Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Usaha keluarganya cuma warung kopi di seberang jalan, dan arah ke sana jelas. - Her/His family’s business is just a coffee stall across the road, and the directions to get there are clear.

The clitic -nya marks third-person possession or definiteness. So keluarganya can mean “his/her/their family” or “the family” (definite), depending on context. Here, usaha keluarganya = “the family’s business (his/her/their family).”

Why is there no verb “is”? Should it be adalah?

Indonesian often drops a copula in equational sentences. Usaha keluarganya warung kopi is already fine; adding cuma/hanya is also fine. You can say Usaha keluarganya adalah warung kopi (more formal), but avoid adalah hanya; prefer Usaha keluarganya hanya warung kopi or Usaha keluarganya hanyalah warung kopi.

What’s the difference between cuma, hanya, and cuman?

All can mean “only.” cuma is informal; hanya is neutral/formal; cuman is a colloquial variant of cuma. You may also see slangy doang. Note: sentence-initial Cuma, ... can mean “but/however” in casual speech, which is different from “only.”

Is warung kopi the same as a café?

Not quite. A warung kopi is a small, modest, often family-run stall or shop; a kafe is a modern café. Kedai kopi is another term (more Malay/neutral). Colloquially, people say warkop for warung kopi.

Do we need yang in warung kopi di seberang jalan?

No. warung kopi di seberang jalan is a noun followed by a prepositional phrase and is perfectly natural. warung kopi yang di seberang jalan is also possible and sounds a bit more like “the coffee stall that is across the street,” but yang isn’t required.

What does di seberang jalan imply exactly? From where?

It means “across the street,” with the vantage point understood from context (often the speaker’s location). If needed, you can make it explicit: di seberang jalan dari sini. Related: the verb menyeberang means “to cross.”

Can we just say di seberang without jalan?

Yes, if the reference is clear from context (e.g., previously mentioned place). Otherwise, name the thing you’re across from: di seberang jalan/sungai.

Is it ke sana or kesana?

Standard spelling is two words: ke sana (preposition ke + deictic sana). One-word forms like kesana/kesini/kesitu are common informally but nonstandard.

Does arah mean “directions” (instructions) here?

Here arah means “direction” (orientation/path), not step-by-step instructions. Arah ke sana jelas = “It’s clear which way to go.” For instructions, use petunjuk (arah/jalan); you could also say rutenya jelas or jalannya jelas.

Is the comma before dan correct?

In standard Indonesian, you typically don’t put a comma before dan when joining two clauses. Writers sometimes add one to signal a pause; it’s stylistically acceptable but not necessary. You could also make two sentences.

Could we split it into two sentences?

Yes: Usaha keluarganya cuma warung kopi di seberang jalan. Arah ke sana jelas. That’s clean and natural.

Who/what is the subject of jelas?

The subject is arah ke sana. In Indonesian, adjectives like jelas can serve directly as predicates, so no copula is needed.

Would arah ke sana itu jelas or arah ke sananya jelas be okay?

Both are fine. ... itu jelas adds a demonstrative “that” for emphasis; ...-nya marks definiteness/emphasis on the whole phrase. They sound a bit more pointed than the neutral Arah ke sana jelas.

What does usaha mean here? Could it mean “effort”?

usaha is polysemous. Here it means “business/enterprise” (as in usaha keluarga = family business). It can also mean “effort,” and the verb berusaha means “to try/make an effort,” but that’s not the sense in this sentence.

Is there a more colloquial way to phrase the whole thing?

Yes, for everyday speech: Keluarganya cuma punya warkop di seberang jalan, dan arahnya jelas. Using punya makes the possession explicit and warkop is casual for warung kopi.

Can we change the word order for emphasis, like fronting cuma warung kopi?

You can, especially in speech, e.g., Cuma warung kopi, usaha keluarganya. That’s an emphatic, slightly dramatic order. The original Usaha keluarganya cuma warung kopi... is the neutral, most natural phrasing.