Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Saya memeriksa jadwal latihan kebugaran setiap minggu. - I check the fitness training schedule every week.

periksa → basic root (also used in phrases like periksa kesehatan = health check-up).
meN- prefix + periksa → memeriksa (active verb: to check).

So Saya memeriksa... = I check / I am checking...

Why is the subject Saya used instead of Aku?

Both Saya and Aku mean I, but they differ in formality:

Saya → neutral / polite, used in most situations: formal, semi-formal, and with people you don’t know well.
Aku → more casual / intimate, used with close friends, family, or in informal speech.

In a neutral example sentence or textbook, Saya is preferred because it is safe and polite in almost any context.

Can I omit Saya and just say Memeriksa jadwal latihan kebugaran setiap minggu?

Grammatically, you can omit Saya in casual spoken Indonesian if the subject is already clear from context.

However:

Saya memeriksa jadwal latihan kebugaran setiap minggu. → clear that I do it.
Memeriksa jadwal latihan kebugaran setiap minggu. → sounds like a fragment (like “(Someone) checks the fitness training schedule every week”), often used in notes, headlines, or when the subject is obvious from previous sentences.

For a standalone complete sentence, it’s better to keep Saya.

How is the noun phrase jadwal latihan kebugaran structured? What modifies what?

Indonesian typically uses head-first noun phrases, with modifiers following the main noun.

jadwal = schedule (this is the head noun)
latihan kebugaran = fitness training (a modifier phrase)

So the structure is:

jadwal (schedule)
→ of latihan kebugaran (fitness training)

In English we’d say “the schedule of fitness training” or “the fitness training schedule”, but Indonesian just puts the nouns in a row: jadwal latihan kebugaran.

Why is there no word like “of” between jadwal and latihan kebugaran?

Indonesian often forms “of X” relationships by simply placing nouns next to each other:

jadwal latihan kebugaran = schedule (of) fitness training
buku sejarah Indonesia = book (of) Indonesian history
guru bahasa Inggris = teacher (of) English language

There is a preposition dari (of/from), but it’s not used in these standard noun-modifier combinations.
Saying jadwal dari latihan kebugaran would sound unusual here and more like “the schedule from the fitness training,” which isn’t the natural way to phrase it.

Could I just say jadwal latihan or jadwal olahraga instead of jadwal latihan kebugaran?

Yes, but the nuance changes slightly:

jadwal latihan = training schedule (general; could be for anything: music, football, etc.).
jadwal olahraga = sports/exercise schedule (focus on sports/exercise in general).
jadwal latihan kebugaran = fitness training schedule (emphasis on fitness/working out for health).

If context already makes it clear it’s about fitness, people often say simply:

Saya memeriksa jadwal latihan setiap minggu.
Saya memeriksa jadwal olahraga setiap minggu.

Latihan kebugaran sounds a bit more formal or health/fitness focused.

Why doesn’t the sentence show past, present, or future tense? How do I know when this happens?

Indonesian verbs generally do not change form for tense. There is no -ed, -s, or -ing equivalent.
Memeriksa can mean:

I check
I am checking
I checked
I will check

The time or aspect is understood from context and time expressions, such as:

kemarin (yesterday)
besok (tomorrow)
sekarang (now)
setiap minggu (every week)

Here, setiap minggu indicates a habitual action, so the natural English is I (habitually) check the fitness training schedule every week.

What does setiap minggu mean exactly, and can it go at the beginning of the sentence?

Setiap minggu means every week.

Position:

Saya memeriksa jadwal latihan kebugaran setiap minggu.
Setiap minggu, saya memeriksa jadwal latihan kebugaran.

Both are correct and common.
Putting setiap minggu at the beginning adds slight emphasis on the time (“Every week, I check…”), but the meaning is the same.

Is there a difference between setiap minggu and tiap minggu?

They are almost the same:

setiap minggu = every week (more neutral, slightly more formal).
tiap minggu = every week (more colloquial, often used in speech).

In most everyday contexts you can use them interchangeably:

Saya memeriksa jadwal latihan kebugaran setiap minggu.
Saya memeriksa jadwal latihan kebugaran tiap minggu.

Both sound natural.

What is the level of formality of this whole sentence? Would people actually say it like this?

The sentence is standard and polite, suitable for:

spoken Indonesian in neutral or semi-formal settings
written Indonesian (messages, emails, texts)

For very casual speech, someone might shorten or simplify it:

Aku cek jadwal latihan tiap minggu.
- Aku instead of Saya (more casual)
- cek instead of memeriksa (colloquial verb)
- tiap minggu instead of setiap minggu

But Saya memeriksa jadwal latihan kebugaran setiap minggu. is perfectly natural in normal conversation and writing.

Can I use cek or mengecek instead of memeriksa?

Yes, but the tone changes:

memeriksa → more formal/standard: to examine / to check
cek (loan from English “check”) → very informal; used in spoken language
mengecek → formed from meN- + cek, more accepted in writing but still informal compared to memeriksa

Examples:

Saya memeriksa jadwal latihan kebugaran setiap minggu. (neutral/formal)
Saya mengecek jadwal latihan kebugaran setiap minggu. (neutral–informal)
Saya cek jadwal latihan kebugaran setiap minggu. (informal spoken)

Why is it memeriksa and not something like menperiksa? How does this prefix work?

This comes from the meN- prefix, which changes form depending on the first sound of the root word. For roots starting with p, meN- often becomes mem-, and the p in the root disappears.

Pattern:

meN-
- pakai → memakai (to use)
meN-
- pilih → memilih (to choose)
meN-
- periksa → memeriksa (to check)

So memeriksa is the regular, correct form; menperiksa or memeiksa would be wrong.

How would I say “I check my fitness training schedule every week” with my explicitly shown?

You can add the possessive -ku or saya:

Saya memeriksa jadwal latihan kebugaran saya setiap minggu.
→ jadwal latihan kebugaran saya = my fitness training schedule

Or slightly shorter:

Saya memeriksa jadwal latihan saya setiap minggu.
→ context usually makes it clear that this is your fitness training.

The original sentence without saya could also imply “my schedule” from context, but adding saya makes it explicit.