Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Platform belajar itu sangat membantu saya belajar bahasa Indonesia. - That learning platform really helps me learn Indonesian.

With itu: Platform belajar itu = that specific platform (already known in the conversation or context).
Without itu: Platform belajar = learning platforms in general, or the concept of a learning platform.

So the original sentence with itu suggests you are talking about one particular platform you have in mind (for example, the app you are currently using).

What exactly does platform belajar mean, and why is the order like that?

Platform belajar literally is:

platform = platform (loanword from English)
belajar = to study / to learn

In Indonesian, the main noun comes first, and its descriptions (modifiers) come after it. So:

platform (head noun)
belajar (modifier)

Together: platform belajar = learning platform.

English: learning platform (modifier before noun)
Indonesian: platform belajar (noun before modifier)

Other examples:

kursus bahasa Indonesia = Indonesian language course
guru bahasa Inggris = English teacher
aplikasi belajar bahasa = language-learning app

Why is belajar used twice? Is that normal or redundant?

The sentence has:

platform belajar = learning platform
membantu saya belajar bahasa Indonesia = helps me learn Indonesian

So belajar appears:

As a modifier of platform
As the main verb of what you are doing (I learn Indonesian)

This kind of repetition is completely natural in Indonesian. It’s not considered clumsy. In fact, if you remove the second belajar, the meaning changes:

Platform belajar itu sangat membantu saya bahasa Indonesia. ❌
This is ungrammatical; membantu normally needs either just an object (a noun) or an object plus a verb phrase.

You need the second belajar to show what the platform helps you to do (learn Indonesian).

What is the role of membantu here? How is it different from the root bantu?

Bantu is the root; membantu is the standard verb form.

bantu (root) = help (basic form)
membantu = to help (formal/neutral verb form)

In a full sentence like this, you normally use membantu:

Platform belajar itu sangat membantu saya... ✅

You might see bantu in:

Imperatives / casual speech:
Tolong bantu saya. = Please help me.
Very informal ellipsis:
Bisa bantu? = Can (you) help?

Here, using just bantu instead of membantu would sound incomplete or too clipped:

Platform belajar itu sangat bantu saya... ❌ (sounds wrong/unnatural in standard Indonesian)

So membantu is the correct, natural choice in this sentence.

Why is it membantu saya belajar, not membantu saya untuk belajar?

Both are possible:

membantu saya belajar bahasa Indonesia
membantu saya untuk belajar bahasa Indonesia

The version without untuk is:

more concise
very natural and common
slightly more neutral and smooth in everyday usage

The pattern is:

membantu [someone] [to do something]
→ membantu saya belajar
→ helps me (to) learn

Adding untuk emphasizes the purpose a bit more and can sound slightly more formal or explicit:

Platform belajar itu sangat membantu saya untuk belajar bahasa Indonesia.

But in most cases, learners should prefer the simpler and very common:

membantu saya belajar ...

Can the order be changed to Saya sangat terbantu oleh platform belajar itu? Is that correct?

Yes, that is grammatically correct, but the structure changes:

Platform belajar itu sangat membantu saya...
Subject: platform belajar itu
Verb: membantu
Object: saya
Saya sangat terbantu oleh platform belajar itu.
Subject: saya
Verb (passive-like): terbantu = (be) helped
Agent: oleh platform belajar itu

Saya sangat terbantu oleh platform belajar itu literally means I am greatly helped by that learning platform.

Both are natural. The original version focuses more on the platform as the active helper. The terbantu version focuses more on you as the one receiving help.

What’s the difference between sangat membantu and using sekali or banget?

They all intensify the meaning (very helpful), but with different formality levels:

sangat membantu
- formal / neutral
- suitable for writing, polite speech, textbooks
- used in the sentence: sangat membantu saya...
membantu sekali
- also neutral, common in speech and writing
- pattern: [adjective/verb] + sekali
- e.g. Platform belajar itu membantu sekali.
membantu banget
- informal / slang (Colloquial Jakarta Indonesian)
- used with friends, casual contexts
- e.g. Platform belajar itu membantu banget.

For a learner trying to sound polite and standard, sangat membantu and membantu sekali are both good choices. Banget is best kept for informal conversations.

Why is saya used instead of aku? Can I say aku here?

Both are first-person singular pronouns:

saya = I (polite/neutral, used in most formal or semi-formal situations)
aku = I (more informal / intimate / casual)

You can say:

Platform belajar itu sangat membantu aku belajar bahasa Indonesia.

Grammatically it is fine, but the choice of saya vs aku depends on:

your relationship with the listener
the level of formality you want

In:

writing, classes, exams, or speaking to strangers/older people → saya
chatting with friends, or in relaxed settings → aku (or regional variants like gue, gua, ane, etc.)

The original sentence uses saya, which is safe and polite in almost all contexts.

Is bahasa Indonesia the only correct way, or can I just say Indonesia to mean the language?

When referring to the language, you normally say:

bahasa Indonesia = the Indonesian language

Just Indonesia by itself usually refers to the country, not the language.

So:

Saya belajar bahasa Indonesia. ✅
I study Indonesian (language).

Saying:

Saya belajar Indonesia. ❌

sounds like I study Indonesia (as a country), not the language. Use bahasa Indonesia for the language.

Why is bahasa Indonesia capitalized like that?

In standard Indonesian spelling:

bahasa is common noun → not capitalized
Indonesia is a proper noun → capitalized

So:

bahasa Indonesia = correct
Bahasa Indonesia (capital B) is very common in practice (especially in English texts about the language), but according to Indonesian spelling rules, the standard form is bahasa Indonesia.

In normal writing inside Indonesian sentences, follow:

bahasa Inggris, bahasa Jepang, bahasa Jerman, bahasa Indonesia, etc.

How would I make platform belajar itu plural if I mean several platforms?

Indonesian often leaves plurality to context, so:

Platform belajar itu sangat membantu saya...

could mean:

that (one) learning platform
or, depending on prior context,
those learning platforms

If you want to be explicitly plural, you have options:

platform-platform belajar itu
- full reduplication, clearly plural
- more common in writing than in speech
beberapa platform belajar itu = those several learning platforms
semua platform belajar itu = all those learning platforms

But in many real-life cases, speakers simply say platform belajar itu and rely on context to show whether it’s singular or plural.

Could I say platform pembelajaran instead of platform belajar? Is there a difference?

Yes, you can say:

platform pembelajaran itu sangat membantu saya belajar bahasa Indonesia.

pembelajaran is a noun derived from belajar:

belajar = to learn / study (verb)
pembelajaran = learning, instruction, the process of teaching/learning (noun)

Nuance:

platform belajar
- slightly more informal, simpler
- feels like “a platform for studying”
platform pembelajaran
- a bit more formal/technical
- often used in educational or institutional contexts, e.g. documents, official platforms

Both are correct; the original platform belajar is very natural in everyday use and in marketing or app descriptions.