Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Susu dingin itu enak diminum setelah berolahraga. - That cold milk is delicious to drink after exercising.

Itu is the distal demonstrative (“that”), but in Indonesian it also often marks something as definite/topical (“the one we’re talking about”).
In this sentence, Susu dingin itu can mean:
- “that cold milk” (specific, already known/visible), or
- “the cold milk” (definite), or even a topical “as for cold milk…”.
If you drop it: Susu dingin enak diminum… sounds like a general statement (“Cold milk is nice to drink…”).
If you want to be very explicitly specific in careful writing, you could also use tersebut: susu dingin tersebut (“the aforementioned cold milk,” formal).

Can I replace itu with ini?

Yes, but it changes the reference:

Susu dingin ini = “this cold milk” (near the speaker or just introduced).
Susu dingin itu = “that/the cold milk” (farther away or already known in context). Both are grammatical; choose based on what you want to point to.

Why is the adjective dingin after susu?

In Indonesian, adjectives normally follow the noun:

susu dingin = “cold milk”
kopi panas = “hot coffee”
roti manis = “sweet bread” If you want to explicitly say “the milk that is cold,” you can add yang: susu yang dingin, which sounds more contrastive/restrictive (“the one that is cold [not the warm one]”).

Why is it diminum? Why passive?

Diminum is the passive form of minum (“to drink”). Literally “to be drunk (by someone).”
With adjectives of suitability like enak (“tasty/nice”), Indonesian commonly uses a passive verb to describe how an item is for being used/consumed:
- enak dimakan (good to eat)
- enak diminum (good to drink)
- aman digunakan (safe to use) This focuses on the thing’s quality rather than on who is doing the action.

Is enak diminum the only way to say “good to drink”?

No. Common alternatives include:

enak untuk diminum (neutral)
enak buat diminum (colloquial)
nikmat diminum (enjoyable to drink)
cocok diminum (suits being drunk/fits the situation) If you want “refreshing,” use:
segar (“fresh/refreshing”): Susu dingin itu segar setelah berolahraga.
menyegarkan (“refreshing” as a verb/adjective): Susu dingin itu menyegarkan setelah berolahraga.

Can I say Susu dingin itu enak minum?

Not in that structure. To describe the drink’s quality, use passive:

Correct: Susu dingin itu enak diminum… If you want to say “It’s nice to drink cold milk…,” you can use an impersonal structure:
Enak minum susu dingin setelah berolahraga. So: “X enak diminum” (thing-focused) vs. “Enak minum X” (experience-focused).

What’s the difference between berolahraga and olahraga?

Berolahraga is the proper intransitive verb “to exercise.”
Olahraga is a noun (“sport”), but in everyday speech it’s also used as a verb. All of these are common:
setelah berolahraga (neutral/formal-ish)
setelah olahraga (colloquial but very common)
habis olahraga (colloquial; “after exercising”)

Are setelah and sesudah the same?

Yes, they both mean “after.” Nuance:

setelah and sesudah are standard; sesudah can feel a touch more formal/traditional to some ears, but both are fine.
Colloquial options: habis, sehabis. Examples:
setelah berolahraga
sesudah berolahraga
habis olahraga (more casual)

Can the time phrase move to the front?

Yes. Word order is flexible for adverbials:

Setelah berolahraga, susu dingin itu enak diminum. (natural; add a comma)
Susu dingin itu enak diminum setelah berolahraga. (also natural) Avoid inserting it awkwardly in the middle with commas in speech; the two patterns above are best.

What’s the difference between susu dingin itu and susu itu dingin?

Could I use yang: susu yang dingin?

Yes, but it slightly changes the nuance:

susu dingin: descriptive, general property (“cold milk”).
susu yang dingin: restrictive/contrastive (“the milk that is cold” as opposed to another that isn’t). Both can be followed by enak diminum… depending on what you want to emphasize.

When do I use minum, meminum, and diminum?

minum: base verb; the most common in speech.
- Saya minum susu. (I drink milk.)
meminum: transitive, more formal/emphatic; often used with objects like medicine or in writing.
- Ia meminum obat.
diminum: passive; focuses on the thing being drunk or on instructions/affordances.
- Susu itu enak diminum.
- Obat ini diminum dua kali sehari.

Is itu required here?

No. It depends on meaning:

With itu: more specific/topical (“that/the cold milk we’re talking about”).
Without itu: more generic (“Cold milk is nice to drink after exercising”). Both are grammatical; pick based on whether you mean a specific instance or a general statement.

Any quick pronunciation tips for berolahraga?