Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Saya tidak suka gosip di grup chat, jadi saya pindah ke obrolan yang lebih positif. - I don’t like gossip in the chat group, so I move to a more positive conversation.

saya = polite, neutral, used in most formal and semi‑formal situations (with strangers, at work, in writing, in public).
aku = informal, used with close friends, family, or people your age/equal status.

In this sentence, saya makes it sound neutral or slightly formal, like something you might write or say politely.

You could say:

Aku nggak suka gosip di grup chat, jadi aku pindah ke obrolan yang lebih positif.
This feels more casual, like chatting with friends.

Why do we say tidak suka instead of using a special verb for “dislike”?

In Indonesian, the common way to say “don’t like / dislike” is simply:

tidak suka = “do not like”

Examples:

Saya tidak suka kopi. – I don’t like coffee.
Dia tidak suka gosip. – He/She doesn’t like gossip.

There is a stronger word:

benci = “hate”
- Saya benci gosip. – I hate gossip.

So tidak suka is milder than benci, just like “don’t like” is softer than “hate” in English.

What is the difference between tidak and nggak / gak?

They all mean “not / no”, but differ in formality:

tidak – standard, neutral, used in formal and informal situations; good for writing and speaking.
nggak / gak – very informal, spoken, like “don’t / ain’t / nope” in English. Used with friends, online chats, etc.

So you could also say:

Aku nggak suka gosip di grup chat… (very casual)

In writing for learners or in polite contexts, tidak is preferred.

Is gosip a noun (“gossip”) or a verb (“to gossip”) in Indonesian?

In this sentence, gosip is a noun, meaning “gossip (the thing being talked about)”.

Saya tidak suka gosip di grup chat
= I don’t like the gossip in the group chat.

For the verb “to gossip”, Indonesian usually uses:

bergosip – to gossip
- Mereka suka bergosip. – They like to gossip.

You can also hear ngegosip in very informal speech (slangy), but bergosip is the standard verb form.

Why is it di grup chat, not dalam grup chat? What’s the difference?

Both are possible, but they feel slightly different:

di grup chat
- Very common and natural.
- “In / at the group chat” in a general sense (location).
- Used a lot in everyday speech and writing.
dalam grup chat
- More formal or written style.
- Emphasizes inside that environment / context.

In casual conversation, di grup chat is what people usually say.

Is pindah normally used for physical moving (like moving house)? Is it natural to use it for a chat?

Yes, pindah literally means “to move / to change place”, often physically:

pindah rumah – move house
pindah kota – move to another city

But it is also used metaphorically for changing to a different group, job, topic, chat, etc.:

Saya pindah ke obrolan yang lain. – I moved/switched to another conversation.
Dia pindah ke perusahaan baru. – He/She moved/switched to a new company.

So in this sentence, pindah ke obrolan yang lebih positif = “I switched/moved to a more positive chat/conversation,” which is natural and idiomatic.

What does obrolan mean exactly? How is it different from chat or percakapan?

All three relate to “conversation,” but are used a bit differently:

obrolan
- From the verb ngobrol = to chat, to talk casually.
- obrolan = casual talk, informal conversation, chat.
- Fits well with friendly, relaxed contexts.
percakapan
- More formal/neutral word for “conversation.”
- Used in textbooks, formal writing, or when the tone is more serious.
chat (loanword)
- Often used for online chat / chat apps / chat rooms.
- You can say chat WA (WhatsApp chat), chat grup, etc.

In this sentence, obrolan yang lebih positif suggests a more positive, casual conversation or chat, not necessarily limited to a specific app feature called “chat.”

Why do we need yang in obrolan yang lebih positif?

yang is used to link a noun with its description (like “that is / which is” in English).

Structure:

noun + yang + description

Here:

obrolan (conversation) + yang
- lebih positif (more positive)
  → “the conversation that is more positive”

You cannot say obrolan lebih positif in the same way; it sounds incomplete.
You must use yang before a descriptive phrase like lebih positif modifying a noun.

More examples:

orang yang baik – a person who is kind
film yang menarik – an interesting movie (movie that is interesting)

How is lebih used here? Does Indonesian have a separate word for “more positive”?

lebih is the standard word for “more / -er (comparative)”.

positif – positive
lebih positif – more positive

So yang lebih positif = “that is more positive.”

Other examples:

lebih baik – better / more good
lebih murah – cheaper / more cheap
lebih cepat – faster / more fast

Indonesian doesn’t change the adjective itself; it just puts lebih before it.

The English meaning feels like past tense (“so I moved”). Why doesn’t Indonesian mark past tense here?

Indonesian verbs do not change form for tense (past, present, future). Context or extra words show the time:

Saya pindah ke obrolan yang lebih positif.
- Could mean: I moved / I have moved / I am moving
- The exact English tense depends on context.

To make the time clearer, you can add adverbs:

tadi – earlier, a short while ago
kemarin – yesterday
sekarang – now
nanti – later

For example:

Tadi saya pindah ke obrolan yang lebih positif. – I moved earlier to a more positive chat.

Is it okay to drop the second saya and just say jadi pindah ke obrolan yang lebih positif?

Yes. Indonesian often drops repeated subjects when the meaning is clear from context.

So you can say:

Saya tidak suka gosip di grup chat, jadi pindah ke obrolan yang lebih positif.

This is still understood as “so I moved to a more positive conversation”, with I implied.

Including saya again (jadi saya pindah…) is also correct and slightly clearer or more formal. Both are acceptable.