Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Kami belajar menjaga kebersihan rumah setiap hari. - We learn to maintain the cleanliness of the house every day.

Both are grammatical. Often, untuk is optional after belajar. Without untuk, the sentence sounds a bit more natural and fluent in everyday speech. With untuk, it can sound a bit more formal or careful, but there is no big change in meaning here.

What does menjaga literally mean, and why is it used with kebersihan?

The verb menjaga literally means to guard, to watch over, or to look after.

In practice, it’s also used in the sense of maintaining or keeping something in a certain condition. When combined with kebersihan (cleanliness), menjaga kebersihan means:

to maintain cleanliness
to keep things clean

So:

menjaga kebersihan rumah = to keep the house clean / to maintain the house’s cleanliness

What is the root of kebersihan, and what does the ke- -an pattern do?

The root word is bersih = clean.

The prefix ke- and suffix -an together often turn adjectives or verbs into abstract nouns. So:

bersih (clean) → kebersihan (cleanliness)

Other common examples:

sehat (healthy) → kesehatan (health)
adil (fair) → keadilan (justice, fairness)

So kebersihan is the abstract concept of being clean, not a specific object.

Why is it kebersihan rumah and not kebersihan di rumah?

Both are possible, but they focus on slightly different things:

kebersihan rumah
= the cleanliness of the house (possessive/relational: whose cleanliness? the house’s)
kebersihan di rumah
= cleanliness in/at the house (location: where is the cleanliness?)

In this sentence, kebersihan rumah sounds more natural because we’re talking about maintaining the house’s cleanliness as a general responsibility.

In English I would probably say “our house.” Why is there no kami or kita before rumah?

Indonesian often leaves out possessive pronouns if the context is clear.

rumah can mean the house, our house, my house, etc., depending on context.

If the speaker clearly means their own house, rumah alone is usually enough. If you really want to specify, you can say:

rumah kami = our house (excluding the listener)
rumah kita = our house (including the listener)

So you could say:

Kami belajar menjaga kebersihan rumah kami setiap hari.
but it can sound a bit repetitive, because kami is already mentioned.

Does belajar here mean “we are currently learning” or “we learn as a routine”?

It can mean either, depending on context, but setiap hari (every day) pushes the meaning toward a habitual action:

Kami belajar menjaga kebersihan rumah setiap hari.
→ We learn (or practice learning) to keep the house clean every day.

It suggests a continuous, repeated effort or habit, not just a one-time lesson.

Where can setiap hari go in the sentence? Is its position fixed?

The position is fairly flexible. All of these are grammatical:

Kami belajar menjaga kebersihan rumah setiap hari.
Setiap hari kami belajar menjaga kebersihan rumah.
Kami setiap hari belajar menjaga kebersihan rumah. (less common, but possible)

The most natural and common in everyday speech is version 1 or 2. The meaning (every day) stays the same; moving setiap hari just changes the emphasis slightly.

Could I use membersihkan rumah instead of menjaga kebersihan rumah? What’s the difference?

Yes, but there is a nuance difference:

membersihkan rumah
= to clean the house (the action of cleaning: sweeping, mopping, etc.)
menjaga kebersihan rumah
= to maintain the house’s cleanliness (a broader idea: having habits that keep it clean, not letting it get dirty in the first place)

So:

Kami belajar membersihkan rumah setiap hari.
→ We learn to (physically) clean the house every day.
Kami belajar menjaga kebersihan rumah setiap hari.
→ We learn to keep the house clean every day (includes habits, routines, attitudes).

Could I say kami sedang belajar here to make it clearly “we are currently learning”?

Yes:

Kami sedang belajar menjaga kebersihan rumah.

sedang marks a progressive aspect (an action in progress), like “are learning” right now. Without sedang, belajar is more neutral and can be interpreted as general or habitual learning, especially with setiap hari.

Is rumah here singular or could it be plural, like “houses”?

Rumah by itself is grammatically singular, but Indonesian doesn’t always mark plural explicitly. It can mean:

a/the house
houses (if the context clearly refers to more than one)

If you specifically want to say “houses,” you can:

Repeat the noun: rumah-rumah
Use a number or quantifier: banyak rumah (many houses), dua rumah (two houses)

In your sentence, rumah will usually be understood as our/the house (singular) unless there is context suggesting multiple houses.

Is setiap hari the only way to say “every day”? Are there alternatives?

Setiap hari is the most standard and neutral way to say every day.

Common alternatives:

tiap hari – more informal, same meaning.
hari-hari can sometimes mean “day by day / the days (in general)” but not always a strict “every day.”

So you could also say:

Kami belajar menjaga kebersihan rumah tiap hari. (more casual)