Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Instrumen musik yang paling saya suka adalah piano, tetapi adik saya memilih gitar band. - The musical instrument I like the most is the piano, but my younger sibling chooses the band guitar.

Without yang, instrumen musik paling saya suka sounds incomplete or unnatural, because Indonesian normally needs yang to link a noun with a descriptive clause after it.

Why is it yang paling saya suka, not yang saya suka paling?

Both yang paling saya suka and yang saya paling suka are grammatically possible, but:

yang paling saya suka is more common and sounds smoother.
paling suka works as one unit: “to like the most.”

You can think of it as:

paling suka = “to most-like” / “to like the most”
saya is the subject inserted between them: saya paling suka = “I like [it] the most.”

Putting paling right before suka (even if saya comes in between) keeps the meaning clear. …saya suka paling is not idiomatic.

What exactly does paling mean here, and how is it used in general?

Paling is a superlative marker: “the most” or “-est.”

In this sentence:

paling suka ≈ “like the most”
yang paling saya suka ≈ “that I like the most”

Typical patterns with paling:

Before adjectives:
- paling besar = biggest / the largest
- paling murah = cheapest
Before/with verbs of liking:
- saya paling suka kopi = I like coffee the most
- film yang paling saya suka = the movie I like the most

Why is adalah used here? Can I omit it?

Adalah works like a linking verb (“is/are”) when you equate one noun phrase with another.

Instrumen musik yang paling saya suka adalah piano
= “The musical instrument I like the most is the piano.”

You can often omit adalah in everyday speech:

Instrumen musik yang paling saya suka piano. (more informal, sounds a bit clipped/formal contexts prefer adalah)

Key points:

Noun = adalah = noun is a classic pattern in writing and formal speech.
You generally don’t use adalah before adjectives in normal sentences:
- Saya capek (not Saya adalah capek).

Why doesn’t Indonesian use “the” or “a/an” in instrumen musik and piano?

Indonesian has no articles like the, a, an. Whether something is specific or general is shown by context or other words, not by a separate article.

So:

Instrumen musik can mean “a musical instrument” or “the musical instrument,” depending on context.
piano can be “a piano,” “the piano,” or even just “piano” (as a general category).

In this sentence, context (and the English translation you were given) decides whether we say the or a in English, but Indonesian doesn’t mark it.

What does adik saya mean exactly? Does it specify brother or sister?

Adik saya literally means my younger sibling.

adik = younger sibling (gender-neutral)
saya = my

If you want to be more specific:

adik laki-laki saya = my younger brother
adik perempuan saya = my younger sister

Also note:

kakak saya = my older sibling (also gender-neutral)

What is the difference between tetapi and tapi?

Both mean but. The difference is mainly formality.

tetapi = more formal, common in writing, speeches, essays.
tapi = informal, very common in spoken Indonesian and casual writing.

Your sentence uses tetapi, so it sounds slightly more formal or neutral. In everyday conversation, many people would say:

… tetapi adik saya memilih gitar band. (neutral/formal)
… tapi adik saya pilih gitar band. (colloquial)

Why is memilih used for “chooses”? Could we use lebih suka instead?

Memilih literally means to choose/select.

adik saya memilih gitar band = my younger sibling chooses the band guitar (as their choice).

If you want to say prefers, you would usually use lebih suka:

adik saya lebih suka gitar band = my younger sibling prefers the band guitar / likes the band guitar more.

So:

memilih → an act of choosing (e.g., picking one option).
lebih suka → expressing preference (liking something more).

Both make sense, but they do not mean exactly the same thing.

What does gitar band mean? Is that natural Indonesian?

Gitar band is commonly understood in Indonesia as a guitar used in a band context, usually implying an electric guitar (as opposed to a classical/acoustic guitar used solo).

More precise terms:

gitar listrik = electric guitar
gitar akustik = acoustic guitar
gitar bass = bass guitar

In casual speech, many people say gitar band to contrast it with, for example, a classical guitar for solo/learning. It’s informal but understandable.

Can I say Instrumen musik favorit saya adalah piano instead?

Yes. That is natural and common.

Instrumen musik favorit saya adalah piano
= “My favorite musical instrument is the piano.”

Difference in nuance:

yang paling saya suka literally highlights “the one I like the most” (using a verb).
favorit saya uses the loanword favorit (from “favorite”), a bit more compact.

Both are fine; choice is mostly style.

Could I change the word order to Saya paling suka instrumen musik piano?

You can say:

Saya paling suka piano. = I like the piano the most.

That’s very natural.

Saya paling suka instrumen musik piano is grammatical but sounds slightly heavy/redundant in everyday speech, because piano is obviously an instrument already. More natural options:

Saya paling suka piano.
Instrumen musik yang paling saya suka adalah piano.

What is the difference between instrumen musik and alat musik?

Both mean musical instrument, but there is a nuance:

instrumen musik
- slightly more formal or technical
- often seen in musical/academic contexts
alat musik
- more everyday, very common in speech
- literally “music tool”

In your sentence, you could say either:

Instrumen musik yang paling saya suka… (a bit formal/neutral)
Alat musik yang paling saya suka… (very natural in casual talk)

Why is it saya suka (active) and not a passive form like yang paling saya sukai or disukai?

Indonesian tends to prefer simple active forms, especially in everyday language.

yang paling saya suka = that I like the most (active, very common)
yang paling saya sukai = that I like the most (more formal, uses -i suffix)
yang paling disukai saya or yang paling saya disukai are awkward; passives are used differently.

So yang paling saya suka is both natural and neutral. yang paling saya sukai is more formal or literary in feel, but also correct.

Why isn’t there any marker showing plural in instrumen musik?

Indonesian often doesn’t mark plural explicitly. Instrumen musik can mean:

“a musical instrument”
“musical instruments”

You only mark plural when you really need to emphasize it, for example:

berbagai instrumen musik = various musical instruments
banyak instrumen musik = many musical instruments

Here, Instrumen musik yang paling saya suka is clearly talking about one instrument (the one liked the most), so context tells us it’s singular.