Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Yang paling penting adalah target harian tidak berubah. - What is most important is that the daily target does not change.

yang turns the following description into a noun phrase: yang paling penting = “that which is most important” / “the most important thing.”
Think of it as a relativizer: yang + adjective/phrase = “the one(s) that are …” (e.g., yang besar = “the big one(s)”).

Can I omit yang and just say Paling penting?

With a comma (as a sentence adverb), yes: Paling penting, … = “Most importantly, …”
If you keep adalah, it’s more idiomatic to keep yang: Yang paling penting adalah …
Without adalah, both are common: Yang paling penting, … or Paling penting, … (slightly different feel: the former = “the most important thing,” the latter = “most importantly”).

What exactly does paling mean? How does it compare to ter- (e.g., terpenting)?

paling = “most” (analytic superlative): paling penting = “most important.”
ter- is a prefix making a superlative adjective: terpenting = “most important.”
In meaning here, paling penting ≈ terpenting. Some adjectives prefer the ter- form in set phrases (e.g., terbaik), but both are widely used.

Is Yang terpenting interchangeable with Yang paling penting?

Yes, in this sentence they’re interchangeable: Yang terpenting adalah … ≈ Yang paling penting adalah …
Style nuance: ter- can feel a touch more compact or formal in certain contexts, but both are standard.

What is the function of adalah here? Do I need it?

adalah acts like a linking “is/are,” especially in formal writing, to connect the subject to its complement.
You can omit it and use a comma: Yang paling penting, target harian tidak berubah. This is very natural in speech and neutral writing.
Keeping adalah adds a slightly more formal, equational feel: “The most important thing is (that) …”

Should I use adalah or ialah in this sentence?

In Indonesian, adalah is more common and works broadly.
ialah tends to be used before a noun phrase and is more common in Malay or in certain formal Indonesian styles. Before a full clause, ialah is unusual.
Here, prefer adalah or omit the copula.

Is it correct to add bahwa after adalah: Yang paling penting adalah bahwa target harian tidak berubah?

Yes. bahwa = “that.” It makes the clausal complement explicit and is common in formal writing.
Some style guides consider adalah bahwa wordy and suggest dropping one: either Yang paling penting adalah … or Yang paling penting, bahwa … (the latter is rarer). Your original is widely acceptable.

What does target harian literally mean, and why is the adjective after the noun?

target harian = “daily target” (literally “target daily”).
In Indonesian, adjectives and many modifiers typically follow the noun: noun + adjective (e.g., makanan enak = “tasty food”).

Are there natural alternatives to target harian?

sasaran harian (more native word for “target/aim,” slightly more formal).
target setiap hari (periphrastic “target each day,” more casual).
target sehari-hari can work but often means “day-to-day target” (routine/ordinary), not just “per day” in a planning sense. In business/planning, target harian is the go-to.

Why is the negation tidak, not bukan, used before berubah?

tidak negates verbs and adjectives: tidak berubah = “doesn’t change.”
bukan negates nouns/pronouns or equational statements: itu bukan target harian = “that is not the daily target.”

What’s the difference between berubah, mengubah, and perubahan?

berubah (intransitive verb) = “to change” (itself changes): Target itu berubah = “That target changed.”
mengubah (transitive verb) = “to change [something]”: Mereka mengubah target = “They changed the target.”
perubahan (noun) = “a change/changes”: perubahan target = “a change in the target.”

Could I use tetap instead of tidak berubah?

Yes: Target harian tetap or Target harian tetap sama both mean “the daily target remains (the same).”
Nuance: tetap emphasizes a steady state; tidak berubah emphasizes that no change occurred. Both fit here.

How is tense expressed here? Does tidak berubah mean “doesn’t change,” “didn’t change,” or “won’t change”?

Indonesian verbs don’t inflect for tense. tidak berubah is time-neutral.
Context or time markers add tense/aspect:
- Past: tidak/berlum berubah kemarin/sudah tidak berubah
- Present: context or sedang (rare with statives), or add tetap
- Future: tidak akan berubah
- Continuity: masih tidak berubah, tetap tidak berubah

Can I reorder the sentence as Target harian tidak berubah adalah yang paling penting?

That order is unnatural. Indonesian typically fronts the “most important thing” topic: Yang paling penting (adalah), target harian tidak berubah.
Acceptable variants:
- Yang paling penting adalah bahwa target harian tidak berubah.
- Hal yang paling penting adalah target harian tidak berubah.

What does Hal add in Hal yang paling penting adalah …?

hal = “thing/aspect.” It makes the head noun explicit: Hal yang paling penting… = “The most important thing…”
It’s a bit more formal or explicit; meaning is the same as Yang paling penting…

Is it natural to add itu after the topic: Yang paling penting itu …?

Yes, in colloquial Indonesian itu can mark a topic: Yang paling penting itu target harian tidak berubah.
It sounds conversational and is common in speech.

Can I nominalize the clause with -nya, like tidak berubahnya?

Yes: Yang paling penting adalah tidak berubahnya target harian.
Here -nya turns the clause into a noun phrase (“the non-change of the daily target”). This sounds more formal/abstract.

How would this sound in casual speech?

Very natural: Yang paling penting, target harian nggak/gak berubah.
You can also shorten: Yang paling penting, targetnya tetap. (colloquial; adds possessive nuance if context has a specific target)

Is there any difference in meaning between paling penting and sangat penting?

sangat penting = “very important” (high degree, but not necessarily the highest).
paling penting/terpenting = “most important” (superlative, the top priority).