Saya membeli barang promosi di supermarket.

I buy promotional items at the supermarket.

Breakdown of Saya membeli barang promosi di supermarket.

• saya: I
• di: at
• barang: the item
• supermarket: the supermarket
• membeli: to buy
• promosi: promotional

Questions & Answers about Saya membeli barang promosi di supermarket.

What is the typical word order in Saya membeli barang promosi di supermarket and how does it compare to English?

Indonesian generally follows Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) like English. In this sentence:

• Saya = subject (“I”)
• membeli = verb (“buy”)
• barang promosi = object (“promotional items”)
• di supermarket = adverbial phrase of place (“at the supermarket”)

So you literally read it as “I buy promotional items at the supermarket.”

Does barang mean “item” in singular or “items” in plural? How do you show singular or plural?

barang is an unmarked noun meaning “goods” or “item(s).” Indonesian nouns don’t change form for number. Context tells you if it’s one or many. If you need to be explicit:

• satu barang or sebuah barang = one item
• barang-barang or beberapa barang = items (plural)
• tiga barang = three items

What part of speech is promosi in barang promosi, and why is it placed after barang?

Here promosi is a noun functioning like an adjective (an attributive noun). Indonesian puts the head noun first (barang) and its modifier after (promosi). So barang promosi literally “promotion goods” → “promotional goods/items.”

Why are there no articles like “a,” “an,” or “the” in Saya membeli barang promosi di supermarket?

Indonesian doesn’t have articles. One noun form covers both definite and indefinite uses. If you need to specify, you add quantifiers or numbers (e.g., sebuah, beberapa, tiga) before the noun.

How do you tell that di in di supermarket is a preposition (“at/in”) and not the passive voice prefix?

When di is part of a passive verb it sticks to the verb without a space (e.g., dibeli = “was bought”). When it’s separate with a space (di supermarket), it’s the preposition meaning “at” or “in.”

Why do we use di instead of ke before supermarket, since you’re going “to” the supermarket?

di marks the location where an action takes place (“buy at the supermarket”). ke marks movement toward a place (“go to the supermarket”: Saya pergi ke supermarket). Since the buying happens at that location, we use di.

What does the prefix me- do in membeli, and can you just say beli instead?

me- is the active-verb prefix, turning the root beli (“buy”) into membeli (“to buy”). In formal or neutral contexts, use membeli. In casual speech you often drop the prefix (Saya beli barang promosi), but membeli remains the standard verb form.

How would you specify that you bought exactly one promotional item or a few of them?

Add a number or quantifier before barang:

• Saya membeli satu barang promosi = I bought one promotional item.
• Saya membeli beberapa barang promosi = I bought some promotional items.
• Saya membeli tiga barang promosi = I bought three promotional items.

Are there other native words for supermarket, or is it always a loanword?

While supermarket (loanword) is very common, you can also say toko swalayan (“self-service store”). Smaller versions might be called minimarket or pasar swalayan, but almost everyone understands supermarket.