Lapangan dekat rumah saya ramai setiap sore.

Lapangan dekat rumah saya ramai setiap sore.
The field near my house is crowded every afternoon.
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Questions & Answers about Lapangan dekat rumah saya ramai setiap sore.

Why is there no word for “the” before lapangan in this sentence?

Indonesian does not use definite or indefinite articles (no “the” or “a/an”). Nouns stand alone. If you want to specify “this field” or “that field,” you add demonstratives:

  • lapangan ini = “this field”
  • lapangan itu = “that field”
What part of speech is dekat, and can I treat it like an English preposition?

dekat is a preposition meaning “near” or “close to.” You can think of it like the English “near,” but note:

  • You don’t need an extra preposition (no “at” or “to”).
  • Structure: dekat
    • [place], e.g. dekat rumah = “near the house.”
Could I say di dekat rumah saya instead of just dekat rumah saya?

Yes, you can. Both are understood, but there’s a subtle difference:

  • dekat rumah saya – dekat itself works as “near.”
  • di dekat rumah saya – di is the locative marker + dekat; it’s slightly more formal or emphatic about the location.
Why is it rumah saya rather than saya rumah for “my house”?

Indonesian uses a head-first genitive structure: the noun comes first, then the possessor.

  • rumah saya = “house of me” = “my house.”
    You would never swap them; saya rumah is ungrammatical.
What role does ramai play here? Is it an adjective or a verb?

ramai can act like:

  • An adjective: “crowded, busy, lively.”
  • An intransitive verb: “to be crowded/busy.”
    In this sentence it describes the state of the field:
  • Lapangan … ramai = “The field is crowded/busy.”
What does setiap sore mean, and why is it placed at the end?
  • setiap means “every.”
  • sore means “afternoon” (late afternoon).
    Together, setiap sore = “every afternoon.”
    Time expressions in Indonesian are flexible: you can put them at the beginning or the end of a sentence.
What is the subject of the sentence?
The subject is Lapangan (“the field”). Everything else (location, state, time) modifies that subject.
If I wanted to say “The playground near my house gets busy,” could I use playground instead of lapangan?

Yes, but playground in colloquial Indonesian is often taman bermain or playground (loanword). So you could say:

  • Taman bermain di dekat rumah saya ramai setiap sore.
    or
  • Playground dekat rumah saya ramai setiap sore.
    Both would be understood.