Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Saya belajar bahwa perayaan yang sederhana lebih berkesan daripada janji manis yang palsu. - I learn that a simple celebration is more memorable than sweet but false promises.

So perayaan yang sederhana literally is “celebration that is simple,” which in English is “a simple celebration.”
Putting the adjective before the noun (sederhana perayaan) is wrong in Indonesian.

Why do we need yang in perayaan yang sederhana? Can I just say perayaan sederhana?

Both are possible, but there is a nuance:

perayaan sederhana = a simple celebration (neutral description)
perayaan yang sederhana = a celebration which is simple / that is simple

Yang works like a relative pronoun (“that/which”) and can also add a slightly more specific or contrastive feel:

Saya suka perayaan sederhana.
I like simple celebrations (in general).
Saya belajar bahwa perayaan yang sederhana lebih berkesan...
I’ve learned that the kind of celebration which is simple is more memorable...

So yang is not strictly required grammatically, but it’s very natural here and makes the phrase flow better and sound a bit more “emphatic” or “definite.”

What does lebih ... daripada ... mean, and is this the standard way to compare things?

Yes, lebih ... daripada ... is the standard pattern for “more ... than ...” comparisons:

lebih = more
daripada = than / rather than

Structure:

subject + lebih + adjective + daripada + comparison

In the sentence:

lebih berkesan = more memorable
daripada janji manis yang palsu = than fake sweet promises

More examples:

Dia lebih tinggi daripada saya.
He is taller than me.
Film itu lebih menarik daripada buku ini.
That film is more interesting than this book.

In speech, daripada is sometimes shortened to dari, but daripada is clearer and more standard in writing.

What exactly does berkesan mean here, and how is it formed?

Berkesan comes from:

kesan = impression
prefix ber- (often “to have / to be in a state of”)

So berkesan literally means “to have an impression” or “to leave an impression.”

In this sentence:

lebih berkesan ≈ more memorable / makes a stronger impression

Common uses:

Acara itu sangat berkesan.
That event was very memorable.
Dia memberikan pidato yang berkesan.
She gave a memorable speech.

Don’t confuse berkesan with mengesankan:

berkesan = is/feels memorable
mengesankan = impressive / causing an impression (more like “impressive”)

What does janji manis imply? Is it literally “sweet promises” in a positive sense?

Literally, janji manis means “sweet promises”, but in Indonesian it often has a negative or skeptical nuance:

janji manis = charming, flattering promises that might be empty, unreliable, or used to manipulate.

In the sentence:

janji manis yang palsu = fake sweet promises

This clearly emphasizes empty, insincere promises, often used for persuasion but not fulfilled. For example:

Jangan mudah percaya janji manis politisi.
Don’t easily believe politicians’ sweet promises.

Why is there another yang in janji manis yang palsu?

Again, yang acts like “which/that”:

janji manis yang palsu
= sweet promises that are fake

Without yang, you could say:

janji manis palsu — this is understandable but less natural and can sound a bit “stacked” or unclear.

Using yang separates the description more cleanly:

janji manis (sweet promises)
yang palsu (which are fake)

So yang helps create a relative clause: “sweet promises which are fake.”

What is the difference between palsu and other words like bohong or tipu?

All are related to “false” or “lying,” but they’re used differently:

palsu = fake / counterfeit / not genuine
- uang palsu = fake money
- dokumen palsu = forged documents
- senyum palsu = fake smile
- janji manis yang palsu = fake sweet promises
bohong = lie / not true (statement)
- Itu bohong. = That’s a lie.
- Dia berbohong. = He/She lies / lied.
tipu (root of menipu, penipu, etc.) = cheat, deceive
- Dia menipu saya. = He/She cheated/deceived me.
- penipu = a con artist, swindler

Here palsu is right because we’re describing the quality of the promises (they are not genuine), not an act of lying at a specific moment.

Could I say Aku belajar instead of Saya belajar? What’s the difference?

Yes, grammatically you can, but the tone changes:

Saya
- More formal / neutral / polite
- Used in writing, formal situations, with strangers, in the workplace.
Aku
- More informal / intimate
- Used with friends, family, or in casual contexts.

So:

Saya belajar bahwa perayaan yang sederhana...
Sounds neutral and suitable for essays, general statements, formal contexts.
Aku belajar bahwa perayaan yang sederhana...
Sounds more like a personal reflection to a friend or in a diary.

In teaching materials and formal writing, Saya is more common.

Can I replace bahwa with kalau here, like Saya belajar kalau perayaan yang sederhana...?

In informal spoken Indonesian, people do sometimes use kalau instead of bahwa to introduce reported information:

Saya belajar kalau perayaan yang sederhana lebih berkesan...

However:

bahwa = “that” (standard, formal, written)
kalau = “if/when” (primary meaning), and only informally used like “that”

Using kalau this way is colloquial and more common in speech. In writing or careful Indonesian, bahwa is the better choice in this sentence.

What is the nuance difference between perayaan and pesta?

Both can relate to celebrations, but they’re not identical:

perayaan
- From rayakan (to celebrate)
- More general and often formal/official
- Can refer to ceremonies, festivals, religious or national events.
- e.g. perayaan ulang tahun, perayaan Natal, perayaan kemerdekaan
pesta
- More like party (often social, informal)
- e.g. pesta ulang tahun, pesta kantor, pesta pernikahan

In this sentence, perayaan yang sederhana emphasizes the act or event of celebrating (not necessarily a wild party), which fits the contrast with fake sweet promises. Pesta yang sederhana would sound more like “a simple party.”

Is the whole sentence talking about a general truth, or something I learned once in the past?

The Indonesian Saya belajar bahwa... is flexible; context decides:

It can mean:
- I have learned (from experience) that... (general lesson)
- I learned (at some point) that... (past discovery)

If you want to stress past completion more strongly, you can say:

Saya telah belajar bahwa...
Saya sudah belajar bahwa...

But even without telah/sudah, the original sentence very naturally means:

I’ve come to realize / I’ve learned (as a general life lesson) that simple celebrations are more meaningful than fake sweet promises.