Aku suka ngemil di malam hari.

Aku is the informal way to say I. It is common in everyday conversation, with friends, family, or in casual writing.

Saya is more formal and polite. So:

• Aku suka ngemil di malam hari = casual, natural speech
• Saya suka mengemil pada malam hari = more formal or polite

A learner should know that both are correct, but they fit different situations.

Here, suka means to like or to enjoy.

In Indonesian, suka + verb is a very common pattern for saying that someone likes doing something:

• suka makan = like eating
• suka membaca = like reading
• suka ngemil = like snacking

So suka does not need any extra word like English to before the next verb.

Ngemil is the informal, everyday spoken form of mengemil.

Both mean the same thing, but they differ in register:

• ngemil = casual, conversational
• mengemil = more standard or formal

This is very common in Indonesian. In relaxed speech, speakers often use shorter nge- forms instead of the full meN- verb forms.

So this sentence sounds very natural in casual Indonesian:

• Aku suka ngemil di malam hari

A more formal version would be:

• Saya suka mengemil pada malam hari

Not exactly.

Makan means to eat in a general sense.
Ngemil means to snack, usually eating small amounts of food between meals or casually.

So:

• makan = eat
• ngemil = snack

Examples:

• Aku makan nasi = I eat rice / I am eating rice
• Aku ngemil keripik = I snack on chips

If you use ngemil, it gives the idea of light, non-main-meal eating.

Indonesian does not use an infinitive marker like English to in this kind of sentence.

After suka, you can put a verb directly:

• Aku suka tidur = I like sleeping / I like to sleep
• Aku suka berenang = I like swimming / I like to swim
• Aku suka ngemil = I like snacking / I like to snack

So the structure is simpler than in English.

Yes, in everyday Indonesian, di can appear in some time expressions, including di malam hari.

However, many learners are taught that:

• di is mainly for location
• pada is more standard for time

So these are both possible:

• di malam hari = common and natural in everyday speech
• pada malam hari = more formal or textbook-like

In casual conversation, di malam hari sounds fine. In more formal writing, pada malam hari may be preferred.

Literally, hari often means day, but in expressions like malam hari, it helps mark a time period or part of the day.

So:

• malam = night, evening
• malam hari = at night / during the nighttime

This kind of expression is common:

• pagi hari = in the morning
• siang hari = in the daytime / at midday
• sore hari = in the late afternoon
• malam hari = at night

Adding hari can make the expression sound a bit fuller or more explicit.

Yes, in many cases you can use a shorter expression, but the sentence will be phrased differently.

For example:

• Aku suka ngemil malam-malam = I like snacking late at night / at night
• Aku suka ngemil pada malam hari = I like snacking at night
• Aku suka ngemil di malam hari = I like snacking at night

Just malam by itself is possible in some contexts, but di malam hari or pada malam hari is clearer and more complete.

A learner should think of di malam hari as a standard time phrase.

Yes. Indonesian word order is often flexible, especially when moving a time phrase.

These both work:

• Aku suka ngemil di malam hari
• Di malam hari, aku suka ngemil

The meaning stays the same, but the emphasis changes slightly:

• Aku suka ngemil di malam hari focuses first on I like snacking
• Di malam hari, aku suka ngemil highlights at night first

Both are natural.

Aku suka ngemil di malam hari sounds very natural and casual. It is the kind of thing someone might say in conversation, texting, or informal social media.

Its casual feel comes mainly from:

• aku instead of saya
• ngemil instead of mengemil

A more formal version would be:

• Saya suka mengemil pada malam hari

So the original sentence is correct and natural, but it belongs to informal Indonesian.

That is a very common question.

The ng in ngemil is the same sound as the end of English sing or song. In Indonesian, that sound can appear at the beginning of a word.

So ngemil starts directly with that ng sound:

• ngə-mil roughly

A good way to practice is:

1. Say sing
2. Hold the final ng sound
3. Then add eh-mil after it

So it becomes something like ng-eh-mil.

This beginning ng sound is normal in Indonesian, even though it feels unusual for many English speakers at first.