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Questions & Answers about Teman saya bermain di halaman.
What does each word in the sentence "Teman saya bermain di halaman" translate to in English?
Teman means friend, saya means my, bermain means play(s), di is a preposition meaning in/at, and halaman translates as yard (or courtyard/green space). So the overall sentence means "My friend plays in the yard."
Why is the possessive pronoun saya placed after teman instead of before it as in English?
In Indonesian, possession is expressed by placing the possessor after the noun. This means "teman saya" literally translates to "friend my", which we adjust in English to "my friend." The order is different from English but is the standard construction in Indonesian.
How does the verb bermain work in terms of tense and subject agreement?
Indonesian verbs, like bermain, do not change form with different tenses or subjects. Whether the action is happening in the past, present, or future, the verb remains in its base form. The time frame is usually understood from context or indicated with additional time expressions.
What is the role of the preposition di in this sentence?
The preposition di in Indonesian is used to indicate location. In this sentence, di halaman tells us that the playing is taking place in a specific location (the yard). It functions similarly to how we use "in," "at," or "on" in English depending on the context.
Why aren’t there any articles like "the" or "a" in the sentence?
Indonesian does not employ articles in the same way English does. Nouns like halaman stand alone without a preceding definite or indefinite article. The context provides enough information to understand whether a noun is specific or general.
Can the noun teman indicate both singular and plural meanings?
Yes, in Indonesian, teman can be used for both singular and plural. If you want to explicitly indicate a plural form, you might use teman-teman. In this sentence, however, context suggests a single friend, so teman is understood as singular.