Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Materi presentasi itu ringkas dan jelas. - That presentation material is concise and clear.

Itu is a demonstrative meaning that, and it also often marks definiteness (like the in English). In Indonesian, demonstratives follow the noun phrase they modify, so you get materi presentasi itu (that/the presentation material), not itu materi presentasi when used attributively.

Can I use ini instead of itu? What’s the difference?

Yes. Materi presentasi ini means this presentation material (near you or newly introduced), while materi presentasi itu means that presentation material (farther away, previously mentioned, or contextually known).

Why isn’t there a verb like “to be”? Can I say adalah here?

Indonesian doesn’t use a copula with adjective predicates. You should not say Materi presentasi itu adalah ringkas dan jelas. Use adalah only when the predicate is a noun phrase, e.g., Materi presentasi itu adalah ringkasan (The presentation material is a summary).

Why is it materi presentasi and not presentasi materi?

Indonesian places the head noun first, then the modifier: materi presentasi = presentation material/content. Presentasi materi is also possible but means a presentation of material (the act/event), not the content/slides themselves.

Is materi singular or plural here? How do I make it plural?

Unmarked materi can be singular or plural; context decides. To emphasize plurality, you can use reduplication (materi-materi), a quantifier (berbagai materi, sejumlah materi, semua materi), or switch to a clearly countable noun like bahan-bahan or slide-slide.

What if I want to say “The presentation is concise and clear,” not the materials?

Say Presentasi itu ringkas dan jelas or Presentasinya ringkas dan jelas. The clitic -nya can mean the (definite) or his/her/its, so presentasinya can be read as the presentation or his/her presentation depending on context.

What’s the nuance difference between ringkas, singkat, and padat?

Ringkas = concise (no unnecessary words).
Singkat = short in length or duration.
Padat = dense/compact (a lot of substance in little space).
A common collocation is singkat, padat, dan jelas (short, dense, and clear).

Does jelas mean “clear” as in “obvious,” and how do I say “explain clearly”?

Yes, jelas covers clear/obvious/understandable. To say explain clearly, use menjelaskan dengan jelas or simply menjelaskan dengan terang (more literary). Related forms: penjelasan (explanation), menjelaskan (to explain).

Could I use serta instead of dan?

You can, but serta is more formal/bookish and often used to join nouns. Ringkas serta jelas is grammatical but sounds formal; ringkas dan jelas is the default in speech and neutral writing.

Can I drop itu? What changes?

Yes: Materi presentasi ringkas dan jelas becomes a general statement (presentation material is concise and clear, in general). With itu, it points to specific, known material.

Can I use -nya to mark definiteness, like Materi presentasinya ringkas dan jelas?

Yes. Materi presentasinya ringkas dan jelas can mean the presentation’s material is concise and clear or the presentation material (definite) is concise and clear. -Nya can signal definiteness or possession; context clarifies which.

Is the adjective order fixed? Can I say jelas dan ringkas?

Both ringkas dan jelas and jelas dan ringkas are fine. There’s no strict adjective order; some pairs just feel more conventional (ringkas then jelas is common).

How can I intensify or soften the adjectives?

Intensify: sangat ringkas, ringkas sekali, sangat jelas, jelas sekali.
Soften: cukup ringkas, agak ringkas, cukup jelas, kurang jelas.
Overdone: terlalu ringkas (too concise), terlalu jelas (awkward, but possible if you mean overly obvious).

Any quick pronunciation tips?

materi: ma-TE-ri (r is tapped)
presentasi: pre-/prə-zen-TA-si (both pre- and prə- are heard)
ringkas: RING-kas (ng = ŋ as in sing)
jelas: jə-LAS (e often a schwa). Indonesian stress is light, usually near the end.

Is this sentence formal or informal? Would tersebut work?

It’s neutral and fine in both speech and writing. In more formal or written contexts referring to something previously mentioned, tersebut is common: Materi presentasi tersebut ringkas dan jelas.

Do I ever need yang here?

Not in the given sentence. Yang is used to turn the adjective phrase into a clause that modifies a noun, e.g., Materi presentasi yang ringkas dan jelas itu disukai audiens (The presentation material that is concise and clear is liked by the audience).