Sign inSign up

Siswa minum kopi sebelum belajar di perpustakaan.

Siswa minum kopi sebelum belajar di perpustakaan.
The student drinks coffee before studying in the library.
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Indonesian grammar and vocabulary.

Start learning Indonesian now

Questions & Answers about Siswa minum kopi sebelum belajar di perpustakaan.

What is the basic word order in this sentence?

The structure is Subject – Verb – Object, followed by an adverbial clause.
Siswa (Subject) minum (Verb) kopi (Object) sebelum belajar di perpustakaan (Adverbial of time).

Why is there no article before siswa?

Indonesian does not use articles like the or a. Nouns stand alone. If you need to specify:

  • seorang siswa = “a student”
  • para siswa = “the students” (marks plural)
Is siswa singular or plural here?
It can be either, depending on context. To force singular, use seorang siswa; to force plural, para siswa. Without a marker it’s ambiguous or “students” in general.
How do we know the tense of minum?
Indonesian verbs are not inflected for tense. Minum could be “drinks,” “drank,” or “will drink.” Time is shown by context or time words such as sudah (already/past) or akan (will/future).
What does the preposition di indicate in di perpustakaan?

Di marks location (in/at).

  • di perpustakaan = “in/at the library.”
    If you mean “to the library,” you would use ke perpustakaan.
What is the role of sebelum in the sentence?
Sebelum is a subordinating conjunction meaning “before.” It introduces the clause belajar di perpustakaan and links it as a time reference.
Why is belajar not followed directly by perpustakaan?

Here belajar means “study (in a place),” so you need di to mark location.

  • belajar perpustakaan would mean “study about libraries,” not “study in the library.”
Could we use meminum instead of minum?
Yes, meminum is the formal transitive form (prefix me-). It’s used more in writing or when forming passive (dipinum). In everyday speech, minum works fine.
How would you say “after” instead of “before”?

Use setelah. For example:

  • Siswa minum kopi setelah belajar di perpustakaan.
    You can also front it:
  • Setelah belajar di perpustakaan, siswa minum kopi.
How do you express “while studying” instead of “before”?

Use sambil. For example:

  • Siswa minum kopi sambil belajar di perpustakaan.
How do you say “a cup of coffee” in Indonesian?

Use segelas kopi.

  • se- (one) + gelas (glass/cup) = “a cup” → segelas kopi.