Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Dia berkata bahwa cara paling cepat menjadi mahir adalah memilih satu metode dan menjalankannya dengan konsisten. - She/He said that the fastest way to become skilled is to choose one method and carry it out consistently.

and it would still be grammatically correct and natural. Using bahwa can sound a bit more formal or careful, but it doesn’t change the basic meaning here.

What is the exact meaning and function of cara paling cepat? Why not cara tercepat?

Both cara paling cepat and cara tercepat can be translated as “the fastest way”, but there is a nuance:

paling cepat = most fast / fastest (built with the word paling, “most”)
tercepat = the usual superlative form (prefix ter-
- cepat)

In practice:

cara paling cepat sounds slightly more conversational and is very common.
cara tercepat sounds a bit more compact and sometimes slightly more formal, but it’s also common.

In this sentence, you can say either:

cara paling cepat menjadi mahir …
cara tercepat untuk menjadi mahir …

Both are acceptable. The choice is more about style than strict grammar.

Why do we say menjadi mahir instead of just mahir? What does menjadi add?

Menjadi literally means “to become.”

mahir = skillful, proficient
menjadi mahir = to become skillful / to become proficient

The sentence is talking about a process of change, so menjadi is appropriate:

cara paling cepat menjadi mahir
= the fastest way to become skillful

If you only said cara paling cepat mahir, it would sound incomplete or incorrect. You need menjadi (or untuk menjadi, see next question) to show that mahir is the resulting state.

Could we say cara paling cepat untuk menjadi mahir? Why is untuk left out?

Yes, you can say:

cara paling cepat untuk menjadi mahir adalah …

This is very natural and maybe even a bit clearer for learners.
Here:

untuk = “to / in order to”

In Indonesian, after cara (“way”), using untuk is optional:

cara (untuk) menjadi mahir
= a way (to) become skillful

Leaving out untuk is common and still grammatical. So both:

cara paling cepat menjadi mahir …
cara paling cepat untuk menjadi mahir …

are correct.

What is the role of adalah here? Can it be left out?

Adalah functions like a linking verb or copula, similar to “is/are” in English in equational sentences (A = B):

cara paling cepat … adalah memilih satu metode …
= the fastest way … is to choose one method …

In many spoken contexts, adalah can be dropped, especially when the predicate is clear:

Cara paling cepat menjadi mahir: memilih satu metode dan menjalankannya dengan konsisten.

In more formal or written Indonesian, using adalah in this type of sentence is very standard and sounds natural. So:

With adalah: more complete, somewhat formal or neutral.
Without adalah: possible; sounds more like a heading or informal note.

Why is memilih used instead of just pilih?

Memilih is the active verb form (me- prefix) meaning “to choose / to select.”

Root: pilih (choose)
memilih: “to choose” (used as the main verb in a sentence)

In Indonesian:

The bare root pilih is used in certain patterns (like imperatives or combinations), e.g.
- Pilih satu! = Choose one!
- Silakan pilih. = Please choose.

But when you use it in a normal clause as part of a description of an action, the me- form is standard:

… adalah memilih satu metode …
= … is to choose one method …

So memilih here is the correct form for a verb in a noun phrase describing an action.

Why do we say satu metode and not just metode?

Satu means “one.”

satu metode = one method
metode (by itself) = a method / the method, depending on context

By saying satu metode, the speaker emphasizes:

Singularity: focus on one method, not several at once.
Clarity of choice: the idea is “pick one method and stick to it,” rather than mixing many methods.

You could say:

memilih metode dan menjalankannya dengan konsisten

and it would still be grammatical. But satu highlights the “only one” aspect, which matches the advice being given.

What exactly does menjalankannya mean, and how is it formed?

Menjalankannya can be broken down like this:

jalan = road / to walk / to run (as in “function/operate”)
menjalankan = to run / to carry out / to implement / to put into practice
-nya = “it” / “that” (object pronoun attached to the verb)

So:

menjalankannya = “to carry it out / to implement it / to follow it”

In context:

memilih satu metode dan menjalankannya dengan konsisten
= choose one method and carry it out consistently

Here -nya refers back to satu metode (“that one method”).

Could we use melakukannya instead of menjalankannya? What’s the difference?

Yes, you could say:

memilih satu metode dan melakukannya dengan konsisten

Melakukannya:

Root: laku (to do/act)
melakukan = to do (something)
melakukannya = to do it

Differences in nuance:

menjalankannya (run/implement it)
- Suggests putting a system or method into practice step by step, like “execute the method.”
melakukannya (do it)
- More general: “do it,” with less emphasis on following a structured method.

For a method, menjalankan (metode) is a very natural collocation, so menjalankannya feels slightly more precise in this context.

Why is there no explicit subject in memilih satu metode dan menjalankannya? Who is doing the action?

In Indonesian, when actions form part of a general rule or description, the subject is often understood from context and not repeated.

The subject of memilih and menjalankannya is the generic “you/one/someone” (or possibly “we”), not Dia (he/she) who is speaking. The structure is:

Dia berkata bahwa [cara paling cepat … adalah (kamu/orang) memilih satu metode dan menjalankannya …].

Indonesian often leaves out generic subjects like “you/people/one” where English would need them. It’s like saying in English:

“The fastest way to get good is to choose one method and stick to it consistently,”

where the implied subject is “you.”

What does dengan konsisten do here? Is konsisten an adverb, and could we say secara konsisten?

Konsisten is originally an adjective (“consistent”), but in Indonesian, adjectives are often used in an adverbial way without changing their form.

dengan konsisten = “with consistency / consistently”
It modifies menjalankannya (“carry it out”).

You can also say:

menjalankannya secara konsisten
- secara
  - adjective = standard way to form an adverb (“in a … manner”)
- = “carry it out consistently”

Both dengan konsisten and secara konsisten are correct; using dengan + adjective is very common in spoken and written Indonesian. Meaning-wise, they are almost the same here.

Does Dia mean “he” or “she”? Is there any gender in this sentence?

Dia is a gender-neutral third-person singular pronoun. It can mean:

he
she

Indonesian pronouns do not mark gender, so this sentence does not tell you whether the speaker is male or female. Context (or previous sentences) would decide.

Other related forms:

ia – also “he/she,” often used in writing, slightly more formal/literary
beliau – respectful “he/she” for someone of higher status or respected

What is the tense of berkata here? How do we know it’s “said” and not “says”?

Berkata (ber- + kata) simply means “to say / to speak.” Indonesian verbs generally do not change form for tense (past, present, future).

Dia berkata can mean:
- He/She said (past)
- He/She says (present)
- He/She will say (future, but usually you’d add other clues)

The tense is understood from context, not from the verb form itself. If you were translating this isolated sentence into English, you’d usually choose:

“He/She said that the fastest way …”

because it matches a common pattern in English reported speech, but grammatically in Indonesian the verb itself is tense-neutral.