Saya membawa buku ke kantor.

I bring a book to the office.

Breakdown of Saya membawa buku ke kantor.

• sebuah: a
• buku: the book
• saya: I
• kantor: the office
• ke: to
• membawa: to bring

Questions & Answers about Saya membawa buku ke kantor.

Why is there no article such as the or a before buku?

Indonesian does not have articles like English. Nouns stand alone to express both definite and indefinite meaning. If you need to specify, you can add demonstratives (e.g., buku ini for this book, buku itu for that book) or quantifiers.

How can we tell whether membawa refers to past, present, or future action?

Indonesian verbs don’t inflect for tense. Saya membawa buku ke kantor can mean I bring …, I am bringing …, I brought …, or I will bring …. Context or time adverbs clarify the time frame. For example, saya sudah membawa = I have brought, saya akan membawa = I will bring, saya sedang membawa = I am bringing right now.

What is the function of ke in ke kantor, and how is it different from di?

ke is a preposition meaning to or toward, indicating direction or destination. ke kantor means to the office. In contrast, di is a locative marker meaning at or in. di kantor means at the office. Use ke for movement toward, and di for location or position.

How is the verb membawa formed from the root bawa?

The root is bawa (carry). To form the active verb, Indonesian uses the prefix meN-. Before b, meN- becomes mem-, so mem- + bawa = membawa. This marks the verb as active/transitive.

How would you say I am bringing a book to the office in a clearly progressive form?

Add sedang (progressive marker) between the subject and the verb: Saya sedang membawa buku ke kantor. You could also use lagi after the verb: Saya membawa buku ke kantor lagi. Both stress that the action is happening right now.

How do you make buku plural if you want to say books?

For plural, you can reduplicate: buku-buku = books. Often, Indonesian leaves nouns unmarked when the number is clear from context or a numeral is used: dua buku = two books.

Can you omit Saya in this sentence and just say Membawa buku ke kantor?

Yes, Indonesian often drops the subject when it’s understood. Membawa buku ke kantor can stand alone in contexts like commands or notes but may sound incomplete in conversation. If you want to say I explicitly, keep Saya.

Is word order always Subject–Verb–Object–Location in Indonesian?

Standard Indonesian word order is SVO, and adverbials of place (like ke kantor) typically follow the object: SVOA. However, you can adjust for emphasis or style: Di kantor, saya membawa buku = At the office, I bring a book. But for basic sentences, stick to SVO + location.