Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Pelatih pribadi saya juga berbicara tentang motivasi belajar dan bagaimana tetap konsisten setiap hari. - My personal trainer also talks about study motivation and how to stay consistent every day.

Pelatih pribadi saya juga berbicara tentang motivasi belajar dan bagaimana tetap konsisten setiap hari.

My personal trainer also talks about study motivation and how to stay consistent every day.

Breakdown of Pelatih pribadi saya juga berbicara tentang motivasi belajar dan bagaimana tetap konsisten setiap hari.

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Questions & Answers about Pelatih pribadi saya juga berbicara tentang motivasi belajar dan bagaimana tetap konsisten setiap hari.

Why is it “pelatih pribadi saya” and not “saya pelatih pribadi”?

In Indonesian, the possessed thing usually comes first, followed by the owner:

pelatih pribadi saya = my personal trainer
- pelatih = trainer/coach
- pribadi = personal/private
- saya = I / me (here: my)

So the structure is: [noun] + [describer] + [possessor].

“saya pelatih pribadi” would mean “I am a personal trainer”, because saya at the beginning is the subject, not a possessor.

Saya pelatih pribadi. = I (am a) personal trainer.

Could I say “pelatih pribadi aku” instead of “pelatih pribadi saya”? What’s the difference?

Yes, grammatically you can say “pelatih pribadi aku”, but there is a nuance:

saya = neutral / formal / polite; safe in most contexts
aku = informal / casual; used with friends, close people, in relaxed situations

So:

Pelatih pribadi saya... – fine in writing, formal speech, talking to someone you don’t know well.
Pelatih pribadi aku... – sounds more casual/intimate, like talking to a close friend.

The position (after the noun) is the same; only the register (formality) changes.

Why is “juga” placed after “pelatih pribadi saya”? Can it go in other positions?

In the sentence:

Pelatih pribadi saya juga berbicara tentang...

juga means “also / too” and usually appears before the verb it modifies, or after the subject:

Pelatih pribadi saya juga berbicara...
= My personal trainer also talked...

Other common placements and their feel:

Pelatih pribadi saya berbicara juga tentang...
Emphasizes that this topic was also talked about (in addition to other topics).
Pelatih pribadi saya berbicara tentang... juga.
Often emphasizes “this thing also was included” at the end of a list.

The most neutral and common for “My personal trainer also talked about…” is the original:
[Subject] + juga + [verb].

Why is “berbicara” used here and not just “bicara” or other verbs like “mengatakan” or “berkata”?

Indonesian has several “say/talk” verbs with slightly different uses:

berbicara (tentang) = to talk / to speak (about)
- More formal/neutral, common in writing and careful speech
- Pattern: berbicara tentang + topic
bicara (tentang) = to talk (about)
- Slightly more informal, often in spoken Indonesian
- You could say: Pelatih pribadi saya juga bicara tentang... (still correct)
berkata = to say (quote)
- Usually followed by what someone said or kepada “to (someone)”
- Pelatih itu berkata bahwa... = The trainer said that...
mengatakan = to state / to say (more formal)
- Structure: mengatakan (sesuatu) (kepada seseorang)
- Pelatih itu mengatakan bahwa... = The trainer stated that...

In “berbicara tentang motivasi belajar”, we’re talking about a topic of discussion, so berbicara tentang is a very natural choice.

What does “tentang” do in this sentence? Could it be omitted?

“tentang” means “about / regarding / concerning.”

berbicara tentang motivasi belajar
= talk about study motivation

You generally need it here. Without tentang, the sentence sounds incomplete or changes meaning:

❌ Pelatih pribadi saya juga berbicara motivasi belajar...
This is not natural.

So the pattern you should remember is:

berbicara tentang + noun/noun phrase
e.g. berbicara tentang rencana masa depan (talk about future plans)

In “motivasi belajar”, isn’t “belajar” a verb? How can a verb follow a noun like that?

