Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Saya bangga pada adik laki-laki saya.

pada: very common and neutral. Safe choice in most contexts.
terhadap: more formal/academic; sounds a bit “official.”
akan: a bit literary/older, but still acceptable.
dengan: widely used in speech; some teachers/editors prefer the three above in formal writing.
kepada: you will hear it, but many consider it less idiomatic with bangga. For careful/formal use, prefer pada/terhadap/akan. In casual speech, sama often replaces pada: Aku bangga sama adikku.

Is bangga a verb or an adjective?

An adjective. Indonesian doesn’t need “to be”: Saya bangga = “I am proud.” To say “make (someone) proud,” use the verb membanggakan (e.g., Prestasinya membanggakan orang tuanya.).

Can I drop the preposition and say Saya bangga adik laki-laki saya?

In careful Indonesian, no—keep the preposition. Say Saya bangga pada/terhadap/akan adik laki-laki saya. In casual speech you might hear it dropped, but it’s better to include it.

What’s the difference between saya and aku here?

saya: polite/neutral, good for most situations and writing.
aku: informal/intimate. Keep pronouns consistent in a sentence. If you start with Aku, prefer adikku (not mixing with saya): Aku bangga pada adik laki-lakiku.

Can I use the possessive suffix and say adikku / adik laki-lakiku?

Yes. Examples:

Formal/neutral: Saya bangga pada adik laki-laki saya.
Informal: Aku bangga pada adik laki-lakiku. Other clitics: -mu (your), -nya (his/her/their): adikmu, adiknya.

Why say adik laki-laki? Doesn’t adik already mean “younger brother”?

Adik means “younger sibling” (gender-neutral). Add laki-laki to specify male; use adik perempuan for a younger sister. For older siblings, use kakak (then kakak laki-laki / kakak perempuan if you need to specify).

Do I need the hyphen in laki-laki? Are lelaki or pria possible?

Yes, the hyphen is standard: laki-laki (a reduplication meaning “male/man”).
lelaki (one word) and pria both mean “man,” but in this pattern you normally say adik laki-laki, not adik pria. Adik lelaki is understood but sounds more Malay; adik laki-laki is the safest Indonesian choice.

How do I pronounce the tricky parts (bangga, adik, laki-laki)?

bangga: “ngg” = [ŋg], like “finger”’s “ng” + “g”. So baŋ-ga.
adik: final “k” is usually a glottal stop
laki-laki: both “k” are regular [k] (not glottal). Indonesian stress is light and fairly even.

Is it okay that saya appears twice? It feels repetitive.

Yes. First saya is the subject “I,” the second marks possession “my” in adik laki-laki saya. Indonesian uses the same form for subject and possessive; repetition is normal.

Can I use dengan or sama instead?

dengan: common in everyday speech; some prefer pada/terhadap/akan in formal writing.
sama: very colloquial substitute for pada: Aku bangga sama adikku. Avoid in formal texts.

Is kepada wrong here?

Not “wrong” in the sense that natives do say it, but it’s less idiomatic with bangga. For edited/formal Indonesian, choose pada/terhadap/akan instead of kepada.

How would I say “I’m proud of you” to my younger brother?

Neutral/formal: Saya bangga padamu.
Casual: Aku bangga sama kamu.
If speaking as an older sibling using kin terms: Kakak bangga sama Adik. (or Abang in some regions)

How do I say “very proud”?

Formal/neutral: sangat or sekali: Saya sangat bangga pada… / Saya bangga sekali pada…
Casual: banget: Aku bangga banget sama…

Does bangga ever sound negative, like “prideful/arrogant”?

By itself with an object (e.g., bangga pada X) it’s positive. For arrogance, use sombong or phrases like bangga diri (boastful).

Is berbangga correct?

It’s rare in Indonesian and sounds Malay. Prefer (merasa) bangga: Saya bangga… / Saya merasa bangga…

Can I replace adik laki-laki saya with a name?

Yes: Saya bangga pada Rudi, adik laki-laki saya. If context is clear, Saya bangga pada Rudi, adik saya is also fine.