Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Dia minum setengah gelas kopi. - He/She drinks half a glass of coffee.

Present/progressive: Dia sedang/lagi minum setengah gelas kopi. (is drinking)
Past/completed: Dia sudah/telah minum setengah gelas kopi. (has already drank)
Recent past: Dia baru (saja) minum setengah gelas kopi. (just drank)
Future: Dia akan/segera minum setengah gelas kopi. (will/is about to drink)

What’s the difference between minum, meminum, and minumin?

minum: the everyday form; can be intransitive or take an object. Example: Dia minum setengah gelas kopi.
meminum: a more formal/literary transitive form emphasizing the object. Example: Dia meminum setengah gelas kopi.
minumin (colloquial with suffix -in): usually means “to give someone something to drink,” not “to drink.” Example: Dia minumin adiknya susu. (He/She gave the younger sibling milk to drink)

Does dia mean he or she? What about ia and beliau?

dia: gender-neutral “he/she”; common in speech and writing. Often for people (can be used for beloved pets).
ia: also “he/she,” but mainly in formal writing and typically only as a subject. Ia minum… is fine; but after prepositions or as an object, use dia (e.g., Saya melihat dia).
beliau: honorific “he/she” for respected figures (teachers, elders, officials); formal. Do not use for yourself or objects.
For plural “they,” use mereka.
Sometimes Dia with capital D refers to God in religious contexts.

Is setengah the same as separuh? Which should I use?

Both mean “half,” and both work here.

Very common pattern: setengah + measure word + noun → setengah gelas kopi.
separuh gelas kopi is also acceptable; separuh can feel a bit more like a half-portion of a single whole.
With a definite whole, separuh dari… is natural: separuh dari gelas itu (half of that glass).
For general measurements, setengah is the default.

Why is it setengah gelas kopi and not gelas setengah kopi?

Indonesian quantity order is: numeral/quantity + measure/classifier + noun. So:

Natural: setengah gelas kopi (half a glass of coffee)
Avoid: gelas setengah kopi You may hear Dia minum kopi setengah gelas in casual speech, but setengah gelas kopi is the clearest, most standard noun phrase.

Is gelas kopi “a glass of coffee” or “a coffee glass”?

With a numeral/quantity in front (e.g., setengah gelas kopi, segelas kopi), it means “glass of coffee.”
Without a numeral/quantity, gelas kopi can also mean “coffee glass” (a type of glass). To avoid ambiguity without a number, prefer segelas kopi (a glass of coffee) or gelas berisi kopi (a glass containing coffee).
In this sentence, setengah gelas kopi unambiguously means “half a glass of coffee.”

Do I need an article like “a”? How do I say “a glass of coffee”?

Indonesian has no articles. Use the se- prefix to express “one (a/an)” with measure words:

segelas kopi = a glass of coffee
secangkir kopi = a cup of coffee For “half a glass,” simply setengah gelas—no article needed.

How do I make it definite or possessive, like “half of the coffee” or “half of his coffee”?

Definite “that/the”: add itu → setengah gelas kopi itu (half a glass of that/the coffee).
The suffix -nya can mark definiteness or possession depending on context:
- setengah gelas kopinya can mean “half a glass of the coffee” (previously mentioned) or “half a glass of his/her coffee.” Context decides. If you must be explicit: setengah gelas kopi miliknya (half a glass of his/her coffee), or name the owner: setengah gelas kopi Andi.

Can I drop the subject dia?

Yes, Indonesian allows subject drop when context is clear. However, Minum setengah gelas kopi without context can sound like an instruction/imperative (“Drink half a glass of coffee”). To make a neutral statement, keep dia unless the subject is already understood.

How do I say “only half a glass,” or negate it?

Only: Dia hanya/cuma minum setengah gelas kopi.
Negation: Dia tidak minum setengah gelas kopi. (He/She didn’t drink half a glass of coffee.)
At least/at most:
- Dia minum setidaknya setengah gelas kopi. (at least)
- Dia minum paling banyak setengah gelas kopi. (at most)

What’s the difference between gelas and cangkir here?

gelas: a glass/tumbler (usually without a handle; often glass material). Many Indonesian places serve coffee in a gelas, so segelas/setengah gelas kopi is common.
cangkir: a cup with a handle; also common for coffee, especially in cafés/homes with mugs/cups. Then you’d say secangkir/setengah cangkir kopi.

How would I say related quantities like “two and a half glasses of coffee,” and how do I pronounce the words?

Quantities:
- Half a cup: setengah cangkir kopi
- One and a half glasses: satu setengah gelas kopi
- Two and a half glasses: dua setengah gelas kopi
Pronunciation (approximate English cues):
- dia: DEE-ah
- minum: MEE-noom
- setengah: suh-TUH-ngah (the “ng” is a single sound as in “sing”)
- gelas: guh-LAS (the first “e” is a relaxed schwa)
- kopi: KOH-pee