Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Saya suka buku astronomi.

In your sentence, Saya suka buku astronomi., using saya makes it sound neutral and a bit polite. With a friend, you might say Aku suka buku astronomi. instead. The meaning is the same; only the tone/formality changes.

Does suka mean “like” or “love”? How strong is it?

Suka is closest to English “like”. It expresses liking or enjoying something, not deep love.

Saya suka buku astronomi. = I like / enjoy astronomy books.
For strong love (romantic or very deep), Indonesian uses cinta (romantic, deep) or sayang (affection, fondness).

You normally wouldn’t say Saya cinta buku astronomi. unless you’re exaggerating for effect. For normal preferences (food, hobbies, books, movies), suka is the standard verb.

Why is it buku astronomi and not astronomi buku?

In Indonesian, the main noun comes first, and the word that describes or specifies it comes after:

buku astronomi = astronomy book (literally: book astronomy)
buku sejarah = history book
buku bahasa Indonesia = Indonesian language book

So astronomi functions like a modifier of buku.
Astronomi buku would be wrong – modifiers do not go in front of the noun like in English.

Does buku astronomi mean “an astronomy book”, “the astronomy book”, or “astronomy books”?

On its own, buku astronomi is neutral about number and definiteness. It can mean:

an astronomy book
the astronomy book
astronomy books (in general)

Context decides which translation is right. Indonesian usually doesn’t mark:

a / an / the (no articles)
singular vs plural, unless you need to be very clear.

To make it clearly plural, you can say:

banyak buku astronomi = many astronomy books
beberapa buku astronomi = several astronomy books

But in general statements like Saya suka buku astronomi., English will usually translate it as “I like astronomy books.”

So how would I say “I like this astronomy book” or “I like these astronomy books”?

You add ini (this / these) or itu (that / those) after the noun phrase:

Saya suka buku astronomi ini.
= I like this astronomy book / I like these astronomy books (here).
Saya suka buku astronomi itu.
= I like that astronomy book / I like those astronomy books (there).

Again, ini / itu can be singular or plural; context and sometimes gestures decide which.

Can I drop saya and just say Suka buku astronomi?

Yes, in casual conversation Indonesians often drop the subject pronoun if it’s obvious from context. So:

(Saya) suka buku astronomi.

could be perfectly fine in the right context, especially in speech or texting.

However:

In formal writing or when you’re learning, it’s safer to keep saya.
If there’s any chance of confusion about who likes astronomy books, keep the pronoun.

Do I need to change suka for past, present, or future? How do tenses work here?

In Indonesian, verbs like suka do not change form for tense. Saya suka buku astronomi. could mean:

I like astronomy books. (general, now)
I liked astronomy books. (e.g. when talking about the past, if context shows that)
I will like astronomy books. is less natural, but future can also come from context.

To make time explicit, you add time words:

Dulu saya suka buku astronomi.
= I used to like astronomy books.
Sekarang saya suka buku astronomi.
= Now I like astronomy books.
Nanti saya mungkin suka buku astronomi.
= Later I might like astronomy books.

Is buku astronomi “books about astronomy” or “books of astronomy”? Is it natural?

Buku astronomi is the normal, natural way to say “astronomy books” or “books about astronomy”.

If you want to spell out “about”, you can also say:

buku tentang astronomi = books about astronomy

Both are correct.

Buku astronomi often sounds like subject-area or textbook-style books.
Buku tentang astronomi can emphasize “about the topic of astronomy”, maybe broader (could include popular science books, etc.).

Is astronomi a noun or an adjective in this phrase?

In Indonesian grammar terms, astronomi is a noun (the field of astronomy). But Indonesian freely uses noun + noun structures where the second noun narrows down the first:

buku astronomi = astronomy book
buku fisika = physics book
buku anak = children’s book
buku resep = recipe book

So although astronomi is a noun, in this position it functions like a modifier of the noun buku.

How do I pronounce Saya suka buku astronomi?

Approximate pronunciation (stressed syllable in CAPS):

Saya = SA-ya (SA like “sa” in “salsa”, ya like “yah”)
suka = SU-ka (SU like “soo”, ka like “car” without the r)
buku = BU-ku (BU like “boo”, ku like “koo”)
astronomi = as-tro-NO-mi (as-tro-NO-mee, stress on NO)

Indonesian vowels are generally pure and short:

a like a in “father”
u like oo in “food”
o often like o in “or”
i like ee in “see”

How would I turn this into a question like “Do you like astronomy books?”?

You mainly change the subject and intonation; you don’t need a special “do” word like English.

Some options:

Kamu suka buku astronomi?
Apakah kamu suka buku astronomi? (a bit more formal / textbook style)
Anda suka buku astronomi? (formal “you”)

All of these can mean “Do you like astronomy books?”
The word apakah is optional; adding it makes it sound more like a clear yes-no question, especially in writing or formal speech.

Can I use suka with verbs too, like “I like reading astronomy books”?

Yes. You put suka before the verb:

Saya suka membaca buku astronomi.
= I like reading astronomy books.

Pattern:

Saya suka [verb] [object].
- Saya suka makan. = I like eating.
- Saya suka belajar bahasa. = I like studying languages.

So suka can take a noun (buku astronomi) or a verb phrase (membaca buku astronomi) as its object.