Martabak manis ini terasa legit.

In this sentence, martabak manis is best understood as the name of a specific food, not just a noun plus a regular descriptive adjective.

• martabak manis = a sweet Indonesian stuffed pancake/cake
• martabak telur = the savory egg version

So although manis literally means sweet, in martabak manis it functions as part of the food’s name. A learner should usually treat martabak manis as one unit.

In Indonesian, demonstratives like ini (this) and itu (that) usually come after the noun phrase they describe.

So:

• martabak manis ini = this sweet martabak
• buku ini = this book
• rumah itu = that house

This is normal Indonesian word order. English puts this before the noun, but Indonesian usually puts ini after it.

Indonesian often does not need a copula like English is/are in simple statements.

So instead of saying something like This sweet martabak is delicious/rich, Indonesian can simply say:

• Martabak manis ini terasa legit.

There is no need for a separate verb meaning is here. The main predicate is terasa, which already carries the idea of feels / tastes / comes across as.

terasa comes from rasa (feeling, taste, sensation) and often means:

• feels
• can be felt
• tastes
• comes across as

In a food sentence like this, terasa is often very natural for describing how something tastes or feels in the mouth.

So terasa legit means something like:

• tastes rich and sweet
• has a rich, sticky sweetness
• feels pleasantly dense/sweet

It is a little more sensory than a plain adjective statement.

Good question. Compare these:

• Martabak manis ini legit.
• Martabak manis ini terasa legit.

Both are possible, but they are slightly different in nuance.

• legit = a direct description: This martabak is rich/sweet/sticky
• terasa legit = focuses more on the sensory impression: This martabak tastes/feels rich and sweet

So terasa adds a sense of perceived flavor or mouthfeel, not just a flat statement of fact.

No. Indonesian legit is a completely different word in meaning from English legit.

In Indonesian, legit usually describes food that is:

• richly sweet
• sticky or dense in a pleasant way
• often somewhat sugary, caramel-like, or coconut-sugar-like
• satisfying and full-bodied in taste

It is commonly used for traditional sweets, cakes, and desserts.

So in this sentence, legit has nothing to do with real, valid, or legitimate.

This is an important distinction.

• manis = sweet
• legit = richly sweet, often with a dense, sticky, deeper sweetness

So manis is the basic word for sweetness.
legit is more specific and more descriptive.

A food can be:

• manis without being legit
• but if it is legit, it is usually also manis

In this sentence:

• martabak manis is the name of the dish
• legit describes the quality of its taste

So even though manis already appears in the food name, legit adds a more specific flavor impression.

Not exactly. The prefix ter- can do several things in Indonesian, and it is not always passive in the way English learners might expect.

With terasa, the idea is often something like:

• is felt
• can be felt
• feels
• is noticeable

In everyday use, terasa is very common and often behaves like a natural descriptive verb rather than a formal passive construction.

So you do not need to over-translate it. In this sentence, just think of terasa as a natural way to say that the martabak tastes/feels a certain way.

The structure is:

• Martabak manis ini = subject / topic noun phrase
• terasa = predicate verb
• legit = complement describing the taste/feeling

So you can think of it as:

[This sweet martabak] [feels/tastes] [richly sweet].

This is a very common Indonesian pattern:

• Kopi ini terasa pahit. = This coffee tastes bitter.
• Ruangan ini terasa dingin. = This room feels cold.
• Masakan ini terasa asin. = This dish tastes salty.

Yes, but it means something a bit different.

• enak = delicious / tasty / good
• legit = richly sweet, dense, sticky-sweet

So:

• Martabak manis ini enak. = This martabak is tasty.
• Martabak manis ini terasa legit. = This martabak tastes richly sweet.

enak is more general.
legit is more specific and vivid.

You could even combine them in other contexts, for example:

• Martabak manis ini enak dan legit.

Yes, it sounds natural. It is a normal way to comment on the taste of a sweet food.

It has a slightly descriptive, sensory feel because of terasa. A speaker might say it when tasting the food and noticing its rich sweetness.

Other natural variations include:

• Martabak manis ini legit banget. = This martabak is super rich and sweet.
• Martabak manis ini terasa manis. = This martabak tastes sweet.
• Martabak manis ini terasa sangat legit. = This martabak tastes very rich and sweet.

Indonesian legit is not pronounced like English legit.

A rough guide is:

• le-git

with a hard g, and the vowels pronounced more clearly than in English.
The final t is also usually pronounced lightly but clearly.

So do not pronounce it like English leh-jit.
Think more like luh-geet or leh-geet, depending on accent, though neither English spelling captures it perfectly.

No. terasa is used much more widely for sensations, impressions, and emotional or physical states.

Examples:

• Udara terasa panas. = The air feels hot.
• Kamar ini terasa sempit. = This room feels cramped.
• Hari ini terasa lama. = Today feels long.
• Kekurangannya terasa sekali. = Its shortcomings are really noticeable.

So in your sentence, it is being used in a food context, but the word itself is not limited to taste.