Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Gedung perkantoran dekat rumah saya tenang di malam hari. - The office building near my house is quiet at night.

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:
– rumah saya = my house
– buku dia = his/her book
This is the opposite of English, where we say “my house.”

What role does dekat play in the sentence?

dekat = near. Here it’s a preposition that introduces the location phrase dekat rumah saya, modifying gedung perkantoran. The full phrase tells you which office building: the one “near my house.”

Why is tenang used here, and can you describe a building with it?

tenang = calm, quiet. Though it often describes people or situations, you can apply it to places or buildings to mean there’s little noise or activity there.

What does di malam hari mean? Can I just say malam instead?

– di malam hari = at night
– di is the time-marker preposition.
– You could say malam alone, but that usually just names the time period (“night”) without clearly meaning “at night.” For time expressions, di malam hari or pada malam hari is more natural.

Can I use pada malam hari instead of di malam hari?

Yes. Both mean “at night,” but pada is more formal and common in written Indonesian. di malam hari is more colloquial.

Why is the time phrase di malam hari placed after tenang instead of at the beginning?

Indonesian allows adverbials of time before or after the main verb/adjective. Placing di malam hari at the end highlights tenang first. You could also say:
Di malam hari, gedung perkantoran dekat rumah saya tenang.

How would you make this sentence plural if you mean several office buildings?

You can add a quantifier or plural marker like:
– Beberapa gedung perkantoran dekat rumah saya tenang di malam hari. (“Some office buildings…”)
– Semua gedung perkantoran dekat rumah saya tenang di malam hari. (“All the office buildings…”)
Without a word like beberapa or banyak, Indonesian often leaves plurality implicit.