Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Jangan terlalu banyak garam; saya sudah kenyang. - Don’t use too much salt; I am already full.

Use jangan to tell someone not to do something (negative imperative). Tidak negates verbs/adjectives in statements, and bukan negates nouns/identities.

Command: Jangan terlalu banyak garam.
Statement: Saya tidak suka garam.
Identification: Ini bukan garam.

There’s no verb in Jangan terlalu banyak garam. Is that okay?

Yes. Indonesian often omits obvious verbs in commands when the action is clear from context (here: use/add/put). The implied verb could be pakai, taruh/masukkan, tambah/tambahkan, or kasih. If you want it explicit: Jangan pakai terlalu banyak garam or Jangan tambahkan garam terlalu banyak.

What are the most natural everyday ways to say this?

Common, natural options include:

Jangan kebanyakan garam.
Garamnya jangan terlalu banyak.
Jangan pakai/masukin garam terlalu banyak. (colloquial; standard: masukkan) In recipes you’ll also see: Garam secukupnya or the imperative Garami secukupnya (“salt to taste”).

Where does terlalu banyak go, and what does terlalu mean?

Quantifiers like banyak come before the noun: terlalu banyak garam (“too much salt”). Terlalu means “too (excessively),” not “very.” For “very,” use sangat (before) or sekali (after): sangat asin / asin sekali.

What’s the difference between terlalu banyak and kebanyakan?

Both can mean “too much/too many,” but:

Terlalu banyak + N is neutral/standard: terlalu banyak garam.
Kebanyakan is very natural, especially as a predicate or in imperatives: Sup ini kebanyakan garam; Jangan kebanyakan garam. Note: kebanyakan orang = “most people,” a different meaning in that pattern.

If I want to talk about the taste instead of the amount of salt, what should I say?

Use the adjective asin:

Jangan terlalu asin.
Jangan bikin terlalu asin. These avoid mentioning salt directly and focus on saltiness.

Could Jangan terlalu banyak garam also mean “Don’t eat too much salt”?

It can be understood that way, but it’s ambiguous. To be clear, say Jangan makan terlalu banyak garam. Note the idiom banyak makan garam means “to be very experienced,” e.g., Dia sudah banyak makan garam.

How can I soften the command?

Add politeness markers or particles:

Tolong jangan terlalu banyak garam, ya.
Jangan kebanyakan garam, ya Bu/Pak.
Colloquial: Jangan kebanyakan garam, dong. (friendly, informal)
Formal/soft: Janganlah terlalu banyak garam.

Why is there no “to be” in saya sudah kenyang?

Indonesian adjectives function as predicates without a copula. You say Saya sudah kenyang, not Saya adalah kenyang. Use adalah mainly for equating nouns: Saya adalah guru.

What does sudah add here? Can I omit it, and how do I negate it?

Sudah marks a completed/resulting state (“already”): Saya sudah kenyang. You can omit it for a simple state: Saya kenyang. The natural negative is belum (“not yet”): Saya belum kenyang. Using tidak kenyang sounds like “I’m not full (at all)” rather than “not yet.”

Is telah okay instead of sudah?

Telah is more formal/literary. Saya telah kenyang is grammatical but stiff in speech. Sudah is the default in everyday use.

Is the semicolon used like in English? Could I use something else?

Yes, Indonesian uses semicolons similarly to join related independent clauses. You could also use a period: Jangan terlalu banyak garam. Saya sudah kenyang. If you want an explicit link, add a connector (e.g., soalnya, makanya, karena) depending on the intended relation.

Should I use saya, aku, or gue here?

Saya: neutral/formal and polite with strangers or superiors.
Aku: informal/intimate with friends/family.
Gue (Jakarta slang): very casual/regional.
So you might say Saya/Aku udah kenyang; Gue udah kenyang in Jakarta slang.

What’s the nuance difference among kenyang, kekenyangan, and penuh?

Kenyang: full from eating. Saya (sudah) kenyang.
Kekenyangan: overfull/stuffed (too much food). Saya kekenyangan.
Penuh: full as in containers/spaces. Piringnya penuh. Not used for how you feel after eating.

What does the -nya do in Garamnya jangan terlalu banyak?

Here -nya often marks definiteness or “the amount in this dish,” roughly “the salt (in it).” So Garamnya jangan terlalu banyak ≈ “Don’t let the salt (amount) be too much.” It doesn’t necessarily mean “his/her salt” in this context.

Is there a verb “to salt,” and how would I use it?

Yes: menggarami (“to salt something”), with the imperative garami. Examples:

Jangan terlalu banyak menggarami supnya.
Garami secukupnya. (Salt to taste)