Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Saya tahu perjalanan belajar ini panjang; jangankan fasih, memahami semua tatabahasa pun akan membutuhkan waktu, tetapi saya merasa lebih optimis sekarang. - I know this learning journey is long; let alone being fluent, even understanding all the grammar will take time, but I feel more optimistic now.

Using “adalah” before an adjective (adalah panjang) is generally incorrect or at least very unnatural. Adalah is mainly used before nouns, not adjectives:

Perjalanan ini adalah tantangan besar.
= This journey is a big challenge.
(noun tantangan, so adalah is OK)

But:

Perjalanan ini panjang. ✅ (natural)
Perjalanan ini adalah panjang. ❌ (unnatural)

What exactly does “perjalanan belajar” mean, and why is “belajar” next to “perjalanan” like that?

Perjalanan belajar is a noun–noun phrase:

perjalanan = journey
belajar = to study / to learn

Indonesian often combines two nouns, or a noun plus a verb used “as a noun,” to form a compound meaning, like English “learning journey” or “study trip.”

belajar here works like a noun-like modifier of perjalanan, so:

perjalanan belajar ≈ “learning journey” / “journey of learning”

Other similar patterns:

rencana belajar = study plan
proses belajar = learning process

You could also say perjalanan pembelajaran, but that sounds more formal and abstract.
Perjalanan belajar feels more natural and personal.

Why is “ini” placed after “perjalanan belajar” instead of before, like “ini perjalanan belajar”?

Both are possible, but they are used differently:

perjalanan belajar ini
- Literally “this learning journey.”
- “ini” here behaves like a demonstrative determiner placed after the noun phrase.
- This is the most common way to say “this [specific] X” in Indonesian.
ini perjalanan belajar
- Literally “this is a learning journey.”
- Here ini is more like a subject (“this”), and perjalanan belajar is the explanation.
- This feels like you’re introducing or defining what “this” is.

In your sentence you’re talking about a specific known journey, so:

Saya tahu perjalanan belajar ini panjang
= I know this learning journey is long.

Using ini perjalanan belajar panjang wouldn’t be grammatical in the same way.

What does “jangankan” mean in “jangankan fasih, memahami semua tatabahasa pun akan membutuhkan waktu”?

Jangankan is part of a set expression:

jangankan X, Y pun ...

This pattern means something like:

“let alone X, even Y …”
“don’t even talk about X; even Y …”

In the sentence:

jangankan fasih
= let alone being fluent
memahami semua tatabahasa pun akan membutuhkan waktu
= even just understanding all the grammar will take time

So the whole part means: > Let alone being fluent, even understanding all the grammar will take time.

The key idea: X is the higher or more difficult goal; Y is less than X, but even Y is already hard/time‑consuming.

Why is there no word like “to be” or subject after “jangankan fasih”? It just says “jangankan fasih, memahami…”.

The structure with jangankan is a bit special. You don’t need to repeat the subject or add a verb like “to be.” The subject from the main clause (saya) is understood, and fasih acts as an adjective complement to that same subject.

Implicitly, you can “expand” it in your head as:

Jangankan (saya) fasih, (saya) memahami semua tatabahasa pun akan membutuhkan waktu.

But Indonesian normally omits that repetition. The pattern is just:

jangankan
- [word/phrase for the more “advanced” thing]
then Y pun …

So the short form “jangankan fasih, …” is perfectly natural and expected.

What is the function of “pun” in “tatabahasa pun akan membutuhkan waktu”?

Here pun is an emphatic particle that adds the idea of “even” or “also (of all things)”.

tatabahasa pun akan membutuhkan waktu
≈ “even (just) the grammar will take time”

In the jangankan … pun pattern, pun helps contrast the “lower” item (Y) with the “higher” one (X):

Jangankan fasih, memahami semua tatabahasa pun akan membutuhkan waktu.
= Let alone being fluent, even just understanding all the grammar will take time.

Without pun, the sentence is still understandable, but it loses some contrastive emphasis:

Jangankan fasih, memahami semua tatabahasa akan membutuhkan waktu.
(OK, but less “punchy”)

I’ve seen “tata bahasa” written as two words. Is “tatabahasa” correct?

The more standard and common spelling in modern Indonesian is:

tata bahasa (two words)

Where:

tata = arrangement/system/order
bahasa = language

Over time, some people write it as tatabahasa (one word), treating it as a single concept “grammar.” You will see both in real usage, but:

tata bahasa = more standard, safer for writing, especially in formal contexts.
tatabahasa = not “wrong,” but less standard.

