Saya punya bantal cadangan di lemari.

I have a spare pillow in the cupboard.

Breakdown of Saya punya bantal cadangan di lemari.

• sebuah: a
• saya: I
• di: in
• punya: to have
• lemari: the cupboard
• bantal: the pillow
• cadangan: spare

Questions & Answers about Saya punya bantal cadangan di lemari.

What does punya mean in this sentence?

punya is an informal verb meaning “to have” or “to own.” It’s exactly like English “have.” In formal or written Indonesian you might see memiliki instead, but punya is what people use in everyday conversation.

What’s the difference between punya and memiliki?

• punya: colloquial, used in spoken language and informal writing.
• memiliki: more formal or literary.
  Both convey possession, but punya sounds more relaxed.

What part of speech is cadangan, and how does it work here?

cadangan is a noun that also functions as an adjective meaning “reserve,” “backup,” or “spare.” When you put it after another noun, it describes that noun.
Example:
• bantal cadangan = “spare pillow”
• tempat tidur cadangan = “spare bed”

Why is cadangan placed after bantal instead of before it?

In Indonesian the typical order is Noun + Modifier. So adjectives or descriptive nouns follow the main noun:
• Noun + Adjective (bantal empuk = “soft pillow”)
• Noun + Descriptive Noun (bantal cadangan = “spare pillow”)
Putting cadangan before bantal (cadangan bantal) sounds odd or may be interpreted differently.

What is the role of di in di lemari?

di is a preposition indicating location: “at,” “in,” or “on.”

• di lemari = “in the wardrobe/closet”
• di meja = “on the table”
  You always place di directly before the place noun.

Can you leave out dalam as in di dalam lemari?

Yes.
• di lemari already means “inside the closet.”
• di dalam lemari adds emphasis to “inside,” but is optional.
Both are correct; di lemari is more concise.

Why aren’t there words for “a” or “the” in this sentence?

Indonesian doesn’t use articles like English. Context tells you whether something is definite or indefinite. So:
• Saya punya bantal can mean “I have a pillow” or “I have the pillow,” depending on context.

Why does the sentence start with Saya? Could you drop it or use a different pronoun?

• Saya is a polite/formal “I.”
• You can use Aku (informal) or Gue (very colloquial).
• You can also omit the subject if context is clear:
  • Punya bantal cadangan di lemari.
  But dropping the subject is more common in speech and can sound abrupt in writing.

How do you express plurality for bantal if you have more than one spare pillow?

Indonesian nouns don’t change for plural. bantal can be singular or plural. If you really want to stress “multiple,” you can reduplicate:
• bantal-bantal cadangan = “(multiple) spare pillows”

Can you change the word order to Di lemari saya punya bantal cadangan?

Yes. Indonesian allows flexibility with topic-comment structure. Putting Di lemari first highlights the location:
• Di lemari saya punya bantal cadangan.
= “In the closet, I have a spare pillow.” The focus shifts slightly, but the core meaning stays the same.