Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Di kelompok belajar itu, kami mencoba menjaga konsentrasi tanpa membuka gawai. - In that study group, we try to keep our concentration without opening our gadgets.

di = a preposition meaning “in / at / on” for physical locations or situations.
kelompok belajar = “study group” (literally “group study”).
itu = “that”, often functioning like “that / the” in English to refer to a specific, known thing.

So di kelompok belajar itu means “in that (particular) study group” or “in that study group session.”

Why di and not pada?
You could say pada kelompok belajar itu, but:

di is more common and neutral for locations (places, groups, rooms, etc.).
pada is more formal and often used with time, abstract things, or in more formal writing.

In everyday speech, di kelompok belajar itu is the most natural choice.

What does itu add to kelompok belajar itu? Could I just say di kelompok belajar?

Itu points to a specific, known study group, like “that study group / the study group (we’ve been talking about).”

kelompok belajar = “a study group” (general, not specified)
kelompok belajar itu = “that study group / the study group (that one)”

If you say di kelompok belajar without itu, it feels more general, like:

“in a study group (in general)”
“in study groups”

Adding itu makes it clear you’re talking about a particular group your listener should recognize from context.

In kelompok belajar, is belajar still a verb? How can a verb follow a noun like that?

In kelompok belajar, belajar comes from a verb belajar (“to study”), but in this combination it acts like a modifier, forming a noun phrase:

kelompok = group
belajar (here) = modifying word that tells you what kind of group → a study group

Indonesian often forms compound nouns this way:

kelompok diskusi = discussion group
guru les = private tutor (literally “lesson teacher”)
alat tulis = writing tools / stationery

So it’s helpful to think of kelompok belajar as a fixed phrase meaning “study group”, not as “group + (full verb) study” in a sentence structure.

Why is kami used here instead of kita? What’s the difference?

Both mean “we / us”, but:

kami = we (not including the listener) → exclusive “we”
kita = we (including the listener) → inclusive “we”

In this sentence:

Di kelompok belajar itu, kami mencoba menjaga konsentrasi...

Using kami implies the listener is not part of that study group.
If you were talking to members of that same study group, you would normally say:

Di kelompok belajar itu, kita mencoba menjaga konsentrasi...
“In that study group, we try to stay focused...” (and you, listener, are part of that “we”)

Can I say kami coba jaga konsentrasi instead of kami mencoba menjaga konsentrasi? Is that correct and natural?

Yes, kami coba jaga konsentrasi is correct and sounds more informal / conversational.

Differences:

mencoba vs coba
- mencoba = standard verb “to try”
- coba (without meN-) is common in informal spoken Indonesian and works like a modal verb: “try to…”
menjaga vs jaga
- In careful / formal style you keep the meN-:
  - mencoba menjaga konsentrasi
- In casual speech, people very often drop the prefixes:
  - coba jaga konsentrasi

So you can have:

More formal / neutral:
Kami mencoba menjaga konsentrasi tanpa membuka gawai.
More informal:
Kami coba jaga konsentrasi tanpa buka HP.

What exactly does menjaga konsentrasi mean, and how is it different from berkonsentrasi or tetap fokus?

menjaga konsentrasi = “to maintain / keep one’s concentration”
Literally: “guard/protect concentration.”
berkonsentrasi = “to concentrate” (focus attention)
tetap fokus = “to stay focused”

Nuances:

menjaga konsentrasi emphasizes keeping your concentration over time and not losing it.
berkonsentrasi emphasizes the act of concentrating itself.
tetap fokus is very common in speech; it sounds slightly more casual and modern than menjaga konsentrasi.

You could say, for example:

Kami berusaha berkonsentrasi tanpa membuka gawai.
Kami mencoba tetap fokus tanpa membuka gawai.

All are natural, with slightly different style/word choice.

How does tanpa work grammatically in tanpa membuka gawai? Does it need untuk or anything?

