Saya mengambil mangkuk dari lemari.

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Breakdown of Saya mengambil mangkuk dari lemari.

• saya: I
• lemari: the cupboard
• dari: from

Questions & Answers about Saya mengambil mangkuk dari lemari.

What does the prefix in mengambil do? Can I just use ambil?

The prefix meN- makes an active transitive verb, so mengambil is the standard/neutral way to say “to take.” The bare root ambil is also common:

• Imperatives: Ambil mangkuk! (Take the bowl!)
• Casual/concise statements: Saya ambil mangkuk. Colloquially you’ll also hear ngambil (reduced from mengambil). Meaning is the same; the difference is mostly style/register.

Is Saya ambil mangkuk dari lemari correct, or must I say Saya mengambil?

Both are correct. Saya mengambil… is neutral/formal. Saya ambil… is a bit more casual/concise and very common in speech. Your sentence works either way.

How do I express past, present, or future? Indonesian verbs don’t change form, right?

Right—no tense inflection. Use time/aspect words:

• Past: Saya tadi mengambil…, Saya sudah mengambil…, Saya baru saja mengambil…
• Present/progressive: Saya sedang mengambil… (neutral), Saya lagi ngambil… (colloquial)
• Future/intention: Saya akan mengambil…, Nanti saya ambil…, Saya mau mengambil…

How do I say “a bowl” vs. “the bowl”?