Breakdown of Dia berangkat ke sekolah di pagi hari.
sebuah
a
dia
he/she
di
in
pagi hari
the morning
sekolah
the school
ke
to
berangkat
to depart
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Indonesian grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Dia berangkat ke sekolah di pagi hari.
What does dia refer to, and can it mean both “he” and “she”?
dia is the third-person singular pronoun in Indonesian, equivalent to English he, she, or it. Context (or additional nouns) tells you whether it’s male or female—Indonesian doesn’t distinguish gender here.
What is the root of berangkat, and how does the prefix ber- modify its meaning?
The root verb is angkat (to lift or move up). Adding the prefix ber- forms berangkat, meaning “to set off,” “to depart,” or “to leave.” ber- often turns a root into an intransitive verb describing an action or state.
Why do we use ke sekolah instead of simply sekolah?
ke is the preposition “to.” When you want to indicate movement toward a place, you use ke + location. So ke sekolah literally means “to school.” Without ke, berangkat sekolah is understood but more colloquial; berangkat ke sekolah is clearer and more formal.
Can I say pergi sekolah instead of berangkat ke sekolah, and what’s the difference?
Yes. pergi means “to go,” so pergi sekolah or pergi ke sekolah also works.
- berangkat ke sekolah emphasizes the departure or start of the journey.
- pergi ke sekolah simply states “go to school.”
In everyday speech, both are common, but berangkat often appears in schedules or timetables.
What does di pagi hari mean? Why is di used here?
di pagi hari means “in the morning.” In Indonesian, di before a time expression functions like English “in” when referring to parts of the day. So:
- di pagi hari = in the morning
- di siang hari = in the afternoon
- di malam hari = in the evening
Could I say pada pagi hari instead of di pagi hari?
Yes. pada is another preposition that can mark time, similar to “at” or “on.”
- pada pagi hari is more formal or literary,
- di pagi hari is more common in everyday speech. Both are correct.
Why is the time phrase di pagi hari placed at the end, rather than at the beginning?
Indonesian has flexible word order for adverbials (time, place, manner). Common patterns:
- Subject + Verb + Object + Time/Place
- Time + Subject + Verb + Object
So you could say Di pagi hari dia berangkat ke sekolah, but placing di pagi hari at the end is equally natural and perhaps slightly more conversational.
Is there any nuance between pagi and pagi hari?
Both mean “morning,” but:
- pagi can stand alone when context is clear (e.g., Dia datang pagi = “He/she came in the morning”).
- pagi hari is more explicit, often used when specifying a routine or contrasting with other times of day.