Breakdown of Saya juga membeli sedikit daging untuk makan malam.
saya
I
sedikit
a little
untuk
for
juga
also
membeli
to buy
daging
the meat
makan malam
the dinner
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Indonesian grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Saya juga membeli sedikit daging untuk makan malam.
What does juga mean and why is it placed before membeli?
juga means also or too. It shows that buying meat is an additional action alongside something else the speaker did. In Indonesian, adverbs like juga normally come right after the subject and before the verb—hence Saya juga membeli = I also bought.
What does sedikit mean here? Is it more like few or little in English?
sedikit means a small amount or a little. With non-count nouns like daging (meat), it corresponds to a little meat. If you use sedikit with countable items (e.g., apples), context tells you it means a few apples.
Why is sedikit placed before daging instead of after it?
In Indonesian, quantifiers and adjectives generally go before the noun they modify. So you say sedikit daging (little meat), not daging sedikit, which would sound awkward and could shift the focus unnaturally.
What is the function of untuk in this sentence? Can we drop or replace it?
untuk means for or in order to, and it introduces the purpose of the action—in this case, for dinner. You need untuk to link buying meat to its purpose. In casual speech, you might hear buat makan malam, but untuk is more standard in writing and formal contexts.
What does makan malam mean literally, and why is it two words?
Literally, makan malam is eat + evening, but together it means dinner. Indonesian often forms meal-time expressions by combining a verb and a time word. They remain two separate words in writing.
Why are there no articles like a or the in this sentence?
Indonesian doesn’t have articles. Context and words like sedikit (a little), demonstratives (ini, itu), or numbers indicate definiteness or amount. Here, sedikit daging already communicates a little meat without needing a.
Can we omit saya (I)? When is it optional?
Yes. Indonesian speakers often drop pronouns when the subject is clear from context. So in a conversation about your own actions you could just say Juga membeli sedikit daging untuk makan malam. Including saya makes the sentence more explicit or formal.
What is the basic word order in this sentence?
The structure is Subject + Adverb + Verb + Object + Purpose clause:
- Saya (Subject)
- juga (Adverb)
- membeli (Verb)
- sedikit daging (Object)
- untuk makan malam (Purpose)