Tanpa means “without” and can be followed by either:

A noun:
- tanpa gawai = without a device
- tanpa gangguan = without disturbances
A verb phrase (no untuk needed):
- tanpa membuka gawai = without opening/using devices
- tanpa makan dulu = without eating first

So the structure here is:

tanpa + VERB (membuka) + OBJECT (gawai)

You do not say tanpa untuk membuka gawai.
Just tanpa membuka gawai is correct.

Does membuka gawai literally mean physically opening the device? Why use membuka here?

Literally, membuka gawai is “to open a device.”
But in context it’s understood as “to open (and start using) your phone/device”, much like English “open your phone / open your laptop”.

In Indonesian, membuka is commonly used with apps, websites, and devices:

membuka HP = open / unlock / start using your phone
membuka laptop = open your laptop (and usually, use it)
membuka WhatsApp / Instagram = open WhatsApp / Instagram

In this sentence, tanpa membuka gawai is naturally interpreted as “without (opening and) using our devices,” not about physically taking them apart.

Is gawai the normal word Indonesians use for “phone” or “device”? Are there more common alternatives?

Gawai is correct Indonesian for “device / gadget”, and it’s often used in:

formal writing
news, education, official campaigns (“kurangi penggunaan gawai”)

In everyday casual speech, people more often say:

HP (from handphone) → very common
ponsel → mobile phone, a bit more formal
telepon genggam → mobile phone (formal, written)
gadget → borrowed from English, informal, urban

So in spoken everyday Indonesian, people might more naturally say:

tanpa buka HP
or
tanpa main HP (“without playing on/using our phones”)

The sentence with gawai is fine and sounds a bit more neutral–formal or educational.

There’s no word for past or present tense. How do we know when this happened? Could we add something like “were trying”?

Indonesian generally doesn’t mark tense on the verb. Time is understood from context or from extra time words.

Di kelompok belajar itu, kami mencoba menjaga konsentrasi tanpa membuka gawai.

By itself, this can mean:

“In that study group, we try to stay focused…” (habit)
“In that study group, we were trying to stay focused…” (past)
“In that study group, we are trying to stay focused…” (present)

To make it clearer, you can add time markers:

Past:
Waktu dulu di kelompok belajar itu, kami mencoba...
“Back then, in that study group, we tried…”
Habit:
Setiap minggu di kelompok belajar itu, kami mencoba...
“Every week in that study group, we try…”

For a continuous / “were doing” feel, add sedang:

Di kelompok belajar itu, kami sedang mencoba menjaga konsentrasi...
“In that study group, we are/were in the middle of trying to stay focused...”

Is the comma after itu necessary? Can I change the word order?

The comma is optional but helpful:

Di kelompok belajar itu, kami mencoba menjaga konsentrasi...

The comma marks a natural pause after the introductory phrase “In that study group”.
Without it, it’s still grammatically fine, just a bit harder to read:
Di kelompok belajar itu kami mencoba menjaga konsentrasi...

You can also change the word order:

Kami mencoba menjaga konsentrasi tanpa membuka gawai di kelompok belajar itu.

This is still correct, but now di kelompok belajar itu feels a bit more like a trailing detail. The original order (location first) emphasizes the setting more clearly, similar to:

“In that study group, we tried to stay focused...”

Is the whole sentence formal or informal? How would people say this in a casual conversation?

The original sentence is neutral, slightly leaning formal/standard, because of:

mencoba (full verb)
menjaga konsentrasi (standard, slightly bookish)
gawai (more formal/neutral term)

In casual spoken Indonesian, you might hear something like:

Di kelompok belajar itu, kita coba tetap fokus dan nggak main HP.
Pas belajar bareng, kita usaha fokus, jangan buka HP dulu.

Differences:

kita instead of kami if talking to group members
coba instead of mencoba
tetap fokus instead of menjaga konsentrasi
HP or main HP instead of gawai
extra casual words like pas (when) and nggak (not)

All convey the same basic idea with a more relaxed tone.