Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Saya suka latihan yang menguatkan logika dan kepercayaan diri. - I like exercises that strengthen logic and self-confidence.

It expresses general liking or preference, not something very intense.
You can translate the whole sentence as: “I like exercises that strengthen logic and self-confidence.”
For slightly stronger or more formal nuance, you might sometimes see:
- Saya senang latihan … – I’m happy (when I do) exercises …
- Saya gemar latihan … – I am fond of / I enjoy (doing) exercises … (a bit more formal/literary).

In everyday speech, “Saya suka …” is the most neutral and common way to say “I like …”.

Is “latihan” singular or plural? Does it mean “exercise” or “exercises”?

Indonesian usually doesn’t mark singular vs. plural the way English does.

“latihan” can mean “exercise” (singular) or “exercises” (plural), depending on context.
In this sentence, “latihan” is best understood as “exercises/practice activities” in general.

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

banyak latihan – many exercises
berbagai latihan – various exercises
latihan-latihan – exercises (reduplication to show plurality, often in writing or more formal contexts)

Why do we need “yang” before “menguatkan”?

“yang” introduces a relative clause (a “that/which/who” clause) that describes the noun before it.

latihan yang menguatkan logika dan kepercayaan diri
literally: “exercises that strengthen logic and self-confidence”

Structure:

latihan – noun (“exercises”)
yang menguatkan logika dan kepercayaan diri – clause describing which exercises

Without “yang”, the sentence would be ungrammatical or confusing.
You must use “yang” when a clause (with a verb) modifies a noun like this.

What exactly does “menguatkan” mean, and how is it formed?

“menguatkan” comes from the adjective kuat (strong).

Morphology:

kuat – strong
meN- + kuat + -kan → menguatkan – to strengthen / to make something strong(er)

So:

menguatkan X = to strengthen X / to make X stronger

In this sentence:

menguatkan logika dan kepercayaan diri
= strengthen (one’s) logic and self-confidence

It is a transitive verb: it takes an object (here, logika and kepercayaan diri).

Could I say “latihan yang melatih logika dan kepercayaan diri” instead? What’s the difference between “menguatkan” and “melatih”?

You can say:

Saya suka latihan yang melatih logika dan kepercayaan diri.

It is grammatically correct, but the nuance changes slightly:

menguatkan – to strengthen
- Focus on making something stronger, more solid, more robust.
melatih – to train
- Focus on the training/practicing process itself.

In this context:

menguatkan logika – exercises that strengthen your logical ability (make it more solid).
melatih logika – exercises that train your logical ability (give you practice using it).

Both are natural; “menguatkan” may sound a bit more result-oriented (strength), “melatih” more process-oriented (training).

Is “logika” used the same way as “logic” in English?

“logika” is very close in meaning to English “logic”.

Common uses:

logika – logic; logical thinking in general
Often appears in contexts like:
- logika matematika – mathematical logic
- logika berpikir – logical way of thinking

In this sentence, “menguatkan logika” is best understood as:

“strengthen logical thinking” or “improve one’s ability to think logically”

You could also express a similar idea using:

cara berpikir logis – a logical way of thinking

What is the difference between “kepercayaan diri” and “percaya diri”?

Both relate to self-confidence, but they’re used somewhat differently.

percaya diri (adjective / predicate) – self-confident
- Dia sangat percaya diri. – He/She is very self-confident.
kepercayaan diri (noun phrase) – self-confidence (the quality itself)
- Kepercayaan diri itu penting. – Self-confidence is important.
- menguatkan kepercayaan diri – strengthen (one’s) self-confidence

Formally:

percaya – to believe
ke- + percaya + -an → kepercayaan – belief, trust
kepercayaan diri – literally belief in self → self-confidence

So in this sentence you need the noun “self-confidence,” not the adjective “self-confident,” so “kepercayaan diri” is correct.

Why isn’t there a word for “my” before “logika” and “kepercayaan diri”?

Indonesian often omits possessive pronouns (my, your, etc.) when context makes them obvious.

English: my logic, my self-confidence
Indonesian: just logika and kepercayaan diri

The listener naturally understands that it’s your own logic and self-confidence being strengthened.

If you really want to emphasize possession, you can say:

logika saya – my logic
kepercayaan diri saya – my self-confidence

So a longer version could be:

Saya suka latihan yang menguatkan logika saya dan kepercayaan diri saya.

But in normal, natural speech, this is usually shortened as in the original sentence.

Can “latihan” also be a verb like “to practice”? Why is it a noun here?

“latihan” is primarily a noun: exercise, practice, training.

latihan – exercise / practice (noun)
berlatih – to practice (verb)
melatih – to train (someone/something) (verb)

In this sentence:

Saya suka latihan …
= I like exercises/practice … (noun)

If you wanted to use a verb, you might say:

Saya suka berlatih. – I like to practice.
Saya suka berlatih untuk menguatkan logika dan kepercayaan diri.
– I like to practice to strengthen my logic and self-confidence.

But as written, “latihan” is clearly a thing you like (a noun).

Is this sentence formal, informal, or neutral? Can I use “Saya suka latihan yang menguatkan logika dan kepercayaan diri” in most situations?

The sentence is neutral and polite, so it’s safe in most contexts:

Spoken: in everyday conversation, in class, in a seminar.
Written: in an essay, text message, social media, or a simple formal text.

Reasons:

Saya is the neutral polite “I”.
All vocabulary (suka, latihan, menguatkan, logika, kepercayaan diri) is standard and not slangy.

If you were being very informal with close friends, you might say:

Aku suka latihan yang menguatkan logika dan kepercayaan diri.

Same meaning, just more casual due to aku.

What is the difference between “Saya suka …” and “Aku suka …” here?

Both mean “I like …”. The difference is formality and register:

Saya – polite/neutral, common in:
- Talking to strangers, older people, teachers, in work contexts
- Writing (essays, articles, formal messages)
Aku – informal/casual, common in:
- With close friends, family, peers
- Songs, some social media, informal writing

So:

Saya suka latihan yang menguatkan logika dan kepercayaan diri. – neutral/polite.
Aku suka latihan yang menguatkan logika dan kepercayaan diri. – casual/friendly.

Grammatically, both are correct. The choice depends on who you’re talking to and the situation.