Saya duduk di kursi depan.

I sit in the front seat.

Breakdown of Saya duduk di kursi depan.

• saya: I
• di: in
• duduk: to sit
• depan: front
• kursi: the seat

Questions & Answers about Saya duduk di kursi depan.

What does Saya mean here and can I use Aku instead?

Saya means “I” and is a neutral/formal first-person pronoun used by both men and women. You can use Aku in casual settings or among close friends—it sounds more intimate or informal. However, Aku may be too familiar or even rude in formal situations.

What is di in duduk di kursi depan and why do we need it?

di is a preposition meaning “in/at/on.” When you say duduk di kursi, it tells us where someone is sitting: literally “sit in/at the chair.” Indonesian places di before the noun that indicates location.

Why is there no “the” or “a” before kursi?

Indonesian does not use articles like “a,” “an,” or “the.” A noun such as kursi can be definite or indefinite based on context. If you ever need to specify “a” you can add sebuah (a), or for “the” you could use itu (that), but often they’re omitted.

Why does depan come after kursi instead of before, like in English?

In Indonesian, adjectives generally follow the noun they modify. So kursi depan literally means “seat front” (i.e., “front seat”). If you were to put depan before a noun, you’d need the preposition di to indicate “in front of,” as in di depan kursi (“in front of the chair”).

What’s the difference between kursi depan and di depan kursi?

kursi depan is a noun phrase meaning “the front seat” (the seat located at the front).
di depan kursi is a prepositional phrase meaning “in front of the chair” (the space or position before the chair).

Does duduk imply “am sitting” and do I need to add sedang for continuous actions?

By itself, duduk conveys that someone is sitting (state or simple present). If you want to stress the ongoing nature—“I am sitting right now”—you can add sedang:
Saya sedang duduk di kursi depan.
But in many contexts, sedang is optional when it’s clear you’re describing a current action.

How do I express “front seats” in the plural if I mean more than one?

Indonesian nouns don’t change form for plural. kursi depan can mean one or several front seats, depending on context. If you need to be explicit, you can say beberapa kursi depan (“some front seats”) or use reduplication kursi-kursi depan, which is more emphatic.