Saya mengambil gelas dari lemari.

I take a glass from the cupboard.

Breakdown of Saya mengambil gelas dari lemari.

• sebuah: a
• saya: I
• lemari: the cupboard
• dari: from
• mengambil: to take
• gelas: the glass

Questions & Answers about Saya mengambil gelas dari lemari.

What does the prefix meng- do here, and what’s the base verb?

The base verb is ambil (take). The prefix meN- (realized as meng- before a vowel-initial root) makes the active transitive verb mengambil = “to take (something).” It’s the neutral, standard form.

Can I just say Saya ambil gelas dari lemari?

Yes. Saya ambil ... is common in everyday speech and slightly more casual than Saya mengambil .... Both are correct.

How do I say it in the past, present, or future?

Indonesian doesn’t change the verb for tense. Add time/aspect words:

• Past: Saya sudah/tadi/barusan mengambil gelas dari lemari.
• Progressive: Saya sedang mengambil gelas dari lemari.
• Future: Saya akan mengambil gelas dari lemari / Nanti saya ambil gelas dari lemari.

Why is it dari lemari and not di lemari? What about daripada?

• dari = from (source/origin), so it fits movement away from a place.
• di = at/in/on (location), not “from.” Colloquially you may hear ambil gelas di lemari, but dari is the precise choice.
• daripada is mainly for comparisons (lebih ... daripada ...) or “rather than,” not for movement.

Can I say dari dalam lemari?

Yes. dari dalam lemari emphasizes “from inside the cupboard.” dari lemari is usually enough unless you want that extra emphasis.

Do I need an article like “a/the” before gelas?

No. Indonesian has no articles. gelas can mean “a glass” or “the glass” from context. To make it clearly definite, use gelas itu (that/the glass) or gelasnya (contextual “the glass” or “his/her glass,” depending on context).

How do I specify quantity, like “one glass”?

• Object: satu gelas or sebuah gelas = one glass (as an item).
• Content/portion: segelas air = a glass of water (a glassful).
  Often just gelas is fine if the quantity is clear.

What’s the difference between gelas, cangkir, and mug?

• gelas: a glass/tumbler, usually without a handle, often for cold drinks.
• cangkir: a cup with a handle, for tea/coffee.
• mug: commonly said as mug (loanword) or sometimes “cangkir besar.”

What exactly does lemari refer to?

lemari is a cabinet/cupboard/wardrobe. You can specify type: lemari pakaian (wardrobe), lemari dapur (kitchen cupboard), lemari kaca (display cabinet). Note: lemari es or kulkas = refrigerator.

Can I front the object or use the passive?

Yes. Options:

• Object-fronting (often called passive 2): Gelas saya ambil dari lemari.
• Passive: Gelas diambil dari lemari (oleh saya).
  The original Saya mengambil gelas dari lemari is neutral SVO.

How do I say “I took it from the cupboard”?

Use the clitic -nya: Saya mengambilnya dari lemari. You can also say Saya ambil itu dari lemari (“that one”), which sounds more demonstrative.

How do I turn this into a polite request?

Use tolong and often the benefactive form: Tolong ambilkan gelas itu dari lemari. You can soften further: Bisa tolong ambilkan gelas itu dari lemari?

What’s the difference between mengambil and mengambilkan?

• mengambil: take/get something.
• mengambilkan: take/get something for someone (benefactive).
  Example: Dia mengambilkan saya sebuah gelas dari lemari = He got me a glass from the cupboard.

Are there colloquial variants I’ll hear?

Yes: Aku/Gue for “I,” and ngambil for mengambil. For example: Aku ngambil gelas dari lemari or Gue ngambil gelas dari lemari (Jakarta slang).

Any quick pronunciation tips?

• ng in mengambil is like “ng” in “singer,” not “finger.”
• r is tapped/rolled.
• The letter e in gelas/lemari is a schwa (weak “uh”): gə-las, lə-ma-ri. Stress is light and even; don’t over-stress syllables.