Saya melihat matahari terbenam di pantai.

I see the sunset at the beach.

Breakdown of Saya melihat matahari terbenam di pantai.

• saya: I
• di: at
• pantai: the beach
• matahari terbenam: the sunset
• melihat: to see

Questions & Answers about Saya melihat matahari terbenam di pantai.

What is the word order of Saya melihat matahari terbenam di pantai?

It follows the typical Indonesian S–V–O–Adverbial pattern:
• Subject: Saya (“I”)
• Verb: melihat (“saw/see”)
• Object: matahari terbenam (“sunset”)
• Adverbial phrase: di pantai (“at the beach”)

What does saya mean?

saya is the first-person singular pronoun, equivalent to “I” in English. It’s the neutral/formal way to say “I” in Indonesian.

How is melihat formed, and what does it mean?

The root verb is lihat (“see”). Adding the active prefix me- gives:
me- + lihat → melihat (“to see” / “saw”).
Indonesian verbs don’t change form for tense.

How do you express past, present, or future tense?

You add time-marker words; the verb itself stays the same:
• Past: sudah + verb → Saya sudah melihat… (“I have already seen…”)
• Ongoing: sedang + verb → Saya sedang melihat… (“I am seeing…”)
• Future: akan + verb → Saya akan melihat… (“I will see…”)

What is the literal composition of matahari?

matahari is a compound noun:
• mata = “eye”
• hari = “day”
Together they form “sun.”

What function does the prefix ter- serve in terbenam?

The ter- prefix marks an inchoative or accidental state.
• terbenam literally means “to happen to sink,” i.e. “to set” (of the sun).
Thus matahari terbenam = “the sun sets” or “sunset.”

Why is it di pantai and not ke pantai?

• di indicates location (“at/in”).
• ke indicates direction (“to/towards”).
Since you’re describing where you saw the sunset, you use di pantai = “at the beach.”

Why aren’t there articles like “the” or “a” before matahari or pantai?

Indonesian has no definite or indefinite articles. Nouns stand alone, and context tells you if they’re specific (“the”), general (“a”), or plural.

Can saya be omitted here and still make sense?

Yes. Pronouns are often dropped when context is clear.
“Melihat matahari terbenam di pantai” can still mean “I saw the sunset at the beach” if the speaker is obvious.

How would you say “the sunset” as a standalone noun phrase?

You can nominalize it with the enclitic -nya:
terbenamnya matahari = “the sunset (of the sun).”