Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Saya suka suara piano lembut di malam hari. - I like the soft sound of the piano at night.

Saya suka suara piano lembut di malam hari. – neutral, clear, suitable in almost any situation.
Suka suara piano lembut di malam hari. – sounds informal and conversational; fine among friends, in chat, etc.

In writing (especially formal or instructional), it’s better to keep saya.

What’s the difference between saya, aku, and gue here?

All three mean I, but they differ in formality and region:

saya – neutral/formal, safe in almost all contexts (with strangers, in writing, at work).
aku – informal/intimate; used with friends, family, in songs, and literature.
gue (or gua) – very informal, mainly Jakarta slang.

So you could say:

Saya suka suara piano lembut di malam hari. – polite/neutral.
Aku suka suara piano lembut di malam hari. – friendly/intimate.
Gue suka suara piano lembut di malam hari. – very casual Jakarta style.

Why is suka used instead of something like cinta?

Suka means to like, to enjoy, or to be fond of.
Cinta means to love, but it’s usually for people, God, country, or very strong emotional attachment.

So:

Saya suka suara piano lembut... – I like / enjoy soft piano sounds.
Saya cinta musik. – I love music (stronger, more emotional/idealistic statement).

Using cinta with suara piano would sound exaggerated or poetic, not normal everyday speech.

How does the word order suara piano lembut work? Why isn’t it more like English?

Indonesian word order is usually:

[noun] + [modifier] + [adjective]

In this phrase:

suara = sound
piano = piano (modifying sound: the sound of piano)
lembut = soft

So suara piano lembut is literally sound piano soft: “a soft piano sound / the soft sound of (a) piano”.

You could also say:

suara piano yang lembut – adds yang as a link, roughly “the sound of piano that is soft”, slightly more explicit/emphatic.

But suara lembut piano is uncommon and sounds awkward.

Is there any article like “a” or “the” in suara piano lembut?

Indonesian has no articles like “a/an/the”. Suara piano lembut can mean:

a soft piano sound
the soft sound of (the) piano
soft piano sound(s) in general

Context decides whether the listener understands it as specific or general. If you need to be specific, you might add words like itu (that), ini (this), or a possessive:

Saya suka suara piano itu yang lembut. – I like that piano’s soft sound.
Saya suka suara piano saya yang lembut. – I like my piano’s soft sound.

What exactly does lembut mean here? Is it only “soft”?

Lembut is usually translated as soft, but also has nuances of:

gentle
smooth
not harsh, not rough, not loud/strong

For suara piano lembut, it suggests a gentle, mellow piano sound, not loud or aggressive.
Other common uses:

kulit lembut – soft skin
suara lembut – gentle voice
angin lembut – gentle breeze

Is it always noun + adjective like suara lembut, or can adjectives come before the noun?

In standard Indonesian, adjectives almost always come after the noun:

suara lembut – soft sound
musik klasik – classical music
malam panjang – long night

Putting the adjective before the noun is generally wrong or sounds foreign.
Some fixed expressions or borrowed phrases may look different, but the basic rule is:

[noun] + [adjective]

So suara piano lembut follows the normal pattern.

Would suara piano yang lembut be more correct or more natural than suara piano lembut?

Both are correct:

suara piano lembut – simple description: “soft piano sound”
suara piano yang lembut – slightly more “structured”: “the piano sound that is soft”

Adding yang can:

make the phrase a bit more formal or explicit
slightly emphasize the adjective

In everyday speech, suara piano lembut is perfectly natural. Yang is optional here, not required.

Why is di used in di malam hari? I thought di is also a prefix for passive verbs.

Di has two main uses:

Preposition meaning in / at / on (separate word, followed by a noun):
- di rumah – at home
- di pagi hari – in the morning
- di malam hari – at night / in the nighttime
Passive prefix attached to verbs (written as one word):
- dibaca – be read
- ditulis – be written

In di malam hari, di is the preposition “in/at”, not a verb prefix.

What’s the difference between di malam hari, pada malam hari, and just malam?

All can be correct, but they differ in style and nuance:

di malam hari – very common and natural; literally “at nighttime”.
pada malam hari – a bit more formal; pada is also “at/on/in” used more in formal writing or specific time expressions.
malam only – just “night” without a preposition; often used when the time is already understood or in shorter phrases.

In this sentence, the most natural choices are:

Saya suka suara piano lembut di malam hari.
Saya suka suara piano lembut pada malam hari.

Dropping hari:

di malam is less common and can sound a bit incomplete unless in a larger phrase, but you do hear it in speech.
malam hari without di is used in some contexts (headlines, notes), e.g. Malam hari: saya suka suara piano lembut.

Could I move di malam hari to the beginning: Di malam hari, saya suka suara piano lembut?

Yes. Indonesian word order is quite flexible for time and place expressions. Both are correct:

Saya suka suara piano lembut di malam hari.
Di malam hari, saya suka suara piano lembut.

Moving di malam hari to the front emphasizes the time (“At night, I like soft piano sounds”), but the basic meaning stays the same.

How would I say “I really like soft piano sounds at night” in Indonesian?

You can add sekali or banget (informal) for “really/very”:

Neutral / polite:

Saya sangat suka suara piano lembut di malam hari.
Saya suka sekali suara piano lembut di malam hari.

Very informal:

Saya suka banget suara piano lembut di malam hari.

Sangat usually goes before the verb/adjective; sekali comes after, and banget is slangy and usually after.

What if I want to say “I like listening to soft piano sounds at night”? Do I need a verb for “listen”?

Yes, you can add mendengar (to hear) or mendengarkan (to listen to):

Saya suka mendengar suara piano lembut di malam hari.
Saya suka mendengarkan suara piano lembut di malam hari.

Both are natural. Mendengarkan can feel a bit more active or deliberate (“listen to”), but in practice they’re often interchangeable here.

How do I make “soft piano sounds” clearly plural in Indonesian?

To emphasize plurality, you can:

Reduplicate the noun:
- suara-suara piano lembut di malam hari – soft piano sounds
Use banyak (many/a lot of):
- Saya suka banyak suara piano lembut di malam hari. – a bit clunky for everyday speech.

Often, you don’t need to mark plural at all; context is enough. Suara piano lembut can already mean “soft piano sounds” in general.

What’s the difference between suka, senang, and gemar with this kind of sentence?

All can express liking, but with slightly different flavors:

suka – most common and neutral:
- Saya suka suara piano lembut di malam hari.
senang – “happy/pleased (with)”; can mean you enjoy something, often used with verbs:
- Saya senang mendengar suara piano lembut di malam hari. – I’m happy (I enjoy) hearing soft piano sounds at night.
gemar – “fond of / have a hobby of”; sounds a bit formal/literary:
- Saya gemar suara piano lembut di malam hari. – possible but a bit stiff; gemar is more natural with activities: Saya gemar bermain piano.

For everyday speech about preferences, suka is the safest and most natural.

Is there any difference in meaning if I say Saya suka suara lembut piano di malam hari instead?

Yes, it sounds odd. The natural order is:

suara piano lembut – sound (of) piano (that is) soft

If you say suara lembut piano, it feels like you’re saying “sound (that is) soft of piano”, which is not how Indonesians normally structure it. Stick with:

suara piano lembut
or
suara piano yang lembut

for natural Indonesian.