Breakdown of Saya suka memotret kucing saya di halaman belakang.
saya
I
suka
to like
di
in
kucing
the cat
halaman belakang
the backyard
saya
my
memotret
to photograph
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Questions & Answers about Saya suka memotret kucing saya di halaman belakang.
What does the prefix me- in memotret indicate, and why does the original p in potret stay intact?
The prefix me- marks an active/transitive verb (“to do something to …”). Indonesian has specific assimilation patterns depending on the initial consonant of the root:
- For roots beginning with p, me- becomes mem-, but the p remains:
potret → memotret
potong → memotong - For roots beginning with t, me- becomes men-, and the t drops:
telepon → menelpon
tulis → menulis
So me-- potret → memotret (not menotret or mepotret).
Why do we say kucing saya instead of saya kucing, and what about kucingku?
Indonesian expresses possession with a noun + possessor order.
- kucing saya = “cat of mine” (my cat)
You can also use the enclitic pronoun -ku for informality: - kucingku = “my cat”
What is the role of di in di halaman belakang?
di is the locative preposition meaning “in/at/on.” It always precedes the place noun:
- di sekolah (“at school”)
- di rumah (“at home”)
Thus di halaman belakang = “in/at the backyard.”
Can I drop the me- and simply say motret? Is there a formality difference?
Yes. In everyday conversation speakers often use the bare root motret:
- Saya suka memotret… (standard/formal)
- Saya suka motret… (colloquial)
Both are correct; memotret appears more in writing or formal speech.
How do I know when the action happens, since memotret doesn’t change form?
Indonesian verbs are not inflected for tense. You rely on context or time markers:
- sekarang (now): Saya sedang memotret kawanku.
- kemarin (yesterday): Kemarin saya memotret kucing.
In your sentence, suka indicates a habitual/general preference (“I like to …”).
Can I move di halaman belakang to the front of the sentence?
Yes. Word order is flexible for emphasis. Just keep the verb–object together:
- Di halaman belakang, saya suka memotret kucing saya.
- Saya suka memotret kucing saya di halaman belakang.
Is it redundant to use saya twice? How can I avoid repetition?
Repeating saya as subject and possessor is common. To reduce repetition you can:
- Use kucingku instead of kucing saya:
Saya suka memotret kucingku di halaman belakang. - Omit the subject if context is clear:
Suka memotret kucing di halaman belakang.
Why memotret instead of something like mefoto or memotografi?
The standard everyday verb “to photograph” in Indonesian is memotret, derived from Dutch portret.
- foto is normally a noun (“photo/picture”), not a verb root.
- fotografi is also a noun; memotografi is overly formal and rare.
Stick with memotret (or colloquial motret) for natural usage.