Musik keras di kafe itu mengganggu saya.

The loud music in that cafe disturbs me.

Breakdown of Musik keras di kafe itu mengganggu saya.

• itu: that
• di: in
• musik: the music
• mengganggu: to disturb
• saya: me
• kafe: the cafe
• keras: stiff

Questions & Answers about Musik keras di kafe itu mengganggu saya.

Why is the adjective keras placed after musik and not before it, like in English (loud music)?

In Indonesian, adjectives almost always come after the noun they describe.

• musik keras = loud music
  
  • musik = music (noun)
  • keras = loud (adjective)

Putting the adjective before the noun (keras musik) is ungrammatical in standard Indonesian. So the pattern is:

• Noun + Adjective
  
  • rumah besar = big house
  • kucing hitam = black cat
  • musik keras = loud music

Could we say musik yang keras instead of musik keras? Is there any difference?

Both are possible, but there is a nuance:

• musik keras – simple description: loud music. Very natural and neutral.
• musik yang keras – a bit more specific or emphasized, like “the music that is loud”.

You might use yang:

• when you want to clearly separate or emphasize the adjective:
  
  • Saya tidak suka musik yang keras. = I don’t like music that is loud.
• when the adjective has its own extra information:
  
  • musik yang keras sekali (music that is very loud)

In your sentence, musik keras di kafe itu is the most natural form. Adding yang is not wrong, just slightly heavier or more “pointed” in tone.

What exactly does keras mean here? Does it mean “hard” or “loud”?

Keras is a general adjective meaning hard / firm / strong / intense, and the exact English translation depends on the noun:

• meja keras = the table is hard
• batu keras = the stone is hard
• pukulan keras = a hard/strong hit
• musik keras / suara keras = loud music / loud voice

So with musik or suara, keras is naturally understood as “loud”.

What is the function of di in di kafe itu?

di is a preposition meaning “in / at / on” (for location).

• di kafe itu = at that café
• di rumah = at home
• di sekolah = at school

Note: di- also exists as a passive verb prefix, but in your sentence it’s clearly the preposition because it’s followed by a noun (kafe), not a verb.

Why is it kafe itu and not itu kafe?

In Indonesian, the demonstratives ini (this) and itu (that) usually go after the noun:

• kafe itu = that café
• kafe ini = this café
• buku itu = that book
• orang ini = this person

Putting it before (itu kafe) is generally wrong in normal sentences, and only appears in special cases like exclamations or poetry.

So:

• di kafe itu = at that café
  (literally: at café that)

Does itu here mean “that” or “the”? Could I think of it as “the café”?

Literally, itu = that. But in practice, Indonesian has no direct equivalent of English “the”, so itu often covers some of that function too:

• kafe itu can be:
  • that café (more literal)
  • the café (we both know / already mentioned)

If you drop itu:

• di kafe = at a café / at cafés (more general, not specific)
• di kafe itu = at that particular café / the café we’re talking about

Could we change the word order to say Saya terganggu oleh musik keras di kafe itu? Is that correct and what’s the difference?

Yes, that’s correct, but the structure and focus change.

Your original sentence:

• Musik keras di kafe itu mengganggu saya.
  
  • Literally: The loud music at that café disturbs me.
  • Focus: the music as the doer of the action.

Alternative:

• Saya terganggu oleh musik keras di kafe itu.
  
  • Literally: I am disturbed by the loud music at that café.
  • terganggu is a passive/stative form: “to be disturbed”.
  • Focus: you (saya) and your state/feeling.

Both are natural. The first is more “active” (music bothers me), the second more “state-focused” (I am bothered).

What is the base word of mengganggu, and what does the prefix meN- do?

The base word is ganggu (to disturb / to bother).
mengganggu = meN- + ganggu

• meN- is a common active verb prefix that:
  • turns roots into verbs
  • often has a meaning like “to do X” or “to cause X”

So:

• ganggu → mengganggu = to disturb, to bother, to annoy
• Other examples:
  • baca → membaca = to read
  • lihat → melihat = to see
  • tulis → menulis = to write

The exact form of meN- (me-, mem-, men-, meng-) changes depending on the first letter of the root, which is why ganggu becomes mengganggu.

Is mengganggu more like “disturb”, “bother”, or “annoy”? What nuance does it have?

Mengganggu can cover all of these: disturb / bother / annoy. The nuance depends on context and tone:

• Neutral / factual:
  • Musik keras itu mengganggu konsentrasi.
    That loud music disturbs concentration.
• Mildly negative:
  • Dia sering mengganggu saya.
    He often bothers/annoys me.

In your sentence, it suggests the music is interfering with your comfort or concentration, possibly with a slightly annoyed feeling, but not necessarily very strong anger.

Can I omit saya and just say Musik keras di kafe itu mengganggu?

Yes, you can. That would mean something like:

• Musik keras di kafe itu mengganggu.
  = The loud music at that café is disturbing / is bothersome.

Here mengganggu functions more like “is disturbing” in general, without stating who is disturbed. Indonesian often drops pronouns when they are obvious or not important.

• With saya: the focus is it bothers me.
• Without saya: the focus is it is bothersome/disturbing (in general).

Why is it mengganggu saya and not mengganggu kepada saya or something similar?

In Indonesian, many verbs take their object directly, without a preposition:

• mengganggu saya = disturb me
• melihat saya = see me
• mencari saya = look for me

Using a preposition like kepada here would be wrong:

• mengganggu kepada saya ✗ (incorrect)

Kepada is used with certain verbs like:

• berbicara kepada saya = speak to me
• memberi buku kepada saya = give a book to me

But mengganggu simply takes a direct object:
mengganggu + [person / thing disturbed]

Why is saya used instead of aku? Are they different?

Both mean “I / me”, but they differ in formality and context:

• saya – formal / polite / neutral; safe in almost any situation.
  • Used with strangers, in the workplace, in writing, etc.
• aku – informal; used with friends, family, people your age or younger, or in songs, etc.

Your sentence Musik keras di kafe itu mengganggu saya sounds neutral to slightly formal—fine in most contexts.

Colloquially with friends you might hear:

• Musik keras di kafe itu mengganggu aku.
• or with slang pronouns (regionally): gue, gua, aku, etc.

Is musik here singular or plural? Does it mean “the loud music” or “the loud musics/songs”?

Indonesian doesn’t mark singular/plural the same way English does. Musik is generally uncountable, like “music” in English.

• musik can mean:
  • music in general
  • the (particular) music being played

If you want to talk about individual songs, you’d typically use:

• lagu (song); plural often shown by reduplication:
  • lagu-lagu = songs

So your sentence is simply about the music (as a whole sound), not “many musics” or individual songs.

Could I say Musik di kafe itu keras dan mengganggu saya instead? What’s the difference?

Yes, that’s grammatical and natural:

• Musik di kafe itu keras dan mengganggu saya.
  = The music at that café is loud and bothers me.

Differences in structure:

1. Original:
   Musik keras di kafe itu mengganggu saya.

   • loud music at that café (one noun phrase) is the subject.
   • The loudness is part of how you describe the music that bothers you.

2. Alternative:
   Musik di kafe itu keras dan mengganggu saya.

   • First clause: The music at that café is loud.
   • Second clause: and it bothers me.

The meaning is very close; the second version slightly separates two facts: 1) it is loud, and 2) it bothers you. The first version more tightly ties loudness to the disturbance.