Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Di lift gedung perkantoran, udara tidak sejuk seperti di perpustakaan. - In the office building’s elevator, the air is not as cool as in the library.

In Indonesian, it’s common to front-load a location or time phrase for emphasis or style. By putting di lift gedung perkantoran first, the speaker highlights where this observation is happening. You could also say Udara di lift gedung perkantoran tidak sejuk seperti di perpustakaan, which is equally correct but more neutral in word order.

Why is the preposition di used twice—once before lift and again before perpustakaan?

Di marks location in Indonesian. Whenever you specify “at/on/in” a place, you use di. Since there are two different locations (the lift and the library), you mark each one:

di lift (in the elevator)
di perpustakaan (in the library)

What exactly does udara tidak sejuk mean? Is it the same as “cold air”?

Sejuk means “cool” or “refreshing,” not necessarily “cold.” So udara tidak sejuk means “the air is not cool/refreshing.” If you wanted to say “this air is cold,” you’d use udara dingin.

How does the comparison seperti di perpustakaan work? Can you break it down?

seperti means “like” or “as”
di perpustakaan means “in the library”

So seperti di perpustakaan = “like in the library.” Together with the negative, tidak sejuk seperti di perpustakaan means “not as cool as (it is) in the library.”

Why is there no word for “is” (e.g., adalah) in this sentence?

In Indonesian, simple descriptive sentences often drop any linking verb like “is.” You directly state the subject and its description. Inserting adalah is possible but sounds more formal or literary:

Udara di lift gedung perkantoran tidak sejuk seperti di perpustakaan. (neutral)
Udara di lift gedung perkantoran adalah tidak sejuk seperti di perpustakaan. (more formal, less common)

What does gedung perkantoran mean, and why not just kantor?

Gedung = “building”
Perkantoran = “office-related” (from kantor, “office”)

Together gedung perkantoran literally means “office building.” You could say kantor if you mean “office” in general, but gedung perkantoran specifies the building that houses many offices.

Can lift be replaced by another word? Why is the English word used?

Lift is a common loanword in Indonesian for “elevator,” especially in casual or modern contexts. Alternatives:

Elevator (also used but feels more technical)
Tempat naik turun orang (very formal, almost never used)

Most Indonesians simply say lift.

Is the comma after perkantoran necessary?

No, it’s optional. The comma shows a slight pause, separating the location phrase (di lift gedung perkantoran) from the main clause. In writing, it can improve readability, but leaving it out isn’t a grammar mistake.