Breakdown of Saya bertemu teman baru di kantor tadi pagi.
saya
I
baru
new
teman
the friend
di
at
kantor
the office
bertemu
to meet
tadi pagi
this morning
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Questions & Answers about Saya bertemu teman baru di kantor tadi pagi.
Why is the subject Saya used here? Can I use Aku or other pronouns instead?
Saya is the standard, polite first-person pronoun in Indonesian, especially suitable in formal or workplace contexts. Aku is more casual and used among close friends or family. You could also use kami (“we, excluding you”) or kita (“we, including you”) if you’re speaking on behalf of a group.
What does bertemu mean exactly, and why isn’t it just temu?
Bertemu means “to meet.” The prefix ber- turns the root temu (“find” or “encounter”) into an intransitive or reciprocal action—“to meet (each other).” You generally won’t hear temu by itself to mean “meet someone.” Note that colloquially some people say jumpa (“to meet”) without ber-.
Why is it teman baru and not baru teman?
In Indonesian, adjectives usually follow the noun they modify. Teman (“friend”) is the noun and baru (“new”) is the adjective, so teman baru = “new friend.” Saying baru teman would sound like “only just a friend,” shifting the meaning.
Why do we use di kantor instead of ke kantor?
Di marks location (“at” or “in”), so di kantor = “at the office.” In contrast, ke marks direction or movement toward a place (“to”), e.g. saya pergi ke kantor = “I go to the office.”
Why is there no word for “with” in Saya bertemu teman baru?
In Indonesian, the verb bertemu already implies meeting someone, so you don’t need a separate preposition like “with.” If you did want to add dengan (“with”), you could say Saya bertemu dengan teman baru, but it’s optional and often omitted.
What does tadi pagi mean, and how is it different from pagi tadi or kemarin pagi?
Tadi pagi means “earlier this morning” (the same day). Pagi tadi can be used interchangeably but is slightly less common. Kemarin pagi means “yesterday morning.”
How do you indicate past tense in Indonesian since there’s no conjugation like “met” or “meet”?
Indonesian doesn’t change the verb form for tense. Instead, you use time adverbs (like tadi pagi, kemarin, nanti, etc.) or context to show when an action happened.
Can I drop the subject Saya and just say Bertemu teman baru di kantor tadi pagi?
Yes. Indonesian often omits subject pronouns when context is clear. Bertemu teman baru di kantor tadi pagi is acceptable in informal speech or notes. In formal writing, you might keep Saya for clarity.