Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Saya suka belajar pemrograman robot di klub pemrograman. - I like studying robot programming in the programming club.

Saya is the neutral / polite word for I / me, suitable for almost any situation (talking to teachers, older people, strangers, in writing, etc.).

Aku is more informal and intimate. You use aku with close friends, family, or people the same age in relaxed situations.

You could say:

Saya suka belajar pemrograman robot... – polite/neutral
Aku suka belajar pemrograman robot... – casual/intimate

Both are correct; it’s just a question of formality and relationship.

Is suka a verb like to like in English, and can it also mean love or enjoy?

Yes. Suka behaves like a verb and is usually translated as to like.

Saya suka belajar... = I like learning...

For stronger feelings:

Cinta = to love (romantic, or deep love)
- Saya cinta kamu. = I love you.
Sangat suka / suka sekali = really like, love (in a non-romantic sense)
- Saya sangat suka pemrograman. = I really like / I love programming.

For “enjoy”, Indonesians often still use suka, or phrases like:

Saya senang belajar pemrograman. = I’m happy to / I enjoy learning programming.

So suka is your default for “like”, and often covers weaker love/enjoy in everyday speech.

What exactly does belajar mean here? Is it to study or to learn?

Belajar covers both to study and to learn in English. Context decides which feels more natural in translation.

Saya belajar pemrograman.
- Can be I study programming (as a subject)
- Or I’m learning programming.

In Saya suka belajar pemrograman robot, you can translate it as:

I like studying robot programming, or
I like learning robot programming.

There is no separate verb form like an English infinitive to learn; belajar already works as learn / study / to learn / to study, depending on context.

Could I say Saya suka mempelajari pemrograman robot instead of belajar? What’s the difference?

You can say Saya suka mempelajari pemrograman robot, and it is grammatically correct, but the nuance is slightly different:

Belajar = to learn/study in general; very common, neutral, everyday.
Mempelajari = to study something more deeply, to examine/learn in a more “serious” or academic way. It sounds a bit more formal or bookish.

So:

Saya suka belajar pemrograman robot.
– Very natural, everyday sentence; most common.
Saya suka mempelajari pemrograman robot.
– Sounds more formal or emphasizes a more systematic, in-depth study.

In everyday conversation, belajar is usually better.

What does pemrograman literally mean? How is it formed?

Pemrograman means programming (the activity or field), and it’s formed with a common Indonesian pattern:

Root: program (borrowed from English)
Verb: memprogram = to program (less common in daily speech, but used technically)
Noun (activity/field): pemrograman = programming

The pe- … -an circumfix often turns a verb or root into a noun that means:

the process, activity, or field of something

Examples:

mengajar (to teach) → pengajaran (teaching, instruction)
memasak (to cook) → memasak (verb) / masakan (cooked dish; related pattern)
melatih (to train) → pelatihan (training)

So pemrograman is the general noun for programming as a field/activity.

How should I understand the phrase pemrograman robot? Is it robot programming or programming robots?

Pemrograman robot is a noun–noun phrase:

pemrograman = programming (the activity/field)
robot = robot(s)

Together they mean robot programming or programming of robots.

In Indonesian, the main noun usually comes first, and the modifying noun comes after it. So:

pemrograman robot
– literally “robot programming”
– can be understood as the kind of programming that deals with robots.

If you want to emphasize “programming robots” as an action, you would normally still say:

belajar pemrograman robot = learning the subject/skill of programming robots

The singular/plural of robot is not marked here; context decides whether it’s about one robot or many.

Why is di used in di klub pemrograman? What’s the difference between di and ke?

Di means at / in / on and shows a location (where something happens).

di klub pemrograman = at the programming club

Ke means to and shows movement toward a place.

Compare:

Saya belajar pemrograman robot di klub pemrograman.
= I learn robot programming at the programming club. (location)
Saya pergi ke klub pemrograman.
= I go to the programming club. (direction/movement)

So in your sentence, because you’re talking about where you learn (not going there), di is the correct preposition.

Why is it klub pemrograman and not pemrograman klub for programming club?

In Indonesian, noun phrases usually go:

Head noun + modifying noun

So:

klub = club (head noun)
pemrograman = programming (modifier that describes the type of club)

klub pemrograman = programming club (a club whose focus is programming)

If you reversed it to pemrograman klub, it would sound wrong or at least very odd, like “the programming of a club”, which is not the intended meaning.

The pattern is similar to:

sekolah musik = music school
toko buku = book shop
guru bahasa Inggris = English teacher

How would I say in my programming club? Where do I put saya?

You can say:

di klub pemrograman saya = in my programming club

Structure:

klub pemrograman = programming club
klub pemrograman saya = my programming club

Possessive pronouns (saya, kamu, dia, kami, mereka, etc.) normally go after the noun phrase:

buku saya = my book
rumah teman saya = my friend’s house
klub pemrograman saya = my programming club

So the full sentence:

Saya suka belajar pemrograman robot di klub pemrograman saya.
= I like learning robot programming in my programming club.

There is no tense marker here. How do we know if it means I like (now) or I liked (in the past)?

Indonesian verbs do not change form for tense. Saya suka belajar pemrograman robot can mean:

I like learning robot programming.
I liked learning robot programming.
I usually like / I used to like it.

Context or extra time words show the time:

Sekarang saya suka belajar pemrograman robot.
= Now I like learning robot programming.
Dulu saya suka belajar pemrograman robot.
= I used to like / I liked learning robot programming (in the past).
Saya masih suka belajar pemrograman robot.
= I still like learning robot programming.

The verb suka itself doesn’t change form.

Can I drop saya and just say Suka belajar pemrograman robot di klub pemrograman?

Yes, in many spoken contexts you can drop saya if it’s clear from context that you’re talking about yourself.

Suka belajar pemrograman robot di klub pemrograman.
Could mean: “(I) like learning robot programming at the programming club.”

In Indonesian, subjects are often omitted when they are obvious (similar to casual English “(I) gotta go now.”). However:

In writing, or when you need clarity (e.g., in a test, or when first introducing yourself), it’s safer to keep Saya.
Dropping saya makes the sentence sound more casual and conversational.

Is this sentence formal, informal, or neutral? In what situations is it appropriate?

The sentence:

Saya suka belajar pemrograman robot di klub pemrograman.

is neutral–polite:

Saya instead of aku → polite / neutral
Vocabulary is standard and not slang
No special politeness markers, but perfectly respectful

You can use it:

in class,
when introducing yourself to a teacher,
in a presentation,
with new people, or
in writing (e.g., an essay or profile).

To make it more casual with friends, you might say:

Aku suka belajar pemrograman robot di klub pemrograman.
(Just switch saya to aku.)