Breakdown of Saya hanya bicara dengan teman saya di taman.
saya
I
di
in
teman
the friend
bicara
to talk
dengan
with
taman
the garden
hanya
only
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Questions & Answers about Saya hanya bicara dengan teman saya di taman.
What does hanya mean in this sentence, and why is it placed before bicara?
Hanya means only or just. In this sentence, it limits the action to a specific context—indicating that you speak solely with your friend at the park. Indonesian adverbs like hanya usually come before the verb they modify, so placing it before bicara emphasizes that exclusivity.
Why is bicara used instead of berbicara in this sentence?
Both bicara and berbicara mean to talk or to speak, but bicara is often used in informal conversation. In everyday Indonesian, dropping the prefix ber- is common, making bicara acceptable and natural in casual contexts like this one.
What is the role of the phrase dengan teman saya?
The phrase dengan teman saya functions as a prepositional phrase that tells us who you are speaking with. Dengan means with, and teman saya translates to my friend. Together, they indicate that the person spoken with is exclusively your friend.
What does di taman indicate in the sentence?
Di taman is another prepositional phrase that specifies the location where the action takes place. Di means at or in, and taman means park. This phrase informs the listener about the setting—namely, that the conversation happens at the park.
Why does the sentence include saya twice—once at the beginning and again in teman saya?
The first saya acts as the subject pronoun meaning I. The second saya in teman saya is a possessive pronoun meaning my. Indonesian commonly places the possessor after the noun, so teman saya literally means friend my, or more naturally in English, my friend.
Is the word order in this sentence typical for Indonesian, or can it be varied?
The word order here is quite typical. The sentence follows a clear sequence: subject (Saya), adverb (hanya), verb (bicara), and then prepositional phrases (dengan teman saya di taman). Although Indonesian tends to be flexible with word order, this structure is common for conveying a straightforward statement about who is doing what, where, and with whom.