Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Sekarang saya mengurangi kafein dan mencoba membaca buku supaya efek ponsel berkurang. - Now I reduce caffeine and try reading a book so that the effect of the phone decreases.

kurang = to be lacking / less (adjective/adverb or stative verb)
- Kafein saya kurang. = My caffeine is low / I don't have enough caffeine.
mengurangi = to reduce something (active, transitive verb)
- Saya mengurangi kafein. = I reduce/cut down on caffeine.

In the sentence, kafein is the thing being reduced, so you need the verb that takes an object:

✅ Saya mengurangi kafein.
❌ Saya kurang kafein. (this means I lack caffeine / I don't have enough caffeine, the opposite idea)

So mengurangi matches the intended meaning: I am cutting down on caffeine.

What is the difference between mengurangi and berkurang in this sentence?

mengurangi = to reduce something (someone does the reducing)
- Pattern: subject + mengurangi + object
- Saya mengurangi kafein. = I reduce caffeine.
berkurang = to decrease / to be reduced (no explicit agent)
- Pattern: subject + berkurang
- Efek ponsel berkurang. = The effects of the phone decrease / get smaller.

So:

mengurangi kafein – you actively reduce your caffeine intake.
efek ponsel berkurang – as a result, the phone’s effects naturally get weaker; you are not phrased as directly doing something to "effect".

In English this is similar to:

I reduce caffeine vs. the phone's effects are reduced / decrease.

Why does the sentence use Sekarang saya mengurangi… and not Sekarang saya sedang mengurangi…?

Both are possible, but the nuance is slightly different.

Sekarang saya mengurangi kafein…
- Sounds like a current habit or decision: These days I’m cutting down on caffeine.
- Focuses on a change in lifestyle or routine.
Sekarang saya sedang mengurangi kafein…
- Emphasizes an ongoing process right now: Right now I’m in the middle of cutting down on caffeine.
- The word sedang highlights the “in progress” aspect.

In everyday speech, Indonesians often drop sedang if time words like sekarang already make the time clear, especially when talking about habits or general current actions. So the original sentence is natural and common.

Why isn’t saya repeated before mencoba? Why not Sekarang saya mengurangi kafein dan saya mencoba…?

In Indonesian, when the same subject performs several actions in a row, the subject is usually mentioned only once:

Sekarang saya mengurangi kafein dan mencoba membaca buku…

Here, saya is understood as the subject of both verbs:

saya mengurangi (kafein)
(saya) mencoba membaca (buku)

You can say:

Sekarang saya mengurangi kafein dan saya mencoba membaca buku…

That is grammatically correct, but it sounds heavier and is less natural in everyday conversation. The shorter version with just one saya is more typical.

Why is it mencoba membaca buku and not mencoba untuk membaca buku?

Both forms exist, but they differ in usage:

mencoba + verb (most common and natural)
- mencoba membaca buku = try to read books
- Smooth and idiomatic in standard Indonesian.
mencoba untuk + verb
- mencoba untuk membaca buku is still understandable and used, especially in more formal or careful speech or writing.
- However, in many contexts untuk is optional and can sound slightly heavier or more formal.

For everyday, natural Indonesian, mencoba membaca buku is the preferred pattern.
The sentence chooses the simpler, more common structure.

What is the function of supaya here, and how is it different from agar, biar, or untuk?

supaya introduces a purpose or desired result: so that / in order that.

…mencoba membaca buku supaya efek ponsel berkurang.
= …try to read books so that the effects of the phone decrease.

Similar words:

agar
- Very close to supaya, slightly more formal or written.
- You could say: supaya efek ponsel berkurang or agar efek ponsel berkurang with almost no change in meaning.
biar
- More informal/colloquial.
- …baca buku biar efek ponsel berkurang.
untuk
- Literally for / to, often followed by a verb:
  - …untuk mengurangi efek ponsel.
- If you used untuk here, the structure would have to change:
  - …mencoba membaca buku untuk mengurangi efek ponsel.
- Notice that with untuk, you don’t keep berkurang; you would normally use mengurangi efek ponsel instead.

So in the original sentence, supaya is a natural way to express a desired outcome with an intransitive verb (berkurang).

Why is it efek ponsel and not efek dari ponsel?

Both are grammatically correct, but they differ in style:

efek ponsel
- Compact noun + noun structure (like phone effects).
- Very common, sounds natural and not too formal.
- Preferred when the relationship is obvious.
efek dari ponsel
- Literally effects from the phone.
- Slightly more explicit, and can sound a bit more formal or wordy in this context.

Because it’s obvious that these are effects caused by the phone, the shorter efek ponsel is the most natural in a conversational sentence like this.

Why is it efek ponsel berkurang and not mengurangi efek ponsel?

These have different structures and slightly different focuses:

supaya efek ponsel berkurang
- so that the phone’s effects decrease (the effects change state by themselves)
- efek ponsel is the subject; berkurang describes its change.
untuk mengurangi efek ponsel
- to reduce the phone’s effects (you are the one reducing them; they’re the object)
- mengurangi takes efek ponsel as its object.

The original sentence builds a cause–effect chain:

You mengurangi kafein and mencoba membaca buku.
As a result, efek ponsel berkurang.

By using berkurang, the sentence emphasizes the resulting state of the phone’s effects, not your direct action upon them.

Can the word order with sekarang move? For example, is Saya sekarang mengurangi kafein… also correct?

Yes, you can move sekarang without changing the meaning much. All of these are acceptable:

Sekarang saya mengurangi kafein…
Saya sekarang mengurangi kafein…
Saya mengurangi kafein sekarang…

Nuances:

Sekarang saya…
- Puts more emphasis on now / these days as a time frame.
Saya sekarang…
- Slightly more neutral; still highlights that this is what you’re doing now.
Saya mengurangi kafein sekarang…
- Often used if you contrast with what you did before, e.g., Dulu saya minum kopi banyak, saya mengurangi kafein sekarang.

In everyday speech, all three sound natural; the original version is very common.

Does buku here mean one specific book or books in general? Why isn’t it plural?

In Indonesian, nouns usually do not change form for plural:

buku can mean book or books, depending on context.

Here, mencoba membaca buku is best understood as “trying to read books (in general)” or “trying to read (physical) books as an activity,” not necessarily just one book.

To make plural explicit, Indonesians often:

Double the noun: buku-buku = books (clearly plural), or
Add a number or quantifier: banyak buku (many books), beberapa buku (several books).

The sentence doesn’t need that extra marking; context makes it clear.

How formal is saya and ponsel? Could you use aku or HP instead?

Formality level:

saya
- Neutral–polite.
- Suitable for most situations, including writing, talking to strangers, and formal contexts.
aku
- More informal/intimate; used with friends, family, or people close to you.
ponsel
- Fairly neutral, a bit more standard/formal.
HP (from handphone, spoken as ha-pe)
- Very common in everyday, informal speech.

So you could say, in a more casual style:

Sekarang aku mengurangi kafein dan mencoba membaca buku supaya efek HP berkurang.

The original with saya and ponsel sounds neutral and is safe for both spoken and written Indonesian.