Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Saya membeli macam-macam buah di pasar. - I buy various kinds of fruit at the market.

The hyphen shows reduplication (a standard spelling rule). Write macam-macam, not “macam macam.” In casual texting some people drop the hyphen, but correct writing uses it. The same rule applies to forms like buah-buahan.

Can I say bermacam-macam buah instead? Any difference?

Yes. bermacam-macam buah is also natural and means the same: “various kinds of fruit.” Tiny nuance: bermacam-macam (with ber-) is a modifier you can also use without naming the noun, e.g., Saya membeli bermacam-macam (“I bought various things”). macam-macam buah can’t stand alone like that.

Could I just say buah-buahan here?

Yes. Saya membeli buah-buahan di pasar is very natural and implies a variety of fruits.

macam-macam buah = explicitly “various kinds of fruit.”
buah-buahan = “fruits (as a category/assortment).”
Avoid buah-buah; it’s rarely used in everyday Indonesian.

Do I need to mark plural in Indonesian?

Usually no. Indonesian doesn’t obligatorily mark plural. buah can mean “fruit” or “fruits” depending on context. Words like macam-macam or banyak make plurality/variety explicit when needed.

Is buah here the classifier or the noun? How do I tell?

Here it’s the noun “fruit.” As a general classifier, buah appears with a numeral or se-, e.g., dua buah apel (“two apples”), sebuah rumah (“one house”). In macam-macam buah, there’s no numeral; buah is the thing being bought.

Why membeli and not just beli? Are both correct?

Both are correct. beli is the root; membeli is the standard meN- verb form.

Formal/neutral: Saya membeli…
Casual speech: Saya beli… / Aku beli…
Meaning is the same; it’s a register choice.

What’s the pattern behind the meN- prefix in membeli?

meN- changes form based on the first sound of the root:

mem-: before b, f, v, m; and before p (p drops) → membeli, memfoto, memvakum, memakai (from p-), memasak (from m-)
men-: before d, j, c, n; and before t (t drops) → mendengar, menjual, mencari, menilai, menulis (from t-)
meny-: before s (s drops) → menyapu
meng-: before g, h, k (k drops), q, vowels → menggambar, menghitung, mengirim (from k-), mengambil
me-: before l, r, w, y → melihat, merasa, mewarnai, meyakini

When would I use membelikan instead of membeli?

Use membelikan when buying something for someone (benefactive):

Saya membelikan ibu buah. = I bought fruit for my mother. You can also say Saya membeli buah untuk ibu; membelikan is just more compact.

Why di pasar and not ke pasar? What’s the difference?

di = at/in (location): di pasar = at the market.
ke = to/toward (destination): ke pasar = to the market.
Your sentence states where the buying happened, so di is correct. If you want to express going there: Saya pergi ke pasar untuk membeli buah.

Can I move di pasar to the front?

Yes. Word order is flexible for emphasis:

Di pasar, saya membeli macam-macam buah.
Saya membeli macam-macam buah di pasar. Both are fine; the second is the neutral default.

Is saya the most natural pronoun here? What about aku or gue?

saya: polite/neutral; safe in most contexts.
aku: informal/intimate, literature, with friends.
gue/gua: very informal, urban (Jakarta).
Pick based on the relationship and setting.

How do I pronounce the words?

saya: sah-yah (y as in “yes”)
membeli: məm-bə-LEE (final syllable a bit stronger)
macam-macam: MA-cham MA-cham (c as in “church”; a like “father”)
buah: boo-ah (often sounds like “bu-wah”)
pasar: PA-sar (r is tapped)
Indonesian stress is light, often near the end; vowels are pure.

Do I write di pasar or dipasar?

Write di pasar (with a space) because di is a preposition meaning “at/in.” The bound form di- (no space) is a passive verb prefix, e.g., dibeli (“bought [by someone]”). Don’t write “dipasar.”

Are there synonyms for macam-macam like berbagai or aneka?

Yes, and they’re common:

berbagai (jenis) buah = various (kinds of) fruit
aneka buah = an assortment of fruit (often used in ads/menus)
All are natural; choose based on tone. macam-macam buah is neutral and clear.

Do I need a word for “some,” like an article?

Indonesian has no articles. “Some” is usually understood from context. If you want to be specific:

beberapa = several: beberapa buah apel (several apples)
sebagian = some (part of a whole): sebagian buahnya (some of the fruit)
You don’t need any extra word in your sentence; it already reads naturally.