun (e.g., ibu itu, “that mother”).
As a title: Ibu Sari. As a short address you’ll also see Bu.

Would a mother ever say this exact sentence to her child?

Not with saya. Indonesian often uses kinship terms as pronouns in family talk. A mother referring to herself would say: Ibu bangga padamu (“I’m proud of you”). Ibu bangga pada saya means “Mother is proud of me,” said by someone else about their mother.

Why use saya here instead of aku?

Saya is the default/formal first-person pronoun; aku is more intimate/informal. Both are correct. Pairings that feel natural:

Formal/neutral: Ibu saya … pada saya.
Informal/intimate: Ibuku … padaku or … sama aku in speech.

How do I turn it into a yes–no question (e.g., “Is Mother proud of me?”)?

Formal: Apakah Ibu bangga pada saya?
Neutral speech: Ibu bangga pada saya? (rising intonation)
Very colloquial: Apa Ibu bangga sama aku?

What about related words like membanggakan and kebanggaan?

membanggakan = “to make (someone) proud; praiseworthy/commendable.”
- Ibu membanggakan saya = “Mother makes me proud,” NOT “Mother is proud of me.”
- Prestasi itu membanggakan = “That achievement is something to be proud of.”
- Saya membanggakan Ibu = “I make Mother proud / I’m a source of pride for Mother.”
kebanggaan = “pride” (noun): Ibu adalah kebanggaan saya (“Mother is my pride”).
To say “be proud of,” stick with bangga (pada/kepada/akan …).

Are forms like padaku/padamu/padanya standard?

Yes. They’re pada + clitic pronouns:

padaku (to/of me), padamu (you), padanya (him/her/it). The kepada- versions (kepadaku/kepadamu/kepadanya) are also standard, though with bangga, pada is more common in modern usage.

Can Ibu mean “Ma’am/you” here?

Ibu can be a polite second-person address (like “Ma’am”). For example, Ibu mau ke mana? = “Where are you going, Ma’am?” But Ibu bangga pada saya would be an odd way to say “You are proud of me, Ma’am” unless the context makes it clear. Usually you’d clarify with Anda or Ibu plus the person’s name and phrase it differently.

Can I use di instead of pada (e.g., bangga di saya)?

No. Di marks physical location (“at/in/on”). With bangga, use pada/kepada (neutral/formal), sama (colloquial), or other accepted pairings as explained above.