Saya tidak suka cerita romansa di buku itu.

I don't like the romance story in that book.

Breakdown of Saya tidak suka cerita romansa di buku itu.

• buku: the book
• itu: that
• saya: I
• suka: to like
• di: in
• tidak: not
• cerita: the story
• romansa: the romance

Questions & Answers about Saya tidak suka cerita romansa di buku itu.

What does each word in Saya tidak suka cerita romansa di buku itu correspond to in English, and what is the basic structure of the sentence?

Word-by-word:

• Saya = I (first-person singular pronoun, polite/neutral)
• tidak = not (negator for verbs and adjectives)
• suka = like (verb)
• cerita = story / stories (noun)
• romansa = romance (as a genre / type of story)
• di = in / at / on (preposition of location)
• buku = book (noun)
• itu = that (demonstrative)

Basic structure:
Subject (Saya) + Negator (tidak) + Verb (suka) + Object (cerita romansa) + Prepositional phrase (di buku itu).
So it’s literally: I not like romance story/stories in that book.

Why is tidak used here instead of bukan?

Indonesian has two common ways to say not: tidak and bukan.

• tidak negates:

  • verbs: tidak suka (do not like), tidak makan (do not eat)
  • adjectives: tidak besar (not big)

• bukan negates:

  • nouns: itu bukan buku saya (that is not my book)
  • entire nominal phrases or statements: Saya bukan guru (I am not a teacher)

In Saya tidak suka cerita romansa di buku itu:

• suka is a verb (“to like”),
• so you must use tidak, not bukan.
  Saya bukan suka would be ungrammatical here.

Can I drop Saya and just say Tidak suka cerita romansa di buku itu?

Yes, in everyday Indonesian conversation it is very common to drop the subject when it is clear from context.

• Tidak suka cerita romansa di buku itu.
  = “(I) don’t like the romance story in that book.”

This sounds natural in casual speech, especially if:

• you are already the topic of the conversation, or
• someone has just asked your opinion.

In more formal writing or when you need clarity (for example in an exam sentence), keeping Saya is safer.

Does cerita romansa mean “a romance story” or “romance stories”? Where is the plural?

Indonesian usually does not mark plural with an ending like -s. Number is understood from context.

• cerita romansa can mean:
  • “a romance story”
  • “romance stories”
  • “the romance story / stories”

If you really need to emphasize plurality, you can say:

• banyak cerita romansa = many romance stories
• cerita-cerita romansa = stories of romance (reduplication shows plurality, more common in writing or careful speech)

In your sentence, cerita romansa di buku itu could be interpreted as the romance content or the romance section(s) in that book, singular or plural depending on context.

What is the difference between romansa and romantis? Could I say cerita romantis instead?

Yes, you can say cerita romantis, and it is very common. The nuance:

• romansa: a noun, “romance” as a genre or type of story

  • cerita romansa = “a romance story / romance stories”

• romantis: an adjective, “romantic”

  • cerita romantis = “a romantic story / romantic stories” (stories that are romantic)

In everyday speech:

• cerita romantis is probably more frequent.
• cerita romansa can sound a bit more “literary” or genre-focused (“romance as a category”).

Both are correct; the difference is subtle and mostly stylistic.

Why is the preposition di used in di buku itu? Could I use dalam, pada, or tentang instead?

di is the default preposition for physical or concrete locations and also works for “in (a book)”:

• di buku itu = “in that book” (literally: at/in that book)

Alternatives and their nuances:

• dalam buku itu

  • literally: “inside that book”
  • often a bit more formal or descriptive, but still natural
  • similar meaning to di buku itu, sometimes slightly more “inside the content of…”

• pada buku itu

  • more formal, sounds written or textbook-like
  • often used in academic or official style
  • in ordinary speech people usually prefer di or dalam.

• tentang buku itu

  • means “about that book”, not “in that book”
  • different meaning: Saya tidak suka cerita romansa tentang buku itu = “I don’t like romance stories about that book,” which is probably not what you intend.

For everyday language, di buku itu or dalam buku itu are the natural choices for “in that book.”

Could I change the word order, for example Saya tidak suka di buku itu cerita romansa?

No, that word order is unnatural in Indonesian.

The typical and natural order is:

• Subject – Negator – Verb – Object – Prepositional phrase
• Saya tidak suka cerita romansa di buku itu.

Putting di buku itu before cerita romansa (as in suka di buku itu cerita romansa) would confuse listeners and sound wrong. Prepositional phrases like di buku itu usually come after the object they modify.

Is there a difference between tidak suka and benci?

Yes, there is a difference in intensity:

• tidak suka = “do not like / dislike”

  • relatively mild; can be neutral
  • like English “I don’t really like it”

• benci = “hate”

  • much stronger, emotional dislike

So:

• Saya tidak suka cerita romansa di buku itu.
  = I just don’t like the romance story in that book.

• Saya benci cerita romansa di buku itu.
  = I hate the romance story in that book (very strong).

For polite conversation, tidak suka (or softer versions like kurang suka) is usually preferred.

How can I say this in a softer or more polite way, rather than flatly “I don’t like…”?

You can soften tidak suka in several ways:

• Saya kurang suka cerita romansa di buku itu.
  = I don’t really like / I’m not so fond of the romance story in that book.

• Saya tidak terlalu suka cerita romansa di buku itu.
  = I don’t particularly/especially like the romance story in that book.

• Saya kurang cocok dengan cerita romansa di buku itu.
  = The romance story in that book doesn’t really suit me / isn’t really my thing.

These sound more polite and less blunt than a plain Saya tidak suka….

Can I say Saya tidak suka dengan cerita romansa di buku itu? What does dengan add?

Yes, Saya tidak suka dengan cerita romansa di buku itu is grammatically correct and natural.

• suka can appear:
  • with a direct object: saya suka kopi
  • or with dengan: saya suka dengan kopi

Nuance:

• Saya tidak suka cerita romansa di buku itu.
  = straightforward “I don’t like the romance story in that book.”

• Saya tidak suka dengan cerita romansa di buku itu.
  = similar meaning, but the dengan can sound a bit more relational or slightly more emphatic (like “I don’t like it, in relation to me”).

In many contexts they are interchangeable; the version without dengan is a bit more compact.

What is the difference between Saya and Aku here? Can I say Aku tidak suka cerita romansa di buku itu?

You can say Aku tidak suka cerita romansa di buku itu, and it is grammatically correct.

Differences:

• Saya

  • more polite / formal
  • common in speaking with strangers, in work settings, formal writing, etc.

• Aku

  • more intimate / informal
  • used with friends, family, close relationships, or in casual speech and songs

The rest of the sentence stays the same. Choose Saya or Aku depending on how formal the situation is and how close you are to the listener.

In casual conversation, could I say Gak suka cerita romansa di buku itu instead of Saya tidak suka…?

Yes. In informal spoken Indonesian, people often:

• drop Saya, and
• pronounce tidak as nggak / gak / ga.

So you might hear:

• Gak suka cerita romansa di buku itu.
• Nggak suka cerita romansa di buku itu.

These are very casual, suitable with friends or peers.
For writing, or for polite/formal situations, stick to Saya tidak suka cerita romansa di buku itu.