Log inSign up

Menurut dokter, saya cukup melakukan olahraga ringan di rumah, tanpa harus pergi ke gym.

Menurut dokter, saya cukup melakukan olahraga ringan di rumah, tanpa harus pergi ke gym.
According to the doctor, I only need to do light exercise at home, without having to go to the gym.
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Indonesian grammar and vocabulary.

Start learning Indonesian now

Questions & Answers about Menurut dokter, saya cukup melakukan olahraga ringan di rumah, tanpa harus pergi ke gym.

What does “Menurut dokter” literally mean, and where can I use menurut in other contexts?

Menurut literally means “according to” or “in the opinion of.”

So “Menurut dokter” = “According to the doctor.”
You can use it with people, groups, or sources of authority:

  • Menurut saya = In my opinion / According to me
  • Menurut dia = According to him/her
  • Menurut pemerintah = According to the government
  • Menurut buku ini = According to this book

It always comes before the noun/pronoun: menurut + X.
You can put the phrase at the beginning or end of a sentence:

  • Menurut dokter, saya cukup melakukan …
  • Saya cukup melakukan …, menurut dokter.
Why is there no word for “the” before dokter? How do I know it means “the doctor” and not “a doctor”?

Indonesian generally does not use articles like “a” or “the.” The bare noun dokter can mean “a doctor” or “the doctor” depending on context.

In this sentence, “menurut dokter” is naturally understood as:

  • “According to the doctor (who is treating me / that we both know about)”

If you really want to emphasize “a doctor” (any doctor, not specific), you can say:

  • Menurut seorang dokter = According to a (certain) doctor

But in everyday speech, just dokter is usually enough and context tells you whether it’s specific or general.

What exactly does “cukup” mean here? Is it “enough,” “only,” or “just need to”?

Cukup fundamentally means “enough / sufficient.”

In the pattern “cukup + verb”, it often carries the meaning “(just) need to / only have to”:

  • Kamu cukup tekan tombol ini.
    You just need to press this button.
  • Saya cukup istirahat di rumah.
    I just need to rest at home / Resting at home is enough.

In your sentence:

  • Saya cukup melakukan olahraga ringan di rumah

= Doing light exercise at home is enough for me
= I only need to do light exercise at home

So it combines the ideas of sufficiency (this is enough) and limited requirement (I only need to do this, no more).

Why is it “melakukan olahraga”? Could I just say “olahraga” or “berolahraga” instead?

All of these are possible, with slightly different feel:

  1. melakukan olahraga ringan

    • Literally: “to do light exercise.”
    • melakukan = to do / to carry out (a noun-like activity)
    • Sounds a bit more formal or careful, but still natural.

  2. berolahraga ringan

    • berolahraga = to exercise (verb)
    • Very natural and slightly more concise:
      • Menurut dokter, saya cukup berolahraga ringan di rumah…

  3. olahraga ringan di rumah (without a verb)

    • In casual speech, people sometimes drop melakukan/ber- and just say:
      • Saya cukup olahraga ringan di rumah.
    • This is colloquial, but very common in everyday conversation.

So:

  • Formal / neutral: melakukan olahraga or berolahraga
  • Casual: just olahraga as a verb-like word
Why is it “olahraga ringan” and not “ringan olahraga”? Where do adjectives go?

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

  • olahraga ringan = light exercise
    • olahraga (noun) + ringan (adjective)
  • rumah besar = big house
  • baju merah = red shirt

So “ringan olahraga” is incorrect in this context. The normal pattern is:

noun + adjective

Could I say “olahraga yang ringan” instead of “olahraga ringan”? Is there any difference?

You can say olahraga yang ringan, but there is a nuance:

  • olahraga ringan

    • Simple “light exercise” as a general type.

  • olahraga yang ringan

    • Literally: “exercise that is light.”
    • Sounds slightly more descriptive or contrastive, like you’re picking out the kind of exercise that is light (as opposed to heavy).

In most neutral sentences like this, olahraga ringan is more natural and straightforward.

