Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Saya senang karena perangkat nirkabel baruku bisa terhubung otomatis ke gawaimu. - I’m happy because my new wireless device can connect automatically to your gadget.

saya: neutral–polite, used in most situations (talking to strangers, at work, in writing, in class, etc.).
aku: informal–intimate, used with close friends, family, or in songs/poetry.

In this sentence, Saya senang... sounds neutral and polite.
You could say Aku senang... if you are talking to a close friend or someone on the same informal level. The rest of the sentence doesn’t need to change.

What is the difference between senang and suka? Could I say Saya suka instead of Saya senang?

Both relate to positive feelings, but they’re used differently:

senang = happy, glad, pleased
- Saya senang karena... = I am happy because...
suka = to like (to like something or someone)
- Saya suka kopi. = I like coffee.

In your sentence, you’re expressing an emotional reaction to a situation, so senang is correct.
Saya suka karena... is unnatural; normally you don’t use suka with karena like this.

Why is it perangkat nirkabel baruku and not perangkat nirkabel baru saya? What’s the difference?

Both are grammatically correct; the difference is style and nuance:

perangkat nirkabel baruku
- baru (new) + -ku (my) are joined: baruku = my new.
- Feels a bit more compact and slightly more informal or conversational.
perangkat nirkabel baru saya
- baru (new) and saya (my) are separate words.
- Sounds a bit clearer and slightly more formal or neutral.

Meaning is essentially the same: my new wireless device.
Similarly, you can say:

gawaimu = your device (informal-ish, compact)
gawai kamu = your device (neutral–informal)
gawai Anda = your device (polite/Formal-You)

What exactly do -ku and -mu mean in baruku and gawaimu?

-ku and -mu are possessive suffixes:

-ku = my
- baru (new) → baruku = my new (thing)
- gawai (device) → gawaiku = my device
-mu = your (informal you)
- gawai → gawaimu = your device

They are attached directly to the noun or adjective:

buku (book) → bukuku = my book
rumah (house) → rumahmu = your house

This is quite common in everyday Indonesian, especially in speech and casual writing.

What does nirkabel mean? Is it the same as “wireless”? Can I say tanpa kabel instead?

Yes, nirkabel means “wireless”.

nir- is a prefix meaning without / lacking (from Sanskrit).
kabel = cable.

So nirkabel literally = without cable → wireless.

You can also say:

perangkat tanpa kabel = a device without cables

nirkabel sounds a bit more technical or standard, while tanpa kabel is very clear and everyday. Both are understandable.

Why is it terhubung and not menghubungkan or terkoneksi?

They are related but not interchangeable in this sentence:

terhubung = to be connected (state/result)
- bisa terhubung = can be connected / can connect (itself)
  It focuses on being in a connected state.
menghubungkan = to connect (something to something)
- Needs an object: Saya menghubungkan perangkat itu ke Wi-Fi.
  I connect that device to Wi-Fi.
terkoneksi (from connected) is common in speech, but sounds more like a borrowing from English connected.
terhubung is often preferred in standard Indonesian.

In perangkat nirkabel baruku bisa terhubung otomatis ke gawaimu, the device ends up in a connected state, so terhubung is the most natural choice.

Why is otomatis placed after terhubung? Could I say bisa otomatis terhubung instead?

Word order here is flexible:

bisa terhubung otomatis
bisa otomatis terhubung

Both are acceptable and natural. The adverb otomatis can go:

after the verb: terhubung otomatis
before the verb: otomatis terhubung

Meaning doesn’t change: can connect automatically.
The given sentence uses [verb] + [adverb] order, which is very common.

Do I need secara otomatis, or is otomatis alone enough?

Both are possible:

otomatis
secara otomatis

secara otomatis is a bit more formal or explicit.
In everyday speech and most writing, plain otomatis is completely natural and enough.

So:

bisa terhubung otomatis
bisa terhubung secara otomatis

both mean can connect automatically.

Why do we use ke in terhubung otomatis ke gawaimu and not dengan?

ke and dengan both can appear with connection verbs, but they emphasize different things:

ke = to / towards (direction or target)
- terhubung ke gawaimu = connected to your device (your device is the endpoint).
dengan = with (accompaniment / together with)
- terhubung dengan gawaimu = connected with your device (in association with it).

In practice, both terhubung ke X and terhubung dengan X are used, and the difference is small.
For “connect to X”, ke is very common and perfectly fine here.

Is gawai a common word? Could I just say HP or perangkat instead?

gawai is a relatively modern Indonesian word for gadget / device, often used in media, tech contexts, and formal Indonesian.

Alternatives:

HP (from handphone) = very common for phone / smartphone in everyday speech.
perangkat = device (more general, can be electronic equipment, hardware, etc.)
perangkat baru saya = my new device
HP baruku = my new phone

In your sentence, gawaimu means your device/gadget.
If you specifically mean phone, many people would naturally say HP-mu or HP kamu in casual conversation.

Why is it karena and not sebab? Are they different?

Both mean because / cause, but usage differs slightly:

karena = because (very common in speech and writing)
- Saya senang karena... = I’m happy because...
sebab:
- As a conjunction (because): more formal, less common in everyday speech.
- As a noun (cause / reason): Apa sebabnya? = What’s the cause?

In your sentence, karena is the most natural and neutral choice.
Saya senang sebab perangkat nirkabel baruku... is grammatical but sounds more formal or old-fashioned in everyday speech.

There’s no tense marker here. How do we know if this is present, past, or future?

Indonesian usually does not mark tense with verb changes. The same sentence can correspond to different English tenses, depending on context:

Saya senang karena perangkat nirkabel baruku bisa terhubung otomatis ke gawaimu.

Possible English readings:

I’m happy because my new wireless device can connect automatically to your device. (present)
I was happy because my new wireless device could connect automatically to your device. (past, from context)
In some contexts, even future: I’m going to be happy because it will be able to connect... (if clearly future from context)

If you need to be explicit, Indonesian often adds time expressions:

tadi (earlier), kemarin (yesterday), besok (tomorrow), nanti (later), etc.

Could this sentence be split into two? How natural is it as one long sentence?

It is perfectly natural as one sentence:

Saya senang karena perangkat nirkabel baruku bisa terhubung otomatis ke gawaimu.

But Indonesians also often speak in shorter sentences. You could say:

Perangkat nirkabel baruku bisa terhubung otomatis ke gawaimu. Saya senang.

This version is a bit more emphatic (first state the fact, then your feeling). The original is smoother and more compact.

Is the overall style of this sentence formal or informal?

It’s mostly neutral, leaning slightly toward informal because of the suffix -mu (your):

Saya → neutral–polite
gawaimu → informal-ish your device
Vocabulary like nirkabel, otomatis, terhubung → neutral/standard, fine in formal or informal contexts.

To make it more formal/polite, you could say:

Saya senang karena perangkat nirkabel baru saya bisa terhubung otomatis ke gawai Anda.

To make it more casual, you might say:

Aku senang soalnya perangkat nirkabel baruku bisa otomatis terhubung ke HP-mu.