Saya memulai belajar di pagi hari.

I begin to study in the morning.

Breakdown of Saya memulai belajar di pagi hari.

• saya: I
• di: in
• pagi hari: the morning
• belajar: to study
• memulai: to begin

Questions & Answers about Saya memulai belajar di pagi hari.

What does Saya mean in this sentence?

Saya translates to I in English. It is the subject pronoun referring to the speaker.

What is the role of the prefix mem- in memulai?

The prefix mem- is used to form an active or transitive verb from the root mulai, meaning to start. In memulai, it indicates that the subject is actively initiating an action.

Why are memulai and belajar used together in this sentence?

In Indonesian, it’s common to combine verbs where one verb indicates the initiation of another action. Memulai (to start) is directly coupled with belajar (to study/learn) to clearly express the idea of starting to study.

What does the phrase di pagi hari indicate in this sentence?

Di pagi hari means in the morning. The preposition di is used to designate time (or location), and pagi hari specifies that the action takes place during the morning hours.

Is the tense of the sentence clearly defined, and how is time expressed in Indonesian without verb conjugation?

Indonesian verbs are not conjugated to indicate tense. This sentence could be understood as a habitual present action (e.g., "I start studying in the morning") or as a past action (e.g., "I started studying in the morning"), depending on the context provided by the conversation. Time is expressed using time phrases like di pagi hari rather than through changes in the verb form.

Would it be acceptable to omit the preposition di before pagi hari?

While native speakers may understand the meaning even without di, using the preposition is standard and provides clarity. Di pagi hari is the typical way to indicate the time ("in the morning") and ensures the sentence is grammatically complete.