Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Di akhir hari, saya merasa tenang.

It can also be used similarly to the English idiom “at the end of the day” meaning “ultimately / when all is said and done,” but in Indonesian that figurative use is less fixed and depends more on context and tone.

Literal: Di akhir hari, saya merasa tenang. = At the end of the day (in the evening), I feel calm.
Figurative (possible, but context needed): Di akhir hari, yang penting kita sehat. = At the end of the day, what matters is that we’re healthy.

Without extra context, most learners should first understand it literally here.

Why is the preposition di used in di akhir hari instead of pada? Can I say pada akhir hari?

Both di akhir hari and pada akhir hari are grammatically correct.

di is a very common, neutral preposition for locations in space or time, often translated as “at / in / on”.
pada is a bit more formal or bookish in many contexts and is often used in writing, schedules, or more formal speech to mark time.

In this sentence:

Di akhir hari, saya merasa tenang. – perfectly natural, neutral, and very common in speech.
Pada akhir hari, saya merasa tenang. – sounds a bit more formal or written.

In everyday conversation, di akhir hari is more typical.

Can I move di akhir hari to the end and say Saya merasa tenang di akhir hari? Which word order is more natural?

Yes, you can say:

Di akhir hari, saya merasa tenang.
Saya merasa tenang di akhir hari.

Both are correct and natural.

Nuance:

Starting with Di akhir hari, … puts more emphasis on the time frame (you’re highlighting when).
Ending with … di akhir hari sounds a bit more neutral and conversational for many speakers.

In speech, Saya merasa tenang di akhir hari is probably slightly more common. In writing, both orders are fine; the original one with the comma is also very typical.

What’s the difference between saya and aku here? Could I say Di akhir hari, aku merasa tenang?

You can absolutely say:

Di akhir hari, aku merasa tenang.

The sentence stays grammatically correct; only the pronoun style changes.

Basic difference:

saya – more formal/polite, or neutral. Good for talking to strangers, in public, in professional contexts, or in writing.
aku – more informal/intimate. Used with friends, family, people your age or younger, and in casual speech.

So:

Di akhir hari, saya merasa tenang. – polite/neutral.
Di akhir hari, aku merasa tenang. – casual/intimate.

Choose based on who you are talking to and the register you want.

What does merasa mean exactly, and could I just say saya tenang instead of saya merasa tenang?

merasa is a verb meaning “to feel” (emotionally or physically).

saya merasa tenang = “I feel calm.”
saya tenang = “I am calm.”

Both are correct, but there is a nuance:

Saya merasa tenang focuses on the experience of feeling that calmness; it’s slightly more explicit and sometimes a bit more reflective.
Saya tenang simply states your state/condition; it’s a bit shorter and more direct.

In this sentence, you could say:

Di akhir hari, saya merasa tenang. (At the end of the day, I feel calm.)
Di akhir hari, saya tenang. (At the end of the day, I am calm.)

Both are natural; merasa just makes the “feeling” aspect more explicit.

What kind of word is tenang? Is it an adjective, and does it only mean “calm”?

tenang is primarily an adjective, meaning:

calm, peaceful, tranquil, quiet (depending on context).

Examples:

Suasana di desa itu sangat tenang. = The atmosphere in that village is very calm/peaceful.
Dia tetap tenang dalam situasi sulit. = He/She stays calm in difficult situations.

It can sometimes be used more broadly:

To describe a person’s mood: calm, not anxious.
To describe a place: quiet, peaceful (not noisy or chaotic).
To describe movement: not turbulent (e.g., air yang tenang, “calm air”).

So in saya merasa tenang, it’s “I feel calm/at peace.”

Are there more casual or alternative ways to say “I feel calm/relaxed” instead of saya merasa tenang?

Yes, there are several common alternatives, especially in casual Indonesian:

Saya merasa santai. – I feel relaxed (more like “chilled out”).
Saya merasa rileks. – I feel relaxed (loan from English “relaxed”; often spelled relaks too).
Saya santai saja. – I’m just relaxed / I’m taking it easy.
Saya merasa damai. – I feel at peace (more “peaceful” in an emotional/spiritual sense).

If you want something very casual with aku:

Di akhir hari, aku santai saja.
Di akhir hari, aku merasa rileks.

How do Indonesians show that something happened in the past, like “I felt calm (yesterday)” if the verb form doesn’t change?

Indonesian verbs don’t change form for past, present, or future. Tense is usually shown by time words or context.

To clearly show past time, you add a time expression:

Kemarin di akhir hari, saya merasa tenang.
= Yesterday at the end of the day, I felt calm.

Without a time word, Di akhir hari, saya merasa tenang could be:

A general routine: “At the end of the day, I (usually) feel calm.”
About a specific day, if the context makes that clear.

So: the verb merasa stays the same, and you add words like:

kemarin (yesterday)
tadi malam (last night)
tadi (earlier)
waktu itu (at that time)
to make it clearly past.

How do you pronounce Di akhir hari, saya merasa tenang? Any tricky sounds for English speakers?

Rough pronunciation (using English-friendly hints):

Di – “dee”
akhir – “AH-kheer”
- kh is like the ch in Scottish “loch” or German “Bach” (a throaty sound), but many speakers pronounce it close to “akir”.
hari – “HA-ree”
saya – “SAH-yah”
merasa – “muh-RAH-sah”
tenang – “tuh-NANG”
- ng is like the final sound in “sing”.

Stress is usually on the second-to-last syllable:

di Akhir HAri, SAya meRAsa teNANG.

Indonesian vowel sounds are generally pure (not diphthongs), so keep them short and clear: a, i, u, e, o.

Is this sentence formal, informal, or neutral? In what situations would it be natural to say Di akhir hari, saya merasa tenang?

The sentence is neutral to slightly formal because of saya and the somewhat reflective wording with merasa.

Where it fits naturally:

In a conversation where you’re describing your daily routine or feelings, even with acquaintances.
In writing: diaries, blogs, essays, or reflective texts.
In a semi-formal or formal context (talking to someone you respect, or in an interview) it is still perfectly appropriate.

If you were speaking casually to a close friend, you might more typically say:

Di akhir hari, aku merasa tenang.
Di akhir hari, aku santai aja.

But the original sentence is widely usable and sounds natural.