Kakak perempuan saya suka yoga, sedangkan saya lebih suka latihan pernapasan sederhana.

My older sister likes yoga, while I prefer simple breathing exercises.

Breakdown of Kakak perempuan saya suka yoga, sedangkan saya lebih suka latihan pernapasan sederhana.

• saya: I
• suka: to like
• sederhana: simple
• lebih suka: to prefer
• saya: my
• kakak perempuan: the older sister
• sedangkan: while
• yoga: yoga
• latihan pernapasan: the breathing exercise

Questions & Answers about Kakak perempuan saya suka yoga, sedangkan saya lebih suka latihan pernapasan sederhana.

What does kakak perempuan mean, and why are there two words for “older sister”?

Kakak means “older sibling” and is gender‑neutral.
Perempuan means “female / woman”.

So:

• kakak = older sibling (could be brother or sister)
• kakak perempuan = older sibling who is female → “older sister”
• kakak laki-laki = older brother

You add perempuan only if you want to make the gender clear. In many real situations, people just say kakak saya if everybody already knows it’s a sister.

Why is the order kakak perempuan saya and not saya kakak perempuan?

In Indonesian, the usual order is:

• [thing owned] + [possessor pronoun]

So:

• kakak perempuan saya = literally “older sister my”

Other common patterns:

• buku saya = my book
• rumah mereka = their house

Saya kakak perempuan would mean something like “I (am) an older sister,” and even that would usually need seorang: saya seorang kakak perempuan.

Do I always need to say perempuan after kakak for “older sister”?

Not always.

• If the context already makes it clear the older sibling is female, kakak saya is enough.
• If you really need to specify the gender, say kakak perempuan (older sister) or kakak laki-laki (older brother).

In casual speech you might also hear:

• kakak cewek (female “kakak”, informal)
• kakak cowok (male “kakak”, informal)

What is the difference between sedangkan, sementara, tetapi, and dan here?

In this sentence, sedangkan is used to show a contrast between two subjects:

• Kakak perempuan saya suka yoga, sedangkan saya…
  = My older sister likes yoga, whereas I…

Rough guide:

• sedangkan – “whereas”, “while” (contrasting two different subjects or situations)
• sementara – “while”, often more neutral (can show time or contrast, but a bit broader)
• tetapi / tapi – “but” (general contrast, not specifically “X vs Y”)
• dan – “and” (just addition, no contrast)

You could say:

• …suka yoga, tapi saya…
  This is fine, but sedangkan highlights the comparison between your sister and you more explicitly.

Why is there a comma before sedangkan?

The comma marks a break between two clauses:

1. Kakak perempuan saya suka yoga
2. saya lebih suka latihan pernapasan sederhana

Sedangkan connects these two independent clauses and introduces the second as a contrast. In written Indonesian, it’s standard to put a comma before connectors like sedangkan, tetapi, karena, etc. when they join full clauses.

How does lebih suka work? Why not suka lebih?

Lebih is a general word meaning “more / -er” and it goes before the verb or adjective it modifies:

• lebih suka = like more → “prefer”
• lebih besar = bigger
• lebih cepat = faster

So the pattern is:

• lebih + [adjective/verb]

You cannot split it:

• ❌ suka lebih latihan… – wrong
• ✅ lebih suka latihan… – correct

To say “I prefer X to Y”, you can say:

• Saya lebih suka X daripada Y.

How would I say “I prefer simple breathing exercises to yoga” using this structure?

You can reverse the original sentence like this:

• Saya lebih suka latihan pernapasan sederhana daripada yoga.

Structure:

• Saya – I
• lebih suka – prefer
• latihan pernapasan sederhana – simple breathing exercises
• daripada yoga – than yoga / rather than yoga

Why is there no word for “to” in “prefer to do simple breathing exercises”?

English uses “prefer to do X”, but Indonesian doesn’t need a “to” here.

The idea of “to” is already inside:

• lebih suka [doing X]

So:

• lebih suka latihan pernapasan sederhana
  = literally “more like simple breathing exercises”

If you want a verb phrase, you might say:

• lebih suka melakukan latihan pernapasan sederhana
  (“prefer to do simple breathing exercises”)

…but lebih suka latihan pernapasan sederhana is already natural and clear.

What is the difference between latihan pernapasan and latihan bernapas?

• napas / nafas = breath
• bernapas = to breathe (verb)
• pernapasan = breathing (as a noun, “breathing process”)

So:

• latihan pernapasan = breathing exercises (literally “breathing training”)
• latihan bernapas = exercises to breathe (literally “training to breathe”)

They can overlap in meaning, but latihan pernapasan is the more standard, natural phrase for “breathing exercises.”

Note: Modern official spelling uses pernapasan, though you may still see pernafasan informally.

Is latihan pernapasan sederhana singular or plural?

Indonesian nouns usually do not change form for singular vs plural.

• latihan pernapasan sederhana can mean:
  • “a simple breathing exercise”
  • “simple breathing exercises”

Context tells you which is meant. If you really need to show plurality, you could add a word like:

• beberapa latihan pernapasan sederhana – several simple breathing exercises

Why does sederhana come after latihan pernapasan and not before it?

In Indonesian, adjectives usually come after the noun:

• rumah besar – big house
• baju merah – red shirt
• latihan pernapasan sederhana – simple breathing exercises

So the pattern is:

• [noun] + [adjective]

Putting the adjective first, like sederhana latihan pernapasan, is not natural Indonesian.

Can I say kakak perempuan saya lebih suka yoga, sedangkan saya lebih suka latihan pernapasan sederhana?

Yes, that is perfectly correct and actually matches the English idea “My older sister prefers yoga, whereas I prefer simple breathing exercises.”

Your two clauses would then be:

1. Kakak perempuan saya lebih suka yoga – My older sister prefers yoga
2. sedangkan saya lebih suka latihan pernapasan sederhana – whereas I prefer simple breathing exercises

Both the original version (suka yoga) and the comparative version (lebih suka yoga) are grammatical; they just express slightly different nuances.

Does suka mean “like” or “love”? How strong is it?

Suka usually corresponds to English “like”, but it can be quite flexible.

• Saya suka yoga. – I like yoga.
• Saya suka kamu. – I like you / I’m into you (context-dependent).

For stronger feelings:

• cinta – deep, romantic or very strong love
• sayang – affection, fondness, “dear”, can be romantic or family
• gemar – to really like / be fond of (a bit formal)

In your sentence, suka yoga is just neutral: your sister enjoys yoga.

Is this sentence formal or informal? How would it sound in casual everyday speech?

This sentence is neutral and suitable for both spoken and written Indonesian.

In more casual conversation, people might say:

• Kakak cewek aku suka yoga, kalau aku lebih suka latihan pernapasan yang simpel aja.

Notable changes:

• kakak cewek (informal for “older sister”)
• aku instead of saya (more casual “I”)
• simpel / simple or yang simpel instead of sederhana
• aja (colloquial for saja, “just / only”)
• kalau instead of sedangkan (more conversational contrast)