Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Di musim dingin, kami mengobrol di ruang tamu sambil minum teh. - In winter, we chat in the living room while drinking tea.

In Indonesian, di can be either
• a preposition meaning “in/at/on” (always written separately), or
• a passive verb prefix (always attached directly to the verb, e.g. dibeli “was bought”).

Here, di appears as a separate word before musim, so it must be the preposition meaning “in.” If it were a passive prefix, you’d see it glued to a verb root (no space).

Can I replace di musim dingin with pada musim dingin or selama musim dingin? What’s the difference?

Yes, all three mark the winter period, but with slightly different tones:
• di musim dingin – neutral, everyday way to say “in winter.”
• pada musim dingin – a bit more formal or literary, also “in winter.”
• selama musim dingin – emphasizes duration: “throughout the winter.”

Choose based on formality or whether you want to stress the time span.

Why is di musim dingin placed at the beginning of the sentence? Could I move it elsewhere?

In Indonesian, it’s common to start with time or place for context. You could also say:
Kami mengobrol di musim dingin di ruang tamu sambil minum teh.
But leading with di musim dingin highlights “in winter” right away. Word order in Indonesian is flexible, though fronting time/place is stylistically frequent.

Why does the sentence use kami instead of kita?

Both mean “we,” but with different scopes:
• kami excludes the person you’re talking to (“we—but not you”).
• kita includes you (“we—including you”).
Here, the speaker is talking about a group that doesn’t include the listener, so kami is correct.

What does mengobrol mean, and how is it formed from the root obrol?

Mengobrol means “to chat” or “to have a casual conversation.” It’s built with the active verb prefix meN- + root obrol. Because obrol starts with a vowel, meN- becomes meng-, giving mengobrol.

Basic meN- patterns:
• Root starting with vowel/h: meng- (ng + root)
• Root starting with b/p: mem- (drops p)
• Root starting with t/c: men- (drops t)
• Root starting with d/j: men- (drops d)
• Root starting with k: meng- (drops k)

Do I need sedang to show that mengobrol is happening right now?

Not necessarily. Indonesian often omits sedang because context implies ongoing action.
• With aspect marker: Kami sedang mengobrol… = “We are chatting…” (makes the progressive clear)
• Without it: Kami mengobrol… can still mean “We are chatting…” especially if you mention sambil or time context.

Use sedang if you want to emphasize “right now.”

What does sambil mean, and how is it used here?

Sambil means “while (doing something).” It’s always followed by a verb phrase:
sambil + [verb] + [object]
Here:
sambil minum teh
= “while drinking tea.”
It links two simultaneous actions: chatting and drinking tea.

What is ruang tamu, and why does tamu (“guest”) appear even though we’re not mentioning any guests?

Ruang tamu literally “guest room,” but in modern Indonesian it means “living room” or “sitting room.” It’s the area where you receive guests.
To contrast:
• ruang tamu = living room
• kamar tamu = guest bedroom (a room where guests sleep)