Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Saya suka tokoh di buku itu. - I like the character in that book.

Saya suka tokoh di buku itu. – full, neutral sentence.
Suka tokoh di buku itu. – more casual, sounds like a comment in a conversation where who likes the character is already known (e.g. you’re talking about your own taste).

In writing (especially formal writing), keep saya. In casual speech or texting, dropping it is common.

What’s the difference between saya and aku here?

Both mean “I / me”, but they differ in formality and tone:

saya: neutral–polite, safe in almost all situations (talking to strangers, at work, in class, in presentations).
aku: informal/intimate, used with friends, family, people you’re close to, song lyrics, etc.

So:

Saya suka tokoh di buku itu. – polite/neutral.
Aku suka tokoh di buku itu. – friendly, casual.

Using aku with someone you don’t know well can sound too familiar or childish, depending on the context.

Does suka mean the same as “love,” or just “like”?

Suka mainly means “to like / to be fond of.”

For strong romantic love, Indonesians usually prefer cinta.
For affectionate love (family, pets), sayang is very common.
Gemar also means “to like / to be fond of,” but sounds a bit more formal or bookish.

In this sentence, Saya suka tokoh di buku itu is simply “I like the character(s) in that book,” not “I’m in love with that character.” If you want to intensify it, you can say:

Saya sangat suka tokoh di buku itu. – I really like the character(s) in that book.
Saya suka sekali tokoh di buku itu. – same meaning, also natural.

Is tokoh singular or plural in this sentence?

On its own, tokoh is number-neutral. It can mean “character” or “characters”, depending on context.

Saya suka tokoh di buku itu.
- could be “I like the character in that book,”
- or “I like the characters in that book.”

If you want to be explicitly plural:

Saya suka tokoh-tokoh di buku itu. – I like the characters in that book.
Saya suka para tokoh di buku itu. – also plural; para often suggests an identifiable group (somewhat formal).

If you want clearly singular:

Saya suka satu tokoh di buku itu. – I like one character in that book.
Saya suka seorang tokoh di buku itu. – I like a (certain) character in that book.
Saya suka salah satu tokoh di buku itu. – I like one of the characters in that book.

I’ve seen tokoh used for “important figure” (like a political figure). Is it really the right word for a book character?

Yes. Tokoh has two common uses:

Literary/story context: tokoh = character in a story, novel, film, etc.
- tokoh utama – main character / protagonist
- tokoh antagonis – antagonist
Real-life context: tokoh = an important figure / prominent person.
- tokoh masyarakat – community leader
- tokoh politik – political figure

In Saya suka tokoh di buku itu, because of di buku itu, it’s clearly the story character meaning.

You can also hear karakter (from English), especially in pop culture, but tokoh is very standard in discussing literature.

Why is it di buku itu and not something like pada buku itu or dalam buku itu?

All three exist, but they differ in usage and feel:

di buku itu
- Very common and natural in everyday speech.
- Literally “at/in that book,” and easily understood as “in that book (as a story).”
dalam buku itu
- More literal “inside that book,” often used in writing or when emphasizing “within the contents.”
- Saya suka tokoh dalam buku itu. – also correct, a bit more formal/bookish.
pada buku itu
- Grammatically possible, but sounds more formal and a bit unusual with tokoh.
- pada is often used with more abstract objects (e.g. pada zaman itu – in that era; pada hari Senin – on Monday) or in formal writing.

For everyday use about story characters, di buku itu is the most natural choice.

Can I move itu and say Saya suka tokoh itu di buku? Does the meaning change?

Yes, moving itu changes what it modifies:

Saya suka tokoh di buku itu.
- itu describes buku → “I like the character(s) in that book.”
- The book is specific; the character(s) may or may not be specific in your mind.
Saya suka tokoh itu di buku itu.
- itu after tokoh makes the character specific: “I like that character in that book.”
- You are talking about one particular character.
Saya suka tokoh itu di buku.
- Sounds incomplete or odd; you’d normally want di buku itu or just drop di buku entirely:
  - Saya suka tokoh itu. – I like that character.

So: itu usually comes right after the noun it is specifying.

How does Indonesian show tense here? How would I say “I liked” or “I used to like” that character?

Indonesian verbs do not change form for past, present, or future. Saya suka tokoh di buku itu can mean:

I like the character(s) in that book.
I liked the character(s) in that book.
I used to like the character(s) in that book. (depending on context)

To make time explicit, you add time words:

Dulu saya suka tokoh di buku itu. – I used to like the character(s) in that book.
Tadi saya suka tokoh di buku itu. – Earlier (just now) I liked that character.
Besok saya akan suka tokoh di buku itu. – Tomorrow I will like the character(s) in that book. (a bit artificial, but grammatically fine)

The core sentence (Saya suka tokoh di buku itu) itself is tenseless.

How would I turn this into the question “Which character in that book do you like?”

You replace the object tokoh with a question word and keep the basic word order:

Kamu suka tokoh yang mana di buku itu?
- Literally: “You like which character in that book?”
- yang mana = “which one.”

More formal:

Anda suka tokoh yang mana di buku itu?

Note that Indonesian keeps the same Subject–Verb–Object order even in questions; you just add the question word and use a questioning tone.