Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Saya ingin bicara dengan psikolog sungguhan.

saya = more polite, neutral, or formal. Safe with strangers, professionals, in writing.
aku = more casual/intimate. Used with close friends, family, or in songs.

In this sentence, saya sounds appropriate and polite when talking about a psychologist, who is usually a professional you respect.

Could you leave out saya and just say Ingin bicara dengan psikolog sungguhan?

Yes, in casual spoken Indonesian you can drop saya if the subject is clear from context.

However:

Saya ingin bicara… = clear, complete, natural in both spoken and written language.
Ingin bicara… = still natural in conversation but a bit more informal / elliptical.

In writing (e.g., email, form, message to a clinic), saya is usually kept.

What’s the difference between ingin and mau here?

Both can mean “want to”:

ingin: slightly more formal, can sound a bit softer or more polite.
mau: more common in everyday speech, less formal.

So:

Saya ingin bicara… = polite, neutral.
Saya mau bicara… = also correct, sounds more colloquial.

You can use either; context and style decide which feels better.

Why is it ingin bicara and not ingin untuk bicara?

In Indonesian, when ingin / mau is followed by a verb, you usually don’t add untuk:

✅ Saya ingin bicara.
🚫 Saya ingin untuk bicara. (sounds awkward or overly bookish)

untuk is used more like “for / in order to” before a noun or certain verb phrases, not in this basic “want to + verb” structure.

What’s the difference between bicara and berbicara?

Both are related to “to talk / to speak”, and in many contexts they can be swapped, but there are tendencies:

bicara: a bit shorter, very common in colloquial speech. Often used after verbs like ingin, mau, boleh (e.g., mau bicara, boleh bicara).
berbicara: slightly more formal, often used in more complete or written sentences.

Here:

Saya ingin bicara dengan psikolog sungguhan.
Saya ingin berbicara dengan psikolog sungguhan.

Both are correct and natural. The version with bicara is a bit more casual-sounding.

Could I use ngomong instead of bicara?

In casual, spoken Indonesian, yes:

Saya mau ngomong sama psikolog beneran.

But:

ngomong is clearly informal / colloquial.
bicara / berbicara are neutral and safer in all contexts.

If you’re talking to a professional or writing, bicara or berbicara is better than ngomong.

Why do we use dengan here? Can I use kepada or sama instead?

dengan literally means “with”, and it’s the most common choice for “talk with/to someone”:

bicara dengan psikolog = “talk with/to a psychologist”

Alternatives:

kepada = more like “to (a person)”, a bit more formal:
- bicara kepada psikolog → acceptable but sounds more formal/bookish.
sama (informal “with”) = very common in speech:
- bicara sama psikolog → casual, colloquial.

For neutral, standard Indonesian, dengan is the best choice here.

Why is there no seorang before psikolog? Should it be seorang psikolog?

Both are possible:

dengan psikolog sungguhan
dengan seorang psikolog sungguhan

seorang roughly means “a / one (person who is…)”. The difference:

Without seorang: more general; focusing on the profession.
With seorang: slightly more specific or countable (one psychologist), but not strongly different in meaning.

In natural speech, people often omit seorang unless they want to emphasize “one (person)”. So the given sentence is perfectly natural.

What does sungguhan add to the meaning? How is it different from just psikolog?

sungguhan means “real / genuine / not fake”.

psikolog = a psychologist (in general).
psikolog sungguhan = a real, qualified, legitimate psychologist (not just someone giving random advice, not a fake professional).

It adds emphasis, like English “a real psychologist” rather than just “a psychologist”.

Is sungguhan an adjective like “real”? Why not benar or asli?

Yes, here sungguhan is used like an adjective.

Other “real” words:

benar = “correct / right / true”;
- psikolog yang benar sounds more like “a correct/appropriate psychologist,” not “genuine.”
asli = “original / authentic / from (place)”;
- psikolog asli could be misread as “original psychologist” or “native psychologist (from this place)”.

sungguhan most directly expresses “genuine, not fake,” which fits the intended meaning best.

Why is the word order psikolog sungguhan, not sungguhan psikolog?

In Indonesian, adjectives (and adjective-like words) usually come after the noun:

rumah besar = big house
buku baru = new book
psikolog sungguhan = real psychologist

Putting sungguhan before psikolog ( sungguhan psikolog ) is incorrect in standard Indonesian.

Can I say Saya ingin bicara dengan psikolog yang sungguhan?

People might say this in speech, but it’s less natural and a bit wordy.

More natural options:

psikolog sungguhan (as in the original sentence)
psikolog yang benar-benar (psikolog) = “a truly real psychologist”

So:

✅ Saya ingin bicara dengan psikolog sungguhan.
⚠️ Saya ingin bicara dengan psikolog yang sungguhan. (understandable but clunky)

Is this sentence formal, informal, or neutral overall?

It’s neutral, suitable for most situations:

saya → polite/neutral
ingin → slightly formal/polite, but very common
bicara → neutral, a bit more on the casual side (vs. berbicara)
dengan → neutral
psikolog sungguhan → neutral

You can say this to staff at a clinic, in a message, or in everyday conversation. If you wanted a more formal version, you might say:

Saya ingin berbicara dengan seorang psikolog profesional.

How would this change if I wanted to be more casual with friends?

A more casual / conversational version might be:

Aku mau ngomong sama psikolog beneran.

Changes:

saya → aku (casual “I”)
ingin → mau (everyday “want”)
bicara → ngomong (slangy “talk”)
dengan → sama (casual “with”)
sungguhan → beneran (colloquial “real / for real”)

The original sentence is the safer, more neutral choice.