Breakdown of Saya suka menonton pertandingan bulu tangkis di televisi.
Questions & Answers about Saya suka menonton pertandingan bulu tangkis di televisi.
Indonesian has several words for I:
saya – neutral and polite; safe in most situations
- with strangers
- with teachers, older people, or in formal situations
- in writing, news, presentations
aku – informal and more intimate
- with close friends
- with family
- in songs, poems, and casual speech
In this sentence, Saya suka menonton … is neutral and polite. With a close friend you might naturally say:
- Aku suka nonton pertandingan bulu tangkis di TV.
There are also regional/informal forms like gue/gua (Jakarta), ane, etc., but saya and aku are the main ones to learn first.
suka basically means to like:
- Saya suka menonton … = I like watching …
Other similar words:
- cinta – to love (deep, romantic or very strong love)
- Saya cinta kamu. = I love you.
- senang – happy, pleased (can also be used like to like)
- Saya senang menonton bulu tangkis. = I enjoy / am happy to watch badminton.
- gemar – to be fond of, to be into (slightly formal)
- Saya gemar menonton pertandingan bulu tangkis.
For everyday I like X, suka is the most common and natural choice.
The root verb is tonton (to watch), and menonton is the active verb with the prefix meN-.
In most normal sentences, Indonesian uses the meN- form for an active verb:
- Saya menonton pertandingan. = I watch a match.
- Kami membaca buku. = We read a book. (baca → membaca)
When one verb follows another like suka + verb, the second verb is usually in the meN- form:
- suka menonton – like watching
- suka membaca – like reading
- suka bermain – like playing
Using suka tonton is not standard; it sounds incomplete or very non‑standard. Use suka menonton.
Yes. These sentences are all correct but with slightly different specificity:
Saya suka menonton.
I like watching (something) – very general; context must explain what.Saya suka menonton pertandingan.
I like watching matches/games – still general (what kind of matches?).Saya suka menonton pertandingan bulu tangkis.
I like watching badminton matches – specific.
So the original sentence just gives more detail about what you like to watch.
Indonesian does not have articles like a, an, or the.
The bare noun pertandingan can mean:
- a match
- the match
- matches (in general)
The meaning is understood from context. If you want to be more explicit, you can add words:
- sebuah pertandingan – a match (one match)
- pertandingan itu – that match / the match
- banyak pertandingan – many matches
In your sentence, pertandingan bulu tangkis is generic: badminton matches in general, like in English I like watching badminton matches on TV.
Grammatically, pertandingan is number‑neutral: it can mean match or matches, depending on context.
In Saya suka menonton pertandingan bulu tangkis di televisi, the natural reading is plural/generic:
- I like watching badminton matches on TV.
To be very explicit:
- satu pertandingan bulu tangkis – one badminton match
- banyak pertandingan bulu tangkis – many badminton matches
- pertandingan‑pertandingan bulu tangkis – matches (reduplication to emphasize plural, more written/formal)
But in most everyday sentences, Indonesians just use the singular form and let context tell you whether it is one or many.
The standard, most natural order is:
- Saya suka menonton pertandingan bulu tangkis di televisi.
You can move di televisi to the front for emphasis or style:
- Di televisi, saya suka menonton pertandingan bulu tangkis.
On TV, I like watching badminton matches.
Putting di televisi in the middle like this is not natural:
- ✗ Saya suka menonton di televisi pertandingan bulu tangkis.
General rule:
Subject – Adverb of liking – Verb – Object – Place/Time is the safest pattern:
- Saya (subject)
- suka (like)
- menonton (watching)
- pertandingan bulu tangkis (object)
- di televisi (place)
Yes. bulu tangkis is the normal Indonesian word for badminton.
You may also see badminton or batminton used (borrowed from English), especially in writing about the sport internationally, but:
- bulu tangkis – native Indonesian term; very common in everyday speech and media
- badminton – international/loan word; understood, but less commonly used in casual Indonesian
So pertandingan bulu tangkis = badminton match/es.
Indonesian usually does not mark tense directly on the verb. Context tells you whether it is:
- general/habitual
- happening now
- past
- future
By default, Saya suka menonton pertandingan bulu tangkis di televisi is understood as a general preference / habit:
- I like watching badminton matches on TV.
To talk about time more clearly, you add time words:
Tadi malam saya menonton pertandingan bulu tangkis di televisi.
Last night I watched a badminton match on TV.Sekarang saya sedang menonton pertandingan bulu tangkis di televisi.
Right now I am watching a badminton match on TV.Besok saya akan menonton pertandingan bulu tangkis di televisi.
Tomorrow I will watch a badminton match on TV.
Grammatically, you can drop Saya if the subject is clear from context, especially in informal conversation:
- (Saya) Suka menonton pertandingan bulu tangkis di televisi.
In a dialogue, if it is obvious that you are talking about yourself, natives might say just:
- Suka menonton pertandingan bulu tangkis di TV.
However:
- In clear, neutral sentences (especially in writing or exercises), it is better to keep the subject: Saya suka …
- Dropping saya without context can sound incomplete or a bit abrupt.
menonton is the standard, full verb form and is fine in all situations:
- Saya menonton TV. – I watch TV.
In everyday informal speech, Indonesians often shorten it to nonton:
- Aku nonton TV. – I watch TV. (casual)
So:
- Formal/neutral: Saya suka menonton pertandingan bulu tangkis di televisi.
- Informal/spoken: Aku suka nonton pertandingan bulu tangkis di TV.
For exams, writing, or when in doubt, use menonton. For chatting with friends, nonton is very natural.