Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Psikolog kampus menyarankan meditasi singkat setiap malam. - The campus psychologist recommends a short meditation every night.

Kampus psikolog would sound wrong or confusing, like “psychologist campus” (a campus that belongs to or is about psychologists), which is not what you want.

So the correct and natural order is psikolog (head noun) + kampus (modifier).

Does psikolog here mean “a psychologist” or “the psychologist” or “psychologists” (plural)? How do I know?

Indonesian nouns normally don’t show number or definiteness. So:

psikolog kampus can mean:
- a campus psychologist
- the campus psychologist
- campus psychologists (in general)

Which one is intended depends on context. If you really need to be explicit, you can add words:

seorang psikolog kampus = a campus psychologist (singular, one person)
para psikolog kampus = campus psychologists (group, somewhat formal)
psikolog kampus itu = that / the campus psychologist

In this bare sentence, English speakers usually read it naturally as “the campus psychologist” unless context suggests otherwise.

Should there be a seorang before psikolog? Like: Seorang psikolog kampus menyarankan…?

You can add seorang, but you don’t have to.

Psikolog kampus menyarankan…
→ natural, neutral, could be “the campus psychologist” or “a campus psychologist”
Seorang psikolog kampus menyarankan…
→ explicitly “a campus psychologist” (one person, indefinite)

Use seorang when:

You want to highlight that it’s one person.
You’re introducing this person into the discourse for the first time:
Seorang psikolog kampus menyarankan… Ia juga mengatakan bahwa…

Omitting seorang is totally normal and common, especially in headlines, summaries, or when the person is seen as a known role (like the campus psychologist).

What is the difference between psikolog kampus and psikolog di kampus?

Both can be translated as “campus psychologist,” but they feel a bit different:

psikolog kampus
- Sounds like an official role or position associated with the campus.
- Like “the campus psychologist” employed / assigned by the campus.
psikolog di kampus
- Literally: “psychologist at the campus.”
- More neutral: simply describes location, not necessarily an official campus position.
- Could be any psychologist who happens to be on campus.

So:

psikolog kampus menyarankan… suggests the psychologist whose job is to serve the campus.
psikolog di kampus menyarankan… suggests a psychologist (or psychologists) who are at the campus, maybe visiting or working there.

What does menyarankan mean exactly, and what is the base verb here?

The verb is menyarankan, which means “to recommend” / “to suggest”.

The base form is saran = advice, suggestion (a noun).
With the prefix meN- and suffix -kan, it becomes menyarankan = to give a suggestion (about something).

Pattern:

saran (noun) → menyarankan (verb “to suggest, to recommend”)

Compare:

saran dokter = the doctor’s advice
dokter menyarankan… = the doctor suggests / recommends…

So Psikolog kampus menyarankan… = The campus psychologist recommends / suggests…

Why don’t we say menyarankan untuk meditasi here? Is menyarankan meditasi correct and natural?

Both patterns are possible:

menyarankan meditasi singkat setiap malam
- Here meditasi singkat setiap malam is the direct object of menyarankan.
- Very natural, especially in written or slightly formal Indonesian.
menyarankan untuk meditasi singkat setiap malam
- Uses untuk (“to”) with a verb or verbal phrase.
- Often feels a bit more spoken or softened.
- Many speakers would actually say:
  menyarankan untuk melakukan meditasi singkat setiap malam
  (add melakukan before meditasi)

All are understandable, but your original sentence with menyarankan meditasi singkat setiap malam is correct, clear, and natural.

Could I use bermeditasi instead of meditasi? What would that change?

Yes, you can. The nuance changes a bit:

meditasi = meditation (noun)
bermeditasi = to meditate (verb, with ber-)

So:

Psikolog kampus menyarankan meditasi singkat setiap malam.
→ The campus psychologist recommends short meditation every night.
(focus on the activity as a thing, a practice)
Psikolog kampus menyarankan untuk bermeditasi singkat setiap malam.
→ The campus psychologist recommends meditating briefly every night.
(more explicitly verbal: recommends that you do the action of meditating)

Both are natural. Using the noun (meditasi) as the object is slightly more compact and typical in written style.

What does singkat mean, and why does it go after meditasi?

singkat means “short / brief” (referring to time or length).

Word order:

In Indonesian, adjectives usually come after the noun they modify.

So:

meditasi singkat = short meditation
jalan panjang = long road
cerita lucu = funny story

That’s why it’s meditasi singkat, not singkat meditasi.

What does setiap malam mean exactly, and where can it go in the sentence?

setiap malam means “every night”.

setiap = every / each
malam = night

In your sentence, it comes at the end:

Psikolog kampus menyarankan meditasi singkat setiap malam.

You can sometimes move time expressions in Indonesian, especially to the front or end:

Setiap malam, psikolog kampus menyarankan meditasi singkat.
(More like a narrative style: Every night, the campus psychologist recommends…)
Psikolog kampus menyarankan meditasi singkat setiap malam.
(Neutral, very natural.)

Putting setiap malam anywhere in the middle, e.g. menyarankan setiap malam meditasi singkat, will usually sound awkward. The original position (at the end) is the best here.

How is psikolog pronounced in Indonesian? Is the p silent, like in English psychology?

No, the p is not silent in Indonesian.

psikolog is typically pronounced roughly as:

[psi-ko-log]
- ps: both consonants are pronounced, like “p-s” together
- i: like “ee” in see
- o: like “o” in more (shorter)
- final g: a hard “g” like in go

So more or less: psee-koh-log.

This is different from English, where the “p” in psychologist is silent.

How do I say this in the past (e.g. “The campus psychologist suggested…”) or future (“will suggest”)? There’s no tense marker in menyarankan.

Indonesian verbs generally don’t change form for tense. Menyarankan can mean:

suggested
suggests
will suggest
is suggesting

The time reference comes from context or from time words:

Tadi psikolog kampus menyarankan meditasi singkat setiap malam.
Earlier / just now the campus psychologist suggested… (past)
Kemarin psikolog kampus menyarankan…
Yesterday the campus psychologist suggested… (past)
Besok psikolog kampus akan menyarankan…
Tomorrow the campus psychologist will suggest… (future; akan makes it explicit)

In your bare sentence (without time words), the default English translation is usually present tense:
“The campus psychologist suggests / recommends short meditation every night.”

Is this sentence formal, informal, or neutral? In what context would it sound natural?

The sentence is neutral–formal and fits well in:

Written explanations (articles, brochures, campus website)
Reports, summaries of advice, health information
Narration in a formal or semi-formal context

It’s not slangy or casual, but it’s also not extremely stiff. If you wanted it more formally expanded, you could say:

Psikolog kampus menyarankan agar mahasiswa melakukan meditasi singkat setiap malam.
(The campus psychologist suggests that students do short meditation every night.)

For everyday casual speech, someone might say:

Psikolog kampus nyaranin meditasi singkat tiap malam.
(colloquial: nyaranin from menyarankan, tiap from setiap)

Your original form is good, standard Indonesian.