Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Mereka akan tampil besok malam di panggung sekolah. - They will perform tomorrow night on the school stage.

akan is the future-tense marker in Indonesian. It signals that the action (tampil) will take place later. Unlike English, where we use an auxiliary verb “will,” Indonesian places akan before the main verb.

What does tampil mean here?

tampil means “to perform” or “to appear (on stage).” It’s commonly used when talking about artists, bands, or speakers who go on stage.

Why is it besok malam instead of malam besok?

Both besok malam and malam besok are grammatically correct, but native speakers usually say besok malam (“tomorrow night”). Placing besok first is more idiomatic, though reversing the order doesn’t change the meaning.

Can you break down di panggung sekolah?

– di: preposition meaning “at” or “on” (location marker)
– panggung: “stage”
– sekolah: “school”
Together, di panggung sekolah means “at the school stage.” In Indonesian, the head noun comes first (panggung), followed by the modifier (sekolah).

Why is there no article like “the” or “a” before panggung sekolah?

Indonesian does not use articles (a/an/the). Definiteness is understood from context. So di panggung sekolah can mean “on the school stage” or “on a school stage,” depending on context.

Could the di in di panggung ever indicate passive voice?

Yes, di- prefixed to a verb stem makes passive verbs (e.g., ditampilkan). But when di stands alone before a noun, it’s a locative preposition meaning “at/on.” Context and word order distinguish the two.

Is it possible to drop akan and still convey the future meaning?

You could say Mereka tampil besok malam di panggung sekolah, and listeners will still likely understand it as future because of besok malam. However, including akan makes the future aspect explicit and more formal.

How do you pronounce panggung and tampil?

– panggung: PAHNG-goong (the “ng” is like the end of “sing”)
– tampil: TAHM-pil (with a clear “a” as in “father”)
Stress is generally even in Indonesian, but you can slightly emphasize the first syllable.