What does “tanpa harus” add? Why not just “tanpa pergi ke gym”?
  • tanpa = without
  • harus = must / have to

So:

  • tanpa pergi ke gym
    = without going to the gym (simply “not going”)

  • tanpa harus pergi ke gym
    = without having to go to the gym
    = there is no obligation / no need to go to the gym

The phrase “tanpa harus” emphasizes “without the necessity / without being required to.”

In your sentence, it highlights that going to the gym is not necessary for your condition, not just that you happen not to go.

Can I drop “harus” and say “saya cukup melakukan olahraga ringan di rumah, tanpa pergi ke gym”?

Yes, that sentence is grammatically correct:

  • Menurut dokter, saya cukup melakukan olahraga ringan di rumah, tanpa pergi ke gym.

Meaning: According to the doctor, I can just do light exercise at home, without going to the gym.

However, the nuance changes slightly:

  • With tanpa harus:
    Emphasizes “I don’t have to / I’m not required to go to the gym.”

  • With just tanpa:
    Emphasizes simply “not going to the gym.”

In everyday speech, both forms are common; “tanpa harus” just makes the “no need to” idea a bit clearer.

Is “pergi” necessary before “ke gym”? Could I say “tanpa harus ke gym”?

You can omit pergi in casual speech:

  • tanpa harus pergi ke gym (more explicit)
  • tanpa harus ke gym (more casual, very common)

Indonesians often drop pergi when movement is clear from ke (“to”):

  • Saya ke kantor dulu. = I’m going to the office (now).
  • Mau ke mana? = Where are you going?

So:

  • Formal / careful: tanpa harus pergi ke gym
  • Natural casual speech: tanpa harus ke gym
Is “gym” the normal word in Indonesian? How is it pronounced, and are there more formal alternatives?

Yes, “gym” is very common in modern Indonesian, especially in cities.

  • Pronunciation: usually like “jim” (with an Indonesian g = hard “g” but people follow the English spelling, so they say /jim/).
  • You’ll hear people say:
    • Aku mau ke gym.
    • Dia rutin nge-gym. (“nge-gym” = to go to the gym, casual)

More formal or Indonesian-sounding alternatives:

  • pusat kebugaran = fitness center
  • tempat fitness / tempat fitnes = fitness place (semi-Indonesian)
  • tempat olahraga = sports/exercise place (more general)

In your sentence, “gym” is perfectly natural.

Could I move “menurut dokter” to the end of the sentence? Does that change the meaning?

Yes, you can say:

  • Saya cukup melakukan olahraga ringan di rumah, tanpa harus pergi ke gym, menurut dokter.

The basic meaning is the same, but the focus shifts slightly:

  • Menurut dokter, … at the start:

    • Sets the frame: “According to the doctor, here is what applies.”
    • Feels a bit more formal or report-like.

  • …, menurut dokter. at the end:

    • Feels more like an afterthought or clarification:
      “…, according to the doctor.”

Both are correct; the original version is slightly more standard and clear in structure.

How formal is this sentence? How would it sound in more casual Indonesian?

The original sentence is neutral–polite:

  • Menurut dokter, saya cukup melakukan olahraga ringan di rumah, tanpa harus pergi ke gym.

A common more casual version might be:

  • Kata dokter, aku cukup olahraga ringan di rumah, nggak usah ke gym.

Changes:

  • Menurut dokter → Kata dokter (according to the doctor → the doctor said)
  • saya → aku (more informal “I”)
  • Drop melakukan, just olahraga
  • tanpa harus → nggak usah / tidak usah (don’t need to)

So you can adjust formality by choosing saya/aku, menurut/kata, and the verb forms.

Could I replace “saya” with “aku” here? What’s the difference?

Yes, grammatically you can:

  • Menurut dokter, aku cukup melakukan olahraga ringan di rumah, tanpa harus pergi ke gym.

Difference:

  • saya

    • More formal / polite / neutral
    • Used with strangers, in writing, in polite conversations, at the doctor’s office, etc.

  • aku

    • More informal / intimate
    • Used with friends, family, people your age, in casual chat.

In a sentence you report to a friend, aku is very natural.
In something like a doctor’s note or formal writing, saya is safer.