Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Saya melihat kerajinan indah di galeri kota. - I see beautiful crafts at the city gallery.

Saya is the formal first-person pronoun in Indonesian, equivalent to I/me in English. You use Saya in polite, formal, or business contexts. Aku is the informal version of I/me, used with friends, family, or in casual situations.

Why is the verb melihat used here instead of just lihat?

Melihat is the active verb formed by adding the me- prefix to the root lihat (see). This prefix makes it a proper transitive verb (“to see/look at”). Simply saying lihat is just the root and doesn’t function as the verb in a complete sentence.

Does Saya melihat kerajinan indah di galeri kota mean “I see” or “I saw”? How do you express past or future tense in Indonesian?

Indonesian verbs do not change form for tense. Without time markers, Saya melihat can mean “I see,” “I am seeing,” or “I saw,” depending on context.

To specify past: add sudah (already) → Saya sudah melihat… (I have/ already saw…)
To specify future: add akan → Saya akan melihat… (I will see…)

What does kerajinan indah literally mean? How do you know whether it’s singular or plural?

Kerajinan = “craft” or “handicraft”
Indah = “beautiful”
Indonesian nouns are unmarked for number. Kerajinan indah could refer to one beautiful craft or many. To show plural explicitly, you can reduplicate the noun (kerajinan-kerajinan indah) or use a quantifier like banyak kerajinan indah (many beautiful crafts).

Why is the adjective indah placed after the noun kerajinan?

In Indonesian, adjectives typically follow the nouns they modify. So kerajinan indah = “craft beautiful” → “beautiful craft.”

What role does di play in di galeri kota, and why isn’t it attached as a prefix?

Here, di is the preposition meaning “in” or “at.” Prepositions in Indonesian stand alone before place nouns (di + noun). When di- is attached as a prefix (e.g., dilihat), it marks passive voice, which is a completely different function.

How should I understand galeri kota? Does it mean “gallery city” or “city gallery”?

When two nouns appear as galeri kota, the second noun (kota) modifies the first (galeri). So it’s “city gallery.” If you specifically want to say “gallery in the city,” you could also say galeri di kota.

Can I omit Saya in this sentence and still be correct?

Yes. Indonesian often drops subject pronouns when the subject is clear from context. Melihat kerajinan indah di galeri kota is still understandable. However, including Saya adds clarity, especially in writing or when you want to emphasize the subject.

How would you say “I will see beautiful handicrafts at the city gallery” in Indonesian?

Use the future particle akan before the verb:
Saya akan melihat kerajinan indah di galeri kota.

What’s the difference between kerajinan and kerajinan tangan?

Kerajinan generally means any craft or handiwork. Kerajinan tangan literally means “hand-craft,” emphasizing that the items are handmade. When you specifically want to stress that something is made by hand, you use kerajinan tangan; otherwise kerajinan alone often suffices.