Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Adik laki-laki saya suka bermain bola di halaman. - My younger brother likes to play ball in the yard.

adik = younger sibling (gender-neutral).
laki-laki = male. Together, adik laki-laki = younger brother. Use adik alone if gender is clear or irrelevant; use adik perempuan for younger sister; kakak (older sibling), kakak laki-laki (older brother).

Why is saya placed after the noun (as in adik laki-laki saya)?

Indonesian typically shows possession with noun + possessor: adik laki-laki saya = my younger brother. Alternatives:

adik laki-lakiku (informal; -ku attaches directly, no space)
adik laki-lakinya (his/her younger brother) Avoid placing saya before the noun for possession in this structure.

Can I say adik saya laki-laki?

Yes, but it means “my younger sibling is male,” not “my younger brother” as a fixed noun phrase. Example: Adik saya laki-laki, namanya Budi. For “my younger brother” as a noun phrase, stick with adik laki-laki saya.

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

Standard spelling is laki-laki (with a hyphen). You’ll see hyphenless forms informally, but the hyphen is recommended. lelaki (one word) also means “man” (more literary), and pria is a formal word for “man.” In the family term, use adik laki-laki (not usually adik lelaki in Indonesian, though that’s common in Malay).

What exactly does suka do here?

suka + verb means “to like to do” and often implies a habit. To intensify: sangat suka or suka sekali. Near-synonyms: gemar (formal), senang (enjoy).

Is there any tense in the sentence? Does it mean he likes to play now or generally?

Indonesian doesn’t mark tense. Adik laki-laki saya suka bermain bola di halaman suggests a general/habitual preference. Add time/aspect words if needed:

Progressive: Adik laki-laki saya sedang bermain bola.
Past: Kemarin adik laki-laki saya bermain bola.
Future: Besok adik laki-laki saya akan bermain bola.

What’s the difference between bermain, main, and memainkan?

bermain = to play (intransitive), neutral/formal.
main = colloquial/root; very common in speech: Dia suka main bola.
memainkan + object = to play/operate something as an object (e.g., a musical instrument, or “play the ball” in sports): Dia memainkan bola = he manipulates/plays the ball (passes/dribbles), not the general “play ball.” For the general activity, use bermain bola.

Does bola mean soccer, or just any ball?

bola is generic. In many contexts bermain bola will be taken as soccer, but to be explicit say sepak bola. Examples: bola basket (basketball), bola voli (volleyball). There are no articles in Indonesian, so bola could be “a ball” or “the ball.” To specify: sebuah bola (a ball), bola itu (the ball).

What does di halaman mean exactly? Could it mean “on the page”?

halaman can mean “yard/courtyard” or “page.” In this context, it’s yard. To be clearer, say di halaman rumah (in the yard of the house) or di halaman belakang (in the backyard). For pages, use di/pada halaman 10 = “on page 10” (both are used; pada is more formal).

Why di halaman and not ke halaman?

di marks location (in/on/at). ke marks movement (to/toward).

Location: Dia bermain di halaman.
Movement: Dia pergi ke halaman untuk bermain.

Can I move the place phrase to the front?

Yes, for emphasis or topic-setting: Di halaman, adik laki-laki saya suka bermain bola. The neutral order keeps place/time at the end, but fronting is fine in context.

How do I make “younger brothers” plural? And what about plural “balls”?

Indonesian often leaves plurals unmarked if clear from context.

“My younger brothers”: adik-adik saya yang laki-laki (natural), or adik-adik laki-laki saya (grammatical but heavier).
“Balls”: bola-bola (rare here), or use a quantifier: beberapa bola (several balls), dua bola (two balls). In this sentence, bermain bola is already natural without marking plural.

How do I negate this sentence?

Use tidak to negate verbs/adjectives:

Preference: Adik laki-laki saya tidak suka bermain bola di halaman.
Negate location: Adik saya suka bermain bola, tapi tidak di halaman. Use bukan to negate nouns/identity or for contrastive focus: Bukan adik saya yang suka bermain bola, melainkan kakak saya.

What does yang do if I add it here?

yang marks a relative clause or focus:

Relative clause: Adik laki-laki saya yang suka bermain bola di halaman itu pintar. = “My younger brother who likes to play ball in the yard is smart.”
Focus/contrast: Adik laki-laki sayalah yang suka bermain bola di halaman. = “It’s my younger brother who likes to play ball in the yard.”

Can I replace adik laki-laki saya with a pronoun later?

Yes. After introducing the noun phrase, you’d typically refer back with dia (he/she):

Adik laki-laki saya suka bermain bola di halaman. Dia sering main sore-sore.

Is there anything special about spacing in di halaman?

Yes. The preposition di (in/on/at) is written separately: di halaman. The passive prefix di- attaches to verbs with no space (e.g., dibaca, “is read”). Here it’s the preposition, so keep the space.