Learn Hardcore Malay: Saya suka permainan itu.

saya
- More polite / neutral.
- Used in most situations: with strangers, at work, in school, with older people, in writing, in TV, etc.
- Safe default if you’re unsure.
aku
- More informal / intimate.
- Used with close friends, siblings, romantic partners, sometimes in songs and poetry.
- Can sound rude if used to someone you should show respect to.

In Saya suka permainan itu, using saya makes the sentence polite and neutral.
Among close friends you might hear Aku suka permainan itu.

Does suka mean “like” or “love”? How strong is it?

suka covers a range that overlaps English like and sometimes weak love:

For hobbies, food, games, music, etc.: suka ≈ like
- Saya suka permainan itu = I like that game.
- Saya suka muzik rock = I like rock music.
For people, it can mean:
- to like someone (as a person): Saya suka dia = I like him/her.
- to have a crush / romantic liking, depending on context.

For stronger love, Malay often uses:

cinta – deep romantic love (or very strong love for something):
- Saya cinta awak. = I love you (romantic).
sayang – affectionate love / fondness (familiarly to people, family, pets):
- Saya sayang ibu saya. = I love my mother.

So saya suka permainan itu is closer to I like that game, not I’m in love with that game.

Do I need a preposition like akan after suka, or is Saya suka permainan itu correct as it is?

You do not need a preposition here. The normal and most natural pattern is:

[subject] + suka + [object]
Saya suka permainan itu.

Historically or in more literary/older styles you might see suka akan:

Saya suka akan permainan itu.

This sounds formal or old-fashioned in modern, everyday speech. In conversation and standard modern Malay, just use:

Saya suka permainan itu. ✅

What does permainan exactly mean, and how is it related to main?

The base verb is main = to play.

From main, Malay forms the noun permainan with the pattern pe- + main + -an:

pe-…-an often makes a noun related to an action.
permainan literally = “playing” / “play” / “game(s)”.

Common meanings of permainan:

Game (as in a particular game or type of game)
- permainan video = video game
- permainan tradisional = traditional game(s)
Play / gameplay / performance (context dependent)
- permainan pasukan itu sangat baik.
  = That team’s play/performance was very good.
Sometimes metaphorical: permainan politik (political games), etc.

In Saya suka permainan itu, it’s most naturally understood as game:
I like that game.

Does permainan itu mean “that game” or “those games”? How do I show plural?

Malay normally does not mark singular/plural on the noun itself. permainan can mean:

game (singular)
games (plural)

permainan itu can therefore be:

that game
those games

Which one it is depends on context. If you want to be explicit:

game itu (with the English loanword game) is often used for one specific game.
permainan-permainan itu = those games (reduplication to emphasize plural).
semua permainan itu = all those games.

But in most everyday conversation, permainan itu is understood as that game if you’re clearly talking about a single game.

Why does itu come after permainan instead of before, like itu permainan?

When itu is used as a determiner (like that/the), it usually comes after the noun:

permainan itu = that game / the game
buku itu = that book / the book
rumah itu = that house / the house

This is the normal noun phrase order: [noun] + itu.

itu can also appear before if it functions more like a pronoun or at the start of a clause:

Itu permainan yang saya suka.
= That is the game that I like.

Here Itu is “That (thing)”, and permainan is the noun that describes it.

In your sentence, permainan itu is a noun phrase, so itu goes after permainan.

If I drop itu and just say Saya suka permainan, what changes in meaning?

Saya suka permainan itu.
→ I like that game / I like the game (specific, known from context).
Saya suka permainan.
→ I like games / I like playing / I like gameplay (more general).

Without itu, you’re talking about games or playing in general, not one particular game that both speaker and listener know about.

Is Saya suka permainan itu formal, informal, or neutral? Would it sound natural in conversation?

Saya makes the sentence polite and neutral.
The vocabulary (suka, permainan, itu) is standard, everyday Malay.

So:

It is neutral and polite, suitable for almost any situation.
In casual speech with friends, it’s still natural. Many people would keep saya, or they might switch to Aku suka permainan itu if they’re very close.

It doesn’t sound stiff or overly formal; it’s a good all-purpose sentence.

Would Malays more naturally say game itu instead of permainan itu?

In everyday speech, especially among younger speakers and in urban areas, the English loanword game is very common:

Saya suka game itu.
→ Very natural in casual conversation.

permainan is:

More “standard Malay” and a bit more formal/neutral.
Common in writing, in school contexts, news, and when talking about traditional games:
- Saya suka permainan tradisional.

Both are correct, but:

If you want very natural casual speech: Saya suka game itu.
If you want safer, standard textbook Malay: Saya suka permainan itu.

How do I pronounce Saya suka permainan itu correctly?

Rough guide (Malaysian / Indonesian style):

Saya → SAH-yah
- sa as in salads
- ya like ya in yard (short)
suka → SOO-kah
- su like soo in soon, but shorter
- ka like kah in kappa, short and clear
permainan → pər-MAI-nan
- per like per in perhaps (schwa sound)
- mai like my
- nan like nun, but with a closer to “father”
- main stress usually on mai: perMAInan
itu → EE-too
- i like ee in see
- tu like too

Syllable by syllable: sa-ya su-ka per-mai-nan i-tu.
Every vowel is pronounced clearly; there are no silent letters.