Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Bermain di taman bersama keluarga sangat menyenangkan. - Playing in the park with family is very enjoyable.

Bermain di taman bersama keluarga = Playing in the park with (one’s) family
This whole phrase acts like the subject of the sentence.
sangat menyenangkan = is very enjoyable / is a lot of fun (predicate)

So the structure is similar to English:

Playing in the park with family is very fun.

If you want to make the subject explicit, you can say:

Kami bermain di taman bersama keluarga. Itu sangat menyenangkan.
= We played in the park with (our) family. It was very fun.

But in the original sentence, the focus is on the activity itself, not on who is doing it.

What does bermain mean, and how is it different from main?

Root: main = play
With prefix ber-: bermain = to play, to be playing

In standard Indonesian:

bermain is the full, more formal verb form:
- Anak-anak sedang bermain. = The children are playing.
main is very common in informal speech as a shortened verb:
- Anak-anak lagi main.

Meaning-wise they’re the same in many everyday contexts; the difference is mostly formality and completeness:

Spoken casual: Aku mau main di taman.
Neutral/standard: Saya mau bermain di taman.

Why is it di taman and not ke taman?

Because di expresses location, while ke expresses movement toward a place.

di taman = in/at the park (location, where the action happens)
ke taman = to the park (direction / going somewhere)

So:

Bermain di taman = Playing in/at the park
Pergi ke taman = Going to the park

If you said Bermain ke taman, that would sound wrong to native speakers because bermain is what you do at the park, not the direction you’re going.

Does taman mean “park” or “garden”?

Taman can mean both, depending on context:

taman kota = city park
taman bermain = playground
taman rumah = home garden / yard
taman bunga = flower garden

In Bermain di taman bersama keluarga, most learners would understand it as “playing in the park”, but it could also be “in the garden” if the context is a house or backyard.

What does bersama mean, and how is it different from dengan or bareng?

bersama = together with
dengan = with
bareng (informal, colloquial) = together / with

In this sentence:

bersama keluarga = together with (one’s) family

You could also say:

dengan keluarga – very common and natural
bareng keluarga – very casual / colloquial

Nuance:

bersama keluarga → slightly more neutral/formal, often seen in writing or polite speech.
dengan keluarga → neutral, widely used in speech and writing.
bareng keluarga → informal, everyday spoken Indonesian.

Why is it just keluarga, not keluarga saya (my family)?

In Indonesian, possession is often understood from context and doesn’t need to be stated explicitly.

bersama keluarga literally = with family
In most real situations, listeners will understand this as “with my (or our) family”.

If you want to be explicit, you can say:

bersama keluarga saya = with my family
bersama keluarga kami = with our family (excluding the listener)
bersama keluarga kita = with our family (including the listener)

But in everyday conversation, bersama keluarga alone is very natural.

What exactly does menyenangkan mean, and how is it different from senang?

Root: senang = happy, pleased

senang = describes how someone feels
- Saya senang. = I am happy.
- Anak-anak senang. = The children are happy.
menyenangkan = describes something that makes people feel happy
- Film itu menyenangkan. = That movie is enjoyable.
- Liburan ini sangat menyenangkan. = This holiday is very fun.

So in the sentence:

Bermain di taman bersama keluarga sangat menyenangkan.
= Playing in the park with family is very enjoyable / a lot of fun (it causes happiness).

You wouldn’t say:

Bermain di taman bersama keluarga sangat senang. ❌
That’s wrong, because senang should describe a person, not an activity.

What is the basic grammar structure of this sentence?

Breakdown:

Bermain = playing (verb with prefix ber- from main)
di taman = at/in the park (prepositional phrase with di)
bersama keluarga = together with family (prepositional phrase with bersama)
sangat = very (degree adverb)
menyenangkan = enjoyable, fun (adjective from senang)

Structure:

[Activity phrase] + [degree adverb] + [adjective/predicate]
Bermain di taman bersama keluarga = subject (the activity)
sangat menyenangkan = predicate (what it is like)

It’s like saying:

Playing in the park with family is very fun.

The linking verb “is” is implied in Indonesian; often there is no word like “is/are” in such sentences.

Can I say Sangat menyenangkan bermain di taman bersama keluarga instead? Is that correct?

Yes, that’s also correct, and very natural.

Bermain di taman bersama keluarga sangat menyenangkan.
→ Focuses on the activity as the subject:
“Playing in the park with family is very fun.”
Sangat menyenangkan bermain di taman bersama keluarga.
→ Starts with the comment “Very enjoyable”, then explains what is enjoyable:
“It is very enjoyable to play in the park with family.”

Both are grammatical. The difference is mostly emphasis and flow, not meaning.

Where is the tense in this sentence? How do I know if it’s past or present?

Indonesian verbs do not change form for tense. Bermain is the same for:

“play”
“played”
“am/was playing”

The time reference comes from context or from time words, for example:

Kemarin bermain di taman bersama keluarga sangat menyenangkan.
= Yesterday, playing in the park with family was very fun. (past)
Nanti sore bermain di taman bersama keluarga pasti sangat menyenangkan.
= This afternoon, playing in the park with family will surely be very fun. (future)

Without any time word, the sentence is timeless/general, like:

“Playing in the park with family is very fun (in general).”

What does sangat mean, and how does it compare with other words for “very”?

sangat = very (intensifier, neutral/standard)

Other common intensifiers:

sekali (placed after the adjective):
- menyenangkan sekali = very enjoyable
banget (very informal, after the adjective):
- menyenangkan banget = super fun (casual)
amat (quite formal/literary):
- amat menyenangkan = very enjoyable

So:

sangat menyenangkan → neutral, standard
menyenangkan sekali → also neutral, very common
menyenangkan banget → casual speech
amat menyenangkan → slightly formal/literary tone

All can mean roughly “very fun” or “really enjoyable,” depending on context and register.

Is this sentence formal or informal? In what situations can I use it?

Bermain di taman bersama keluarga sangat menyenangkan. is:

Neutral and polite
Suitable for:
- textbooks, essays, and written exercises
- polite conversation
- speaking with adults or people you don’t know well

In very casual speech, people might say:

Main di taman bareng keluarga itu seru banget.
(main, bareng, seru banget make it more colloquial.)

But your original sentence is perfectly natural and safe to use in almost any context.