Kopi panas ini adalah minuman kesukaan saya.

Breakdown of Kopi panas ini adalah minuman kesukaan saya.

ini
this
adalah
to be
kopi
the coffee
panas
hot
minuman
the drink
saya
my
kesukaan
favorite
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Questions & Answers about Kopi panas ini adalah minuman kesukaan saya.

In Kopi panas ini, why does ini (this) come after kopi panas, instead of before like English this hot coffee?

In Indonesian, demonstratives ini (this) and itu (that) normally come after the noun phrase they modify.

  • kopi panas ini = this hot coffee
  • buku baru itu = that new book

Putting ini before the noun would usually start a new clause:

  • Ini kopi panas. = This is hot coffee.

So:

  • kopi panas ini = this hot coffee (one noun phrase)
  • Ini kopi panas. = This is hot coffee. (full sentence: subject + complement)
What exactly does adalah do here, and can it be left out?

Adalah is a linking word (copula), similar to is/are when linking two nouns or noun phrases.

  • Kopi panas ini adalah minuman kesukaan saya.
    Literally: This hot coffee *is my favorite drink.*

In everyday Indonesian, adalah is optional in many cases:

  • Kopi panas ini minuman kesukaan saya. (still natural, more informal)

You must not use adalah before a simple adjective like enak:

  • Kopi ini enak. = This coffee is delicious.
  • Kopi ini adalah enak. (unnatural)

Summary: here adalah is correct but can be dropped in spoken or less formal Indonesian. It makes the sentence sound a bit more formal/written.

What is the structure and literal meaning of minuman kesukaan saya?

Breakdown:

  • minuman = drink / beverage
  • suka = to like
  • kesukaan = thing one likes, favorite (from suka
    • ke- -an)
  • saya = I / me (here: my)

So:

  • minuman kesukaan saya literally = drink of my liking
  • Natural English: my favorite drink

Structure-wise:

  • minuman (head noun)
  • kesukaan (a modifier meaning “favorite”)
  • saya (possessor: my)

Order in English is my favorite drink; in Indonesian it is minuman kesukaan saya.

Why is saya at the end (in minuman kesukaan saya) instead of in front like saya minuman kesukaan?

In Indonesian, possessive pronouns like saya, aku, kamu come after the noun:

  • rumah saya = my house
  • teman saya = my friend
  • minuman kesukaan saya = my favorite drink

Putting saya in front of the noun usually makes it the subject, not a possessor:

  • Saya minum kopi. = I drink coffee.

So saya minuman kesukaan does not mean my favorite drink and is ungrammatical in this sense.

Can I say minuman favorit saya instead of minuman kesukaan saya? Is there a difference?

Yes, you can say minuman favorit saya, and it is very common.

Difference in nuance:

  • minuman kesukaan saya

    • Pure Indonesian formation (from suka)
    • Slightly more neutral / standard / formal tone
  • minuman favorit saya

    • Uses the loanword favorit
    • Sounds modern, common in casual speech, media, advertising

Both are correct and widely understood. In most situations they are interchangeable.

What is the difference between Kopi panas ini adalah minuman kesukaan saya and Saya suka kopi panas ini?

Both express liking, but with different emphasis:

  1. Kopi panas ini adalah minuman kesukaan saya.

    • Focus: This drink is my favorite (among drinks).
    • Talks about status: it is my favorite drink.
  2. Saya suka kopi panas ini.

    • Focus: I like this hot coffee.
    • Says nothing about whether it is the favorite, just that you like it.

So the first is stronger (favorite), the second is more general (like).

Why is it kopi panas ini, not kopi ini panas?

They mean different things:

  • kopi panas ini = this hot coffee (a noun phrase)

    • kopi (coffee) + panas (hot) + ini (this)
    • Describes a specific drink.
  • Kopi ini panas. = This coffee is hot. (a full sentence)

    • kopi ini (this coffee) as the subject
    • panas (hot) as the predicate (like an adjective).

In your original sentence you need a noun phrase as the subject (this hot coffee), so kopi panas ini is the correct form.

Could I use itu instead of ini here? What would change?

Yes, you can, but the pointing is different:

  • kopi panas ini = this hot coffee (near the speaker)
  • kopi panas itu = that hot coffee (farther away, or already mentioned/known)

So:

  • Kopi panas ini adalah minuman kesukaan saya.
    Likely refers to coffee near you (maybe the one in your hand).

  • Kopi panas itu adalah minuman kesukaan saya.
    Could refer to coffee farther away, or a type of coffee you are talking about (that hot coffee (we discussed) is my favorite drink).

Does kopi panas always mean hot coffee? What about hangat?
  • panas = hot (quite high temperature)
  • hangat = warm (pleasantly warm, not too hot)

So:

  • kopi panas = hot coffee (can be quite hot)
  • kopi hangat = warm coffee (not very hot, more mild temperature)

If you specifically mean the drink is served quite hot, kopi panas is right. If you want to emphasize it is only warm, use kopi hangat.

Is this sentence formal or informal? What about saya vs aku?

The sentence is relatively neutral–formal because of:

  • saya (formal/neutral I)
  • adalah (often appears in more formal or written style)

In more casual speech, you might hear:

  • Kopi panas ini minuman kesukaan aku.
  • Kopi panas ini minuman favorit aku.

Notes:

  • saya = neutral / polite / formal
  • aku = informal, used with friends/family
  • There are also regional/casual forms like gue, gua (Jakarta), ane, etc., depending on dialect.
Can the sentence drop adalah completely and still be correct?

Yes. You can say:

  • Kopi panas ini minuman kesukaan saya.

This is grammatically correct and common in spoken Indonesian. It feels:

  • more relaxed / conversational
  • a bit less formal than with adalah

Meaning remains the same: This hot coffee is my favorite drink.

Does Kopi panas ini adalah minuman kesukaan saya refer to all hot coffee in general, or just this particular one?

By default, kopi panas ini refers to a specific coffee:

  • probably the cup in front of you
  • or one clearly identified in the situation

If you want to talk about hot coffee in general as your favorite drink, you would normally drop ini:

  • Kopi panas adalah minuman kesukaan saya.
    = Hot coffee is my favorite drink. (general statement)

So:

  • With inithis particular hot coffee
  • Without inihot coffee as a general type of drink.