Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Saya menarik kursi di halaman untuk duduk bersama teman-teman. - I pull a chair in the yard to sit with my friends.

Menarik means "to pull" in English. In this sentence, it indicates the action performed by the subject, Saya (I), describing the act of pulling the chair.

What role does the preposition di play in di halaman?

Di is a preposition that can translate as "in," "at," or "on" depending on context. Here, di halaman indicates the location where the action takes place—specifically, "in the yard" or "at the courtyard."

How does untuk function in this sentence?

Untuk is used to express purpose. In the phrase "untuk duduk bersama teman-teman," it means "to sit with friends" or more fully, "in order to sit with friends." It shows why the action of pulling the chair was performed.

Why is there no article like "a" or "the" before kursi?

In Indonesian, articles such as "a" or "the" are typically omitted. Kursi simply means "chair" without any additional markers, and context is used to determine whether it refers to a specific chair or any chair.

How is plurality expressed in teman-teman?

Plurality in Indonesian is often shown by reduplication. Teman means "friend," and when it’s repeated as teman-teman, it indicates "friends." This method is common in Indonesian and serves as a natural way to pluralize nouns.

Why doesn’t the verb menarik change its form to indicate tense?

Indonesian verbs do not conjugate for tense the way English verbs do. The verb menarik remains in its base form regardless of whether the action is in the past, present, or future. Instead, context or additional time expressions provide information about the timing of the action.

What does bersama indicate in the phrase duduk bersama teman-teman?

Bersama translates as "together with." It explains that the act of sitting is not done alone but rather with friends, emphasizing the social aspect of the activity.