Yes, belajar is usually a verb (“to study / to learn”), but in Indonesian it can also function as a modifier of a noun, like an adjective or a “V-ing” form in English.

motivasi belajar
Literally: motivation (for) studying
Natural English: study motivation / motivation to study

This [noun] + [verb] pattern is common:

waktu tidur = sleep time
alat tulis = writing utensils
tempat kerja = workplace (place to work)

So belajar here works like “studying” in English: motivation for studying.

What is the role of “bagaimana” in “bagaimana tetap konsisten setiap hari”?

“bagaimana” means “how”.

In this sentence, the structure is:

bagaimana + [verb/adjective phrase]
→ how (to) [do/be something]

So:

bagaimana tetap konsisten setiap hari
= how to stay consistent every day

Indonesian doesn’t need a special word like English “to” here. bagaimana directly introduces the “how to...” idea.

It’s similar to:

Saya ingin tahu bagaimana membuat kue.
= I want to know how to make cake.

What does “tetap” add to “konsisten”? What’s the difference between “konsisten” and “tetap konsisten”?

konsisten = consistent (an adjective, borrowed from English)
tetap = to stay / remain / keep (a certain state)

So:

konsisten – describes a quality: “consistent”
tetap konsisten – emphasizes maintaining that quality: “stay/remain consistent”

In context:

motivasi belajar dan bagaimana tetap konsisten setiap hari
= study motivation and how to stay consistent every day

Without tetap, “bagaimana konsisten setiap hari” is understandable but sounds less natural and less complete. Tetap makes it clear you’re talking about maintaining consistency over time.

What does “setiap hari” mean, and can I say “tiap hari” instead? Are there differences?

setiap hari = every day
tiap hari = every day (a bit more casual)

They’re very close in meaning:

setiap = every, each (slightly more formal/neutral)
tiap = informal/colloquial version of setiap

So you can say:

...bagaimana tetap konsisten setiap hari. (neutral / fine in writing)
...bagaimana tetap konsisten tiap hari. (more casual speech)

The position at the end (after the verb phrase) is the most natural:

tetap konsisten setiap hari = stay consistent every day

How do I know if “berbicara” here means “talked” (past) or “talks” (present)? There is no tense marker.

Indonesian verbs do not change form for tense. “berbicara” by itself is tense-neutral. The time is understood from context or added words (like kemarin, akan, sedang).

So:

Pelatih pribadi saya juga berbicara tentang...
could mean:
- My personal trainer talked about... (past)
- My personal trainer talks about... (habitual)
- My personal trainer is talking about... (current)

In many teaching materials, this sentence is translated as “talked” because the situation is usually past (e.g. “Yesterday, my trainer also talked about…”), but the Indonesian verb itself is not marked for tense.

Is the whole sentence formal, informal, or neutral? How would a more casual version look?

The given sentence is fairly neutral, leaning slightly formal because of:

saya (not aku)
berbicara (instead of bicara or ngomong)

A more casual spoken version might be:

Pelatih pribadi aku juga ngomong soal motivasi belajar dan gimana tetap konsisten tiap hari.

Changes:

saya → aku (more intimate)
berbicara → ngomong (very colloquial: “talked / chatted”)
tentang → soal (informal “about”)
bagaimana → gimana (spoken form of “how”)
setiap hari → tiap hari (colloquial “every day”)

The original sentence is safe for writing, presentations, lessons, or polite conversation.

Could I say “motivasi dalam belajar” instead of “motivasi belajar”? Is there any nuance difference?

Yes, you can say both, but there’s a small nuance:

motivasi belajar
- Very compact
- Sounds like a fixed phrase: “study motivation”
- Very natural and common
motivasi dalam belajar
- Literally: motivation in studying
- Slightly more formal or explanatory
- Emphasizes motivation within the process of studying

In this sentence, “motivasi belajar” is the most natural and idiomatic choice.
“Tentang motivasi dalam belajar” is still correct but feels a bit heavier/more formal.