Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Layar sentuh di tablet memudahkan saya menggambar diagram alur untuk kode saya. - The touch screen on the tablet makes it easier for me to draw flow diagrams for my code.

layar = screen
sentuh = touch
layar sentuh = touchscreen
di = at / in / on (location preposition)
tablet = tablet (device)
di tablet = on the tablet
memudahkan = to make (something) easier, to facilitate
- from mudah (easy) + prefix meN-
  - suffix -kan
saya = I / me (formal, neutral)
menggambar = to draw (from gambar = picture)
diagram alur = flowchart / flow diagram
- diagram = diagram
- alur = flow, sequence
untuk = for (for the purpose of)
kode = code (e.g. computer code)
kode saya = my code

Full sense: “The touchscreen on the tablet makes it easier for me to draw flow diagrams for my code.”

Why is it “layar sentuh” and not something like “layar sentuhan” or “layar yang bisa disentuh”?

In Indonesian, a common pattern for naming devices or tools is:

noun + verb root = a thing that can be VERB‑ed

Examples:

mesin cuci = washing machine (machine + wash)
setrika uap = steam iron (iron + steam)
mesin fotokopi = photocopier (machine + copy)

So:

layar = screen
sentuh = touch

layar sentuh literally = “screen touch”, but idiomatically = touchscreen.

You could say layar yang bisa disentuh (“a screen that can be touched”), but that’s a descriptive phrase, not the standard compact name.
“Layar sentuhan” sounds odd; sentuhan (with -an) usually means a touch (the act/result), not a capability.

What exactly does “memudahkan” mean and how is it built?

memudahkan comes from the adjective mudah (easy).

meN- (here me- before m) + mudah
- -kan → memudahkan

Meaning:

memudahkan X (to do Y) = to make it easier for X (to do Y) / to facilitate X (doing Y)

So in the sentence:

layar sentuh di tablet memudahkan saya menggambar…
= “the touchscreen on the tablet makes it easier for me to draw…”

The typical pattern is:

A memudahkan B (untuk) VERB
= A makes it easier for B to VERB.

Is there a difference between “memudahkan”, “mempermudah”, and “membuat … lebih mudah”?

They are very close in meaning and often interchangeable:

memudahkan
- Short, very common.
- Neutral; works in everyday speech and writing.
- Layar sentuh memudahkan saya menggambar.
mempermudah
- Also “to make easier / to simplify”.
- Slight nuance: can sound a bit more formal or technical, but in practice people switch between them.
- Layar sentuh mempermudah saya menggambar.
membuat … lebih mudah
- Literally “makes … easier”.
- Slightly longer and more explicit.
- Layar sentuh membuat saya menggambar diagram alur lebih mudah.

In this sentence, any of the three could be used with small wording adjustments, but memudahkan is concise and very natural.

Grammatically, what is the object of “memudahkan” here?

Structure:

Subject: layar sentuh di tablet
Verb: memudahkan
Object / affected person: saya
What I do: menggambar diagram alur untuk kode saya

So the pattern is:

[Thing] memudahkan [person] (to) [do something].

Here:

memudahkan saya = makes me find it easier
menggambar diagram alur… = what I find easier to do

You can think of it as:

“The touchscreen on the tablet facilitates me in drawing flow diagrams for my code.”

Why is there no “untuk” before “menggambar” (i.e. why not “memudahkan saya untuk menggambar …”)?

Both forms are possible:

memudahkan saya menggambar…
memudahkan saya untuk menggambar…

In everyday Indonesian:

The “untuk” after memudahkan saya is optional.
Omitting it (as in the sentence) is very common and natural.

Subtle nuance:

Adding untuk can sound slightly more formal or explicit:
- Program ini memudahkan saya untuk mengelola data.
But in speech and normal writing, memudahkan saya VERB is perfectly standard.

Why is “di tablet” used? Could I say “pada tablet” or just drop the preposition?

di tablet = on the tablet (as a location/device)
- Very common in everyday Indonesian for devices:
  di komputer, di HP, di laptop, di tablet.
pada tablet
- More formal; used more in official or technical writing.
- Still correct, just less casual.
Without a preposition:
layar sentuh tablet can also be interpreted as “the tablet’s touchscreen” (like a compound noun).
That would be grammatical, but it slightly shifts the feel from “the touchscreen on the tablet” to “the tablet touchscreen” as a unit.

In most neutral contexts, di tablet is the most natural choice.

Why is “saya” used twice: “memudahkan saya menggambar … untuk kode saya”? Is that redundant?

Each saya has a different role:

memudahkan saya
- saya = me (object of memudahkan)
untuk kode saya
- saya = my (possessor of kode: my code)

You could avoid repeating saya in various ways, e.g.:

memudahkan saya menggambar diagram alur untuk kode itu.
(“…for that code.”)
Or change only the second one to a different pronoun style:
untuk kodeku (more informal).

But as written, the repetition is normal and not considered bad style in Indonesian. It’s just explicit.

What is the nuance of “diagram alur”? Is it specifically a programming flowchart?

diagram alur literally means “flow diagram” / “flowchart”.

alur = flow, sequence, path (of events, logic, etc.).
diagram alur is often used for:
- programming flowcharts
- process diagrams
- workflow diagrams

So in a programming context, diagram alur is a natural way to say flowchart.
There is also “diagram alir” in some technical literature; diagram alur and diagram alir are both used, with alur often sounding a bit more general / everyday.

How is “menggambar” formed, and is it different from just “gambar”?

gambar (noun) = picture / drawing
menggambar (verb) = to draw

Formation:

meN-
- gambar → menggambar
  - The meN- prefix (here meng-) turns the root into an active verb.

Usage:

Saya menggambar diagram alur. = I draw a flowchart.
Gambar ini bagus. = This picture is good.

So menggambar is the action “to draw,” while gambar is mainly the result (the picture), though in some casual contexts you’ll hear things like lagi gambar (“[I’m] drawing”) where gambar acts like a verb in shorthand speech.

Can I use “aku” instead of “saya” here?

Yes, but it changes the level of formality:

saya = formal/neutral “I, me”
- Safe in almost all situations: speaking to strangers, older people, in writing, etc.
aku = informal “I, me”
- Common with friends, family, casual contexts.

So the sentence could become:

Layar sentuh di tablet memudahkan aku menggambar diagram alur untuk kodeku.

Note you’d normally also switch kode saya → kodeku to be consistent with the informal pronoun:

saya → … saya
aku → … ku (attached) or punya aku

Does this sentence specify tense (past, present, future)? How do Indonesians know when it happened?

Indonesian verbs don’t change form for tense.
memudahkan, menggambar, etc. do not show past/present/future by themselves.

The sentence can mean:

The touchscreen makes it easier for me… (general present)
The touchscreen made it easier for me… (past, if context is past)
The touchscreen will make it easier for me… (future, with the right context)

If you want to be explicit, you add time words:

Kemarin layar sentuh di tablet memudahkan saya…
= Yesterday, the touchscreen made it easier…
Besok layar sentuh di tablet akan memudahkan saya…
= Tomorrow, the touchscreen will make it easier…

But as written, it’s a timeless or context‑dependent statement.