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Questions & Answers about Ada kursi kosong di depan.
What does the word ada do here?
It marks existence/availability—roughly “there is/are.” It’s not the verb “to be.” In this sentence, ada introduces the existence of kursi kosong at the location di depan.
Can I drop ada and just say Kursi kosong di depan?
You can, but it changes the feel:
- Ada kursi kosong di depan introduces new information: “There’s at least one empty chair up front.”
- Kursi kosong di depan tends to sound like you’re locating a specific, known chair: “The empty chair is in front.” It’s fine in context (e.g., answering a “where is it?” question), but for introducing availability, keep ada.
How do I make it negative?
Use tidak ada (or informal nggak ada):
- Tidak ada kursi kosong di depan. = “There isn’t any empty seat up front.” Avoid bukan ada here; it’s ungrammatical for basic negation of existence.
How do I turn it into a question?
Several natural options:
- Ada kursi kosong di depan? (neutral, spoken; rely on rising intonation)
- Apakah ada kursi kosong di depan? (more formal)
- Di depan ada kursi kosong? (fronted location, spoken)
- Apa di depan ada kursi kosong? (colloquial)
Does kursi mean “chair” or “seat”?
Both, depending on context.
- kursi = chair; also “seat” (bus, theater, etc.)
- tempat duduk = “seat” (emphasizes a sitting place/assignment)
- bangku = bench/stool.
For availability in venues, kursi kosong or tempat duduk kosong both work.
Why is the adjective after the noun (kursi kosong, not kosong kursi)?
Indonesian adjectives typically follow the noun:
- kursi kