Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Saya akan pergi ke bandara pagi ini.

Akan is a future-tense marker in Indonesian. It shows intention or a plan to do something (similar to “will” or “going to” in English). It’s not grammatically mandatory—Indonesian can imply future with context or by using time adverbs—but using akan makes your meaning explicitly future. For example, without akan, “Saya pergi ke bandara pagi ini” can still mean “I’m going to the airport this morning,” but adding akan removes any ambiguity about your intention.

Why does the sentence use Saya instead of aku or another pronoun?

Saya is the formal or neutral first-person pronoun (“I”). Aku is informal and more intimate. A learner might choose Saya in most everyday or polite contexts—meeting new people, speaking in a professional setting, etc. You could say “Aku akan pergi ke bandara pagi ini” with friends or family, but Saya is safer in mixed or formal company.

What is the function of ke in ke bandara? Could you use di bandara instead?

Ke is the preposition of motion toward a destination (“to”). So ke bandara means “to the airport.”
Di marks location (“at” or “in”), so di bandara would mean “at the airport.” If your focus is on being at the airport (not going there), you’d use di bandara:

“Saya sedang di bandara” = “I am at the airport.”
For movement, always use ke.

Can the subject pronoun Saya be omitted here?

Yes. Indonesian often drops the subject if it’s clear from context. So “Akan pergi ke bandara pagi ini” or “Pergi ke bandara pagi ini” can stand alone in casual conversation, especially if you’ve already mentioned who “I” is. In more formal writing or to avoid confusion, it’s common to keep Saya.

Why is pagi ini placed at the end? Could I say “Pagi ini, saya akan pergi ke bandara”?

Word order in Indonesian is relatively flexible. Time expressions like pagi ini (“this morning”) can come at the start or end:

“Pagi ini, saya akan pergi ke bandara.”
“Saya akan pergi ke bandara pagi ini.”
Both are correct; moving pagi ini to the front often gives a slight emphasis on the time.

What’s the difference between pagi ini and tadi pagi?

Pagi ini means “this morning,” referring to the current morning period (either past or upcoming, depending on context).
Tadi pagi means “earlier this morning,” clearly placing the action earlier in the same morning and already completed. Use tadi pagi if you’re talking about something you did a few hours ago.

Why use bandara instead of bandar udara?

Bandara is an abbreviation of bandar udara (literally “air port”). It’s the more common, everyday term. Bandar udara is correct but more formal or technical. Native speakers nearly always say bandara.

Is there any difference between pergi and berangkat in this context?

Both mean “to go,” but with a nuance:

pergi is a general verb for “go.”
berangkat often implies departing on a scheduled trip or transport (train, plane, bus).
So “Saya akan berangkat ke bandara pagi ini” suggests you have a flight or schedule, whereas “pergi” is more neutral about the mode or formality of travel.