Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Kios oleh-oleh di stasiun selalu ramai. - The souvenir kiosk at the station is always busy.

oleh-oleh refers to souvenirs or gifts you buy during a trip to bring back for friends and family. In Indonesian, reduplication (repeating a word) often shows plurality or a collective sense. Here, oleh-oleh is lexicalized as “travel gifts” rather than just one item.

Why is it kios oleh-oleh and not just kios?

kios by itself means a small shop or stall. Adding oleh-oleh specifies the shop’s purpose: it’s a stall that sells souvenirs. This is a common pattern—noun + descriptive noun—to form a compound.

Why does di stasiun come after kios oleh-oleh instead of before it?

In Indonesian, location phrases introduced by di (at/in/on) typically follow the noun they modify. So the structure is:
kios oleh-oleh (what kind of shop) + di stasiun (where it is located).

What role does selalu play in the sentence?

selalu is an adverb meaning always. It modifies the predicate (in this case, ramai) to express that the souvenir kiosk is busy at all times.

Is ramai an adjective or a verb here, and how does it work without a linking verb?

In Indonesian, words like ramai function as adjectives (busy/crowded) but can serve as predicates without a copula. You don’t need a “to be” verb—kios… selalu ramai literally reads as “the kiosk … always busy.”

Why is there no word like adalah (is) between the subject and the predicate?

Indonesian often omits the copula in simple descriptive or nominal sentences. Inserting adalah is possible for emphasis or formality (Kios oleh-oleh di stasiun *adalah selalu ramai*), but it’s not required in everyday speech.

Could we start with Di stasiun? Would that change the meaning?

Yes, you can say Di stasiun kios oleh-oleh selalu ramai. The meaning remains the same, but fronting the location phrase shifts emphasis onto where it happens: “At the station, souvenir kiosks are always busy.”