Saya memasak makan malam sekarang di dapur.

I am cooking dinner now in the kitchen.

Breakdown of Saya memasak makan malam sekarang di dapur.

• saya: I
• di: in
• sekarang: now
• dapur: the kitchen
• memasak: to cook
• makan malam: the dinner

Questions & Answers about Saya memasak makan malam sekarang di dapur.

Why do we say memasak instead of just masak?

In Indonesian, you often add the me- prefix to a root verb to form an active transitive verb. The root masak means “cook,” but when you want to say “to cook (something),” you attach me- (with sound changes) to get memasak. It signals that the subject is performing the action on an object.

What is the typical word order for subject, verb, object, time, and place in this sentence?

The neutral pattern is:
Subject + Verb + Object + Time + Place
So in Saya memasak makan malam sekarang di dapur you have:
S = Saya
V = memasak
O = makan malam
T = sekarang
P = di dapur
You can shuffle Time or Place to the front for emphasis, but SVOTP is the default.

Can I move sekarang (now) to a different position?

Yes. Indonesian is flexible about adverb placement. All of these are correct and mean essentially the same:

• Sekarang saya memasak makan malam di dapur.
• Saya sekarang memasak makan malam di dapur.
• Saya memasak makan malam di dapur sekarang.
  Choose the position that feels most natural or gives the emphasis you want.

Why is di dapur used instead of ke dapur?

di marks a static location (“in/at”), while ke indicates movement toward a place (“to/toward”). Because you’re cooking inside the kitchen, you use di dapur. If you were going there, you’d say pergi ke dapur.

What’s the difference between sekarang and sedang?

• sekarang is an adverb meaning “now/right now.”
• sedang is an aspect marker that makes a verb continuous (present progressive).
  You can combine them (Saya sedang memasak sekarang…) for extra emphasis, but using sedang already implies “at this moment.”

Do I need sekarang if I use sedang?

No. sedang alone tells your listener the action is happening right now.
Example without sekarang:
Saya sedang memasak makan malam di dapur.
Adding sekarang is fine for emphasis but not required.

Why aren’t there any words for “the” or “a” before makan malam?

Indonesian does not have articles like English. Context tells you if something is definite or indefinite. makan malam simply means “dinner” (it could be “the dinner,” “her dinner,” or “a dinner” depending on context).

Is makan malam a verb phrase or a noun phrase?

Here, makan malam is a noun phrase meaning “dinner.” Although makan on its own is a verb (“to eat”), when combined with malam (“evening”) it forms “evening meal.”

Can I omit saya at the beginning of the sentence?

Yes. Pronouns are often dropped if the subject is clear.
Memasak makan malam sekarang di dapur.
will still be understood as “I am cooking dinner right now in the kitchen.” Including saya adds clarity or emphasis.

Can I use aku instead of saya?

Yes. saya is more formal/polite; aku is informal or used among close friends.
Example:
Aku memasak makan malam sekarang di dapur.
Both mean the same action but differ in register.