Gedung perkantoran dekat rumah saya tenang di malam hari.

to be

Breakdown of Gedung perkantoran dekat rumah saya tenang di malam hari.

• rumah: the house
• di: at
• malam hari: the night

Questions & Answers about Gedung perkantoran dekat rumah saya tenang di malam hari.

Why is there no verb like is or adalah in this Indonesian sentence?

In Indonesian, the copula (the word equivalent to “to be”) is usually omitted in simple present-tense statements. Instead of saying Gedung perkantoran dekat rumah saya adalah tenang di malam hari, you drop adalah (or is) and just say Gedung perkantoran dekat rumah saya tenang di malam hari. It’s understood that it means “is quiet.”

What does gedung perkantoran mean? Why are there two words?

– gedung = building
– perkantoran = an office complex or multiple offices (from kantor + the affixes per-…-an)
Together, gedung perkantoran literally means “office building” or “office complex.”

What’s the difference between kantor, kantoran, and perkantoran?

• kantor = office (the place or institution)
• kantoran (informal) = office-related; e.g. jam kantoran = office hours
• perkantoran = a complex/area of offices or multiple office buildings
The per-…-an affix creates a noun meaning “the place of” or “the system of” something.

How does possession work in rumah saya? Why isn’t it saya rumah?

In Indonesian, the possessed noun comes first, then the possessor:– = my house– = his/her bookThis is the opposite of English, where we say “my house.”