Saya menunggu di gerbang keberangkatan.

I am waiting at the departure gate.

Breakdown of Saya menunggu di gerbang keberangkatan.

• saya: I
• di: at
• menunggu: to wait
• gerbang keberangkatan: the departure gate

Questions & Answers about Saya menunggu di gerbang keberangkatan.

What grammatical role does menunggu play here, and how is it formed?

menunggu is the active verb “to wait.” It comes from the root tunggu. Indonesian adds the prefix me- to form many active verbs. Because tunggu starts with t, the prefix assimilates to men-, yielding menunggu.

Could I use menantikan instead of menunggu?

No, not in this context. menantikan is a transitive verb that normally takes a specific object (e.g. menantikan kedatanganmu “to await your arrival”), whereas menunggu can stand alone with just a location: Saya menunggu di gerbang keberangkatan (“I’m waiting at the departure gate”).

What does di do in di gerbang keberangkatan?

Here di is a preposition meaning at or in, marking location. It is not the passive-voice prefix. So di gerbang = “at the gate.”

Why is it gerbang keberangkatan, and could I say pintu keberangkatan or just gate?

• gerbang literally means “gate” (a large entrance). Airports often call them gerbang keberangkatan.
• keberangkatan is a noun derived from berangkat (“to depart”) with the nominalizing ke-…-an.
• pintu keberangkatan is understood but less common.
• In informal or mixed speech people often just say gate.

Is Saya required at the beginning of the sentence?

Not necessarily. Indonesian often drops the subject if it’s clear from context. You can simply say Menunggu di gerbang keberangkatan, and it still means “I’m waiting at the departure gate.”

How do I express the ongoing action—should I use sedang or lagi?

Either works:

• Saya sedang menunggu di gerbang keberangkatan (more formal).
• Saya lagi menunggu di gerbang keberangkatan (colloquial).
  You can even omit both if the situation makes it clear.

Can I move the location phrase to the front for emphasis?

Yes. Indonesian word order is flexible. You can say:
Di gerbang keberangkatan, saya menunggu.
It still means “I’m waiting at the departure gate,” with a slight emphasis on where.

Could I shorten gerbang keberangkatan in casual speech?

Yes. Speakers often say di gate or just waiting at the gate. Even mixing English and Indonesian—Saya tunggu di gate—is very common in everyday conversation.