Meaning-wise, they’re the same in this context: grammar.

Why is it just “fasih” after “jangankan”? Could I say “jangankan menjadi fasih”?

Both are possible, but there’s a nuance:

jangankan fasih
- Very natural and concise.
- fasih functions like a predicate about the subject (“me being fluent”).
jangankan menjadi fasih
- Also grammatical.
- Slightly more explicit: “becoming fluent.”
- Can feel a bit heavier, more formal, or explanatory.

In everyday, natural Indonesian, “jangankan fasih” is perfectly fine and maybe even preferred. The subject is understood as saya from earlier in the sentence.

What is the difference between “tahu” and “kenal”? Could I use “kenal” instead of “tahu” in “Saya tahu perjalanan belajar ini panjang”?

tahu and kenal both relate to “knowing,” but are used differently:

tahu
- = to know (a fact, information, knowledge)
- Saya tahu perjalanan belajar ini panjang.
  = I know (I’m aware that) this learning journey is long.
kenal
- = to know / be acquainted with (a person, place, or thing personally)
- Saya kenal dia. = I know him/her.
- Saya kenal kota ini. = I’m familiar with this city.

In your sentence you are stating a fact (the journey is long), so you must use tahu, not kenal.

You could also see:

Saya mengerti bahwa perjalanan belajar ini panjang.
= I understand that this learning journey is long.
(Here mengerti is closer to “understand,” slightly different nuance from tahu.)

Why use “akan membutuhkan waktu” instead of just “butuh waktu” or “membutuhkan waktu”?

All three are possible, but they have different tone and time/aspect nuances:

akan membutuhkan waktu
- akan = will (future marker)
- More explicit about the future.
- Sounds a bit more formal / careful: “will require time.”
membutuhkan waktu
- Present/future in a general sense (no explicit “will”).
- Neutral style: “requires / will require time (in general).”
butuh waktu
- butuh (root) = need
- Shorter, more colloquial: “it needs time / will need time.”
- Omits the me- prefix -> more casual.

In your reflective sentence, “akan membutuhkan waktu” matches the slightly formal, thoughtful tone and highlights the future effort that will be needed.

What does “lebih” do in “merasa lebih optimis sekarang”? Could I just say “merasa optimis sekarang”?

lebih means “more” and marks a comparative:

optimis = optimistic
lebih optimis = more optimistic

So:

saya merasa lebih optimis sekarang
= I feel more optimistic now (compared to before).

If you say:

saya merasa optimis sekarang
= I feel optimistic now (no explicit comparison, just stating your current state)

Both are grammatically correct.
Use lebih optimis if you want the idea of improvement/change relative to the past.

What’s the difference between “tetapi” and “tapi” in “tetapi saya merasa lebih optimis sekarang”?

They both mean “but / however”, but differ mainly in formality:

tetapi
- more formal / standard
- common in writing, essays, formal speech
tapi
- more informal / conversational
- common in everyday speech

You could say:

… tetapi saya merasa lebih optimis sekarang. (more formal)
… tapi saya merasa lebih optimis sekarang. (more casual)

Grammatically, both are fine; choice depends on the style you want.

Why do we say “merasa lebih optimis sekarang” and not “saya adalah lebih optimis sekarang” like “I am more optimistic now”?

Two points here:

No “to be” before adjectives
Indonesian doesn’t normally use a separate verb like “to be” before adjectives:
- Saya optimis. = I am optimistic.
  Not: Saya adalah optimis. (unnatural)
“merasa” vs “to be”
merasa = to feel.
So “saya merasa lebih optimis sekarang” literally:
- I feel more optimistic now.

You could say:

Sekarang saya lebih optimis.
= Now I’m more optimistic.

But:

Saya adalah lebih optimis sekarang. ❌ is not natural, because:
- adalah is not used before adjectives in that way.
- You either state the adjective directly (saya lebih optimis)
  or use a verb expressing feeling (saya merasa lebih optimis).

Why is “sekarang” at the very end of the sentence? Could it appear in other positions?

Yes, sekarang (now) is quite flexible in Indonesian word order. In your sentence:

… tetapi saya merasa lebih optimis sekarang.

Placing sekarang at the end is very natural and common. You could also say:

… tetapi sekarang saya merasa lebih optimis.
… sekarang saya merasa lebih optimis. (as a new sentence)

All of these are correct. The difference is just slight emphasis or rhythm:

At the beginning (sekarang…) → emphasizes the time frame first.
At the end (…sekarang) → emphasizes the feeling, then adds “now” as a time context.