Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Jika permukaan meja kotor, saya tidak bisa belajar dengan tenang. - If the surface of the table is dirty, I cannot study calmly.

Jika permukaan meja kotor, saya tidak bisa belajar dengan tenang. (more formal)
Kalau permukaan meja kotor, saya tidak bisa belajar dengan tenang. (more natural in daily conversation)

Both are correct; the choice is mostly about formality and style, not meaning.

Is the comma after kotor necessary? Can I remove it?

In Indonesian, the comma after the if-clause is recommended when the if-clause comes first:

Jika permukaan meja kotor, saya tidak bisa belajar dengan tenang.

If you reverse the order, you normally don’t use a comma:

Saya tidak bisa belajar dengan tenang jika permukaan meja kotor.

So:

With jika… at the beginning → use a comma.
With jika… at the end → no comma.

Why is it permukaan meja kotor and not meja kotor? What difference does permukaan make?

Meja kotor = the table is dirty (in general)
Permukaan meja kotor = the surface of the table is dirty

Permukaan comes from muka (face/surface) plus the prefix-suffix per– –an, which usually turns things into nouns like the surface, the area, etc.

So:

meja kotor focuses on the table as a whole being dirty.
permukaan meja kotor focuses specifically on the surface where you put your books or laptop.

In everyday speech, many people would just say:

Kalau meja kotor, saya tidak bisa belajar dengan tenang.

and it would still sound natural.

Why is the word order permukaan meja kotor and not something like permukaan kotor meja?

In Indonesian, the usual pattern is:

Noun + noun to show possession/relationship
Noun + adjective to describe the noun

So here:

permukaan meja
- permukaan = surface
- meja = table
  Together: the surface of the table
permukaan meja kotor
- kotor = dirty
  So: the surface of the table (is) dirty

You don’t say permukaan kotor meja; that would sound wrong to a native speaker. The correct structure is always:

permukaan meja kotor
buku saya baru (my book is new)
kamar dia kecil (his/her room is small)

Can I drop the subject saya and just say tidak bisa belajar dengan tenang?

Yes, in many contexts you can omit saya if it’s clear from context that you’re talking about yourself. Indonesian often drops pronouns when they are understood.

So these are both possible:

Jika permukaan meja kotor, saya tidak bisa belajar dengan tenang.
Jika permukaan meja kotor, tidak bisa belajar dengan tenang.

The version without saya sounds a little more general or informal, like “one cannot study calmly when the table surface is dirty,” but in real conversations, people will understand that you mean you.

For clear, natural learner Indonesian, it’s good practice to keep saya until you’re very comfortable with dropping pronouns.

What’s the nuance of tidak bisa here? Could I use tidak dapat or tidak mampu instead?

All three can translate as cannot, but they have different nuances:

tidak bisa:
- Very common and neutral
- Can mean not able or not possible, often for practical or psychological reasons
- Fits perfectly here: I just can’t (I’m unable to) study calmly.
tidak dapat:
- Slightly more formal than tidak bisa
- Often used in writing, official situations, or to express not allowed / not permitted depending on context
- Jika permukaan meja kotor, saya tidak dapat belajar dengan tenang. is correct but sounds more formal.
tidak mampu:
- Means not capable, often emphasizes lack of capacity (physical, mental, or financial)
- In this sentence, tidak mampu would sound too strong or unnatural; it suggests a serious incapacity.

So for this sentence, tidak bisa is the most natural choice.

Could I use belajar dengan tenang instead of the English-like study calmly? What exactly does belajar mean?

Belajar is a general verb meaning:

to study
to learn

It doesn’t distinguish between study (like doing homework) and learn (acquiring knowledge) as clearly as English does.

Belajar dengan tenang literally means to study/learn in a calm way or to study peacefully / quietly (mentally calm, not necessarily silence in the room).

Some variations:

belajar dengan tenang – study calmly/peacefully
belajar dengan serius – study seriously
belajar dengan fokus – study with focus / in a focused way

Why do we say dengan tenang instead of just tenang? Can I drop dengan?

Dengan is used to form many adverbial phrases, similar to “in a … way” in English:

dengan cepat – quickly (in a fast way)
dengan hati-hati – carefully (in a careful way)
dengan tenang – calmly (in a calm way)

In your sentence, dengan tenang is the most natural and complete form.

Can you drop dengan?

People sometimes say belajar tenang in casual speech, but it sounds a bit clipped and less standard.
Belajar dengan tenang is the safest, most natural form, especially for learners.

So: use dengan tenang here.

Could I replace tenang with other words, like “focus” or “concentrate”?

Yes, you can change the nuance by using different words:

belajar dengan tenang – study calmly/peacefully
belajar dengan fokus – study with focus
belajar dengan konsentrasi – study with concentration
tidak bisa berkonsentrasi – cannot concentrate

For example:

Jika permukaan meja kotor, saya tidak bisa berkonsentrasi.
= If the table surface is dirty, I can’t concentrate.

All are correct but have slightly different shades of meaning.

What’s the difference between jika and ketika? Could I use ketika in this sentence?

Jika = if (condition, something that may or may not happen)
Ketika = when (time, something that happens/has happened)

Your sentence expresses a condition, so jika is correct.

If you use ketika, it sounds like you’re just describing a time, not a condition:

Ketika permukaan meja kotor, saya tidak bisa belajar dengan tenang.

This can still be understood, but it feels more like:

“Whenever the table surface is dirty, I can’t study calmly” (a repeated situation), rather than a clear conditional if.

For standard conditional meaning, stick with jika (or kalau).

How would this sentence change if I wanted it to sound more casual, like everyday spoken Indonesian?

More casual versions might:

Use kalau instead of jika
Drop permukaan and just say meja
Possibly drop saya if context is clear

Examples:

Kalau meja kotor, saya nggak bisa belajar dengan tenang.
- nggak = informal tidak

Even more casual:

Kalau meja kotor, nggak bisa belajar dengan tenang.

As a learner, a good natural version for speech is:

Kalau meja kotor, saya nggak bisa belajar dengan tenang.

Is the verb “to be” missing in Indonesian? Why don’t we have a word like “is” before kotor?

Indonesian does not use a separate “to be” verb (like is/are/am) before adjectives in the present tense.

So:

permukaan meja kotor
literally: surface table dirty
meaning: the surface of the table is dirty

Other examples:

Saya lapar. = I am hungry.
Dia sibuk. = He/She is busy.
Buku ini mahal. = This book is expensive.

You only use adalah (a kind of “to be”) before nouns, not before adjectives:

Dia adalah guru. = He/She is a teacher.
Permukaan meja ini adalah bagian yang paling penting.
= This table surface is the most important part.

But not: Permukaan meja adalah kotor. (incorrect)
Correct: Permukaan meja kotor.