Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Teman saya lebih suka voli dan senam daripada basket, karena dia tidak terlalu suka berlari cepat. - My friend prefers volleyball and gymnastics to basketball, because she does not really like running fast.

saya punya teman = I have a friend (introducing the existence of a friend)
teman saya = my friend (a specific friend you already have in mind)

So in this sentence, teman saya is the right way to say my friend.

What exactly does lebih suka mean? Is it just “like more” or does it always mean “prefer”?

Lebih literally means more, and suka means to like.
Together, lebih suka A daripada B is the normal way to say “to prefer A over B”.

saya suka kopi = I like coffee
saya lebih suka kopi daripada teh = I prefer coffee to tea
(literally: I more-like coffee than tea)

If you remove lebih, you lose the comparative meaning:

teman saya suka voli dan senam = My friend likes volleyball and gymnastics
teman saya lebih suka voli dan senam = My friend prefers volleyball and gymnastics (to something else, here: basketball)

So when you want to say prefer, you almost always use lebih suka.

How does the structure lebih suka A daripada B work? Can I flip the order?

The basic pattern is:

[subject] + lebih suka + A + daripada + B

This means the subject prefers A to B.

From the sentence:

Teman saya lebih suka voli dan senam daripada basket
= My friend prefers volleyball and gymnastics to basketball.

If you flip A and B, you flip the meaning:

Teman saya lebih suka basket daripada voli dan senam
= My friend prefers basketball to volleyball and gymnastics.

You cannot keep the English word order “prefer B over A” while keeping Indonesian A/B the same; the meaning is tightly tied to the order:

The thing after lebih suka = the preferred thing.
The thing after daripada = the less preferred thing.

What is the role of daripada here, and how is it different from dari?

In this sentence, daripada is a comparison marker, roughly “than” in English:

lebih suka voli dan senam daripada basket
= prefer volleyball and gymnastics rather than basketball

Use daripada after lebih (more) when comparing:

lebih besar daripada = bigger than
lebih tinggi daripada = taller than
lebih suka A daripada B = prefer A to B

Dari usually means from (origin, source, starting point):

datang dari Jakarta = come from Jakarta
belajar dari buku ini = learn from this book

In casual speech some people shorten daripada to dari in comparisons, but daripada is the standard and safest form for learners when you mean than.

What exactly does senam mean? Is it the same as “gym” or “exercise”?

Senam is a kind of structured physical exercise, often in a group, and can overlap with:

gymnastics
aerobics
morning exercise routines

Some common expressions:

senam pagi = morning exercise
senam aerobik = aerobic exercise
instruktur senam = fitness / aerobics instructor

It’s not the general word for “exercise” (that’s more like olahraga, “sport / exercise” in general).
So voli dan senam is something like volleyball and (aerobic/gymnastic-style) exercise.

Why do we say voli and basket instead of longer forms? Are bola voli and bola basket also correct?

Yes, both forms are correct:

voli = short for bola voli = volleyball
basket = short for bola basket = basketball

Usage:

In everyday speech, people very often say voli and basket.
In more formal or written contexts, you’ll also see bola voli and bola basket.
The meaning is the same; the short forms are just more casual and convenient.

So the sentence could also be:

Teman saya lebih suka bola voli dan senam daripada bola basket.
Same meaning, a bit more formal/explicit.

What does karena do in this sentence, and can the karena-clause come first?

Karena means because, introducing a reason:

..., karena dia tidak terlalu suka berlari cepat.
= ..., because he/she doesn’t really like running fast.

You can place the karena-clause either:

After the main clause (like in the sentence):
- Teman saya lebih suka voli dan senam daripada basket, karena dia tidak terlalu suka berlari cepat.
Before the main clause:
- Karena dia tidak terlalu suka berlari cepat, teman saya lebih suka voli dan senam daripada basket.

Meaning is the same; only the order of information changes.
In writing, a comma is usually added; in speech, you just pause naturally.

What nuance does tidak terlalu add? How is it different from just tidak suka?

tidak suka = does not like (fairly strong)
tidak terlalu suka = doesn’t really / doesn’t particularly / doesn’t very much like (softer, more moderate)

So:

dia tidak suka berlari cepat
= he/she doesn’t like running fast (sounds quite definite)
dia tidak terlalu suka berlari cepat
= he/she doesn’t really like running fast / doesn’t like it that much
(maybe tolerates it, but it’s not their favorite)

Tidak terlalu literally means not too / not very and is often used to soften statements:

tidak terlalu mahal = not too expensive / not very expensive
tidak terlalu besar = not too big / not very big

Why is it berlari cepat and not lari cepat or berlari dengan cepat? What’s the difference?

All of these can be used, but with slight differences:

lari cepat
- lari = to run (base form)
- cepat = fast
- lari cepat = run fast / sprint (verb phrase or even name of the event “sprint”)
berlari cepat
- berlari = to run (slightly more formal / complete)
- berlari cepat = to run fast
  In everyday conversation, lari cepat and berlari cepat are both fine. Berlari can sound just a bit more careful/formal.
berlari dengan cepat
- More literally: “to run with speed / to run quickly”
- Grammatically correct but more wordy; often used in very formal or descriptive writing.

In your sentence, berlari cepat is natural: the pattern [verb] + [adjective] is a common way to say “verb in an X way”:

berbicara pelan = speak softly
jalan lambat = walk slowly
berlari cepat = run fast

Who does dia refer to, and does it mean “he” or “she”? Could it be omitted?

Dia is a third-person singular pronoun and is gender-neutral:

It can mean he, she, or they (singular) depending on context.
Indonesian pronouns generally do not mark gender.

In the sentence, dia clearly refers back to teman saya (my friend).

You could also omit dia and say:

..., karena tidak terlalu suka berlari cepat.

In Indonesian, if the subject is obvious from context, it can be dropped, especially in casual speech. Repeating the full noun is also possible but sounds heavier:

..., karena teman saya tidak terlalu suka berlari cepat.
(also correct, just a bit more repetitive)

How do we know if this sentence is present, past, or future? There is no tense marking on suka or berlari.

Indonesian verbs do not change form for tense (no -ed, -s, -ing, etc.).
So suka and berlari are “tenseless” by themselves.
Time is shown with time words or taken from context.

To make it explicit:

(Present / general)
Teman saya lebih suka voli dan senam daripada basket, karena dia tidak terlalu suka berlari cepat.
= My friend (generally) prefers volleyball and gymnastics to basketball, because he/she doesn’t really like running fast.
(Past)
Kemarin, teman saya lebih suka voli dan senam daripada basket, karena dia tidak terlalu suka berlari cepat.
= Yesterday, my friend preferred volleyball and gymnastics to basketball, because he/she didn’t really like running fast.
(Future)
Besok, teman saya akan lebih suka voli dan senam daripada basket, karena dia tidak terlalu suka berlari cepat.
= Tomorrow, my friend will prefer volleyball and gymnastics to basketball, because he/she doesn’t really like running fast.

So tense comes from words like kemarin (yesterday), besok (tomorrow), tadi (earlier), or akan (will), not from changing the verb itself.