Kami suka makanan asli pulau itu.

We like the original food of that island.

Breakdown of Kami suka makanan asli pulau itu.

• itu: that
• suka: to like
• kami: we
• makanan: the food
• pulau: the island
• asli: real

Questions & Answers about Kami suka makanan asli pulau itu.

What is the difference between kami and kita, and why is kami used here?

Indonesian has two ways to say we:

• kami = we (excluding the listener)

  • Used when the group does not include the person you are speaking to.
  • Example: You and your friends are talking to a waiter:
    
    • Kami suka makanan asli pulau itu.
      = We (my group, not including you) like the original food of that island.

• kita = we (including the listener)

  • Used when the group does include the person you are speaking to.
  • Example: You and your friend, who is also from that island, talking together:
    
    • Kita suka makanan asli pulau itu.
      = We (you and I) like the original food of that island.

In the given sentence, kami is used because the speaker is talking about their group, and the listener is not part of that group.

How do we know the tense of suka? Could this mean “liked” or “will like”?

Indonesian verbs usually do not change form for tense. The verb suka just means like, and the tense is understood from context.

• Present:

  • Sekarang kami suka makanan asli pulau itu.
    = Now we like the original food of that island.

• Past:

  • Dulu kami suka makanan asli pulau itu.
    = We used to like / We liked the original food of that island.

• Future:

  • Nanti kami akan suka makanan asli pulau itu.
    = Later we will like the original food of that island.

In your sentence without any time word, the default understanding is usually present (“we like”), unless the broader context suggests otherwise.

Why isn’t there a word for the in the Indonesian sentence?

Indonesian does not have articles like a/an/the. Nouns like makanan can mean:

• food
• the food
• foods / the foods

The exact meaning comes from context, not from a separate word.

In makanan asli pulau itu, you understand the original food of that island because:

• pulau itu = that island / the island (specific)
• So the whole phrase is understood as something specific: the original food associated with that specific island.

There is no separate equivalent of the; Indonesian uses context, words like itu/ini, or other information to show specificity.

What does itu mean in pulau itu, and is it more like “that island” or “the island”?

Itu literally means that, but in many contexts it works like English that or the, depending on the situation.

• pulau itu can be:
  • that island (when you are distinguishing it from other islands, or pointing at it)
  • the island (when both speaker and listener already know which island is being talked about)

In your sentence, pulau itu most naturally feels like:

• that island if you are contrasting it with other islands, or
• the island if the island is already clearly known in the conversation.

Both translations are possible; Indonesian relies on context more than on a strict that/the distinction.

Why is the word order makanan asli pulau itu and not asli makanan pulau itu?

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

Basic pattern:

• noun + adjective

Examples:

• makanan enak = delicious food
• pulau kecil = small island
• baju baru = new shirt

So:

• makanan asli pulau itu
  = food that is original/authentic (to) that island

If you say asli makanan pulau itu, it sounds unnatural as a noun phrase. Asli is not used in front the same way as original sometimes can be in English. To emphasize asli, you might restructure the sentence, but not just swap the word order like in English.

What exactly does asli mean here? Is it “original”, “authentic”, or “local”?

Asli has a meaning close to:

• original
• authentic
• native / genuinely from there

In makanan asli pulau itu, it means the food that is truly from that island, not an imitation or something brought from somewhere else.

Depending on context, it can be translated as:

• authentic food of that island
• traditional food of that island
• original food from that island

In everyday English, authentic local food from that island is a good natural translation of the idea.

How does Indonesian show “of that island” in makanan asli pulau itu without using of?

Indonesian often expresses “of/from/belonging to” by simply putting nouns next to each other, like:

• makanan pulau itu
  literally: island-that food
  meaning: food of that island

In your phrase:

• makanan = food
• asli = authentic/original
• pulau itu = that island
• makanan asli pulau itu = authentic food (of/from) that island

There is no need for a word like “of”. The relationship is understood because pulau itu follows the noun phrase makanan asli.

If you want to be very explicit about origin, you can say:

• makanan asli dari pulau itu
  = authentic food from that island

Here dari literally means from.

Could I say Kami suka makanan dari pulau itu instead? What’s the difference?

Yes, you can say:

• Kami suka makanan dari pulau itu.
  = We like food from that island.

Differences in nuance:

• makanan asli pulau itu

  • Focus on authentic/original local specialties.
  • Implies traditional or genuinely local dishes.

• makanan dari pulau itu

  • More neutral: simply food that comes from that island.
  • Could be anything produced or sent from there, not necessarily traditional or authentic.

So asli emphasizes authenticity, while dari just marks origin/source.

Does suka need a word like “to” after it, like “like to eat”? Why is it just suka makanan?

The verb suka directly takes its object; you do not use a preposition like to or at after it.

Pattern:

• subject + suka + noun
  • Kami suka makanan. = We like food.
  • Dia suka musik. = He/She likes music.
  • Mereka suka kopi. = They like coffee.

If you want to say like to do something, you usually use suka + verb:

• Kami suka makan. = We like to eat.
• Dia suka memasak. = He/She likes to cook.

In your sentence, makanan is a noun, so Kami suka makanan asli pulau itu is correct and complete.

Can makanan be singular or plural? How do we know if it means “food” or “foods”?

Makanan by itself does not show singular or plural. It can mean:

• food (uncountable)
• a food / a dish
• foods / dishes

Indonesian generally does not mark plural unless it is needed.

To make it clearly plural, you can:

• Reduplicate the noun: makanan-makanan (sounds formal/written)
• Add a number or word of quantity:
  • banyak makanan = many kinds of food
  • beberapa makanan = several foods/dishes

In your sentence, Kami suka makanan asli pulau itu is naturally understood as:

• We like the authentic food from that island,
  possibly implying various dishes, but the grammar itself doesn’t force singular or plural.

Is it okay to drop kami and just say Suka makanan asli pulau itu?

Yes, you can drop kami in many real-life situations if the subject is clear from context. Indonesian often omits subject pronouns when they are obvious.

• Kami suka makanan asli pulau itu.
  (full, explicit)

• Suka makanan asli pulau itu.
  (sounds like “[We/they/I/etc.] like the authentic food of that island,” with the subject understood from context)

However:

• In a textbook or isolated sentence, Kami suka… is clearer.
• In conversation, once it is already known who we refers to, speakers might shorten it to Suka makanan asli pulau itu for brevity.

So it’s grammatically fine, but whether it’s clear depends on context.

Could I use menyukai instead of suka? What is the difference?

You could say:

• Kami menyukai makanan asli pulau itu.

This is grammatical, but there is a nuance:

• suka

  • Very common, neutral, everyday word for like.
  • Natural in almost all spoken and written contexts.

• menyukai

  • More formal or literary.
  • Feels a bit stronger or more deliberate, closer to to be fond of / to favor.
  • More common in written language, news, articles, or formal speech.

In normal conversation, Kami suka makanan asli pulau itu sounds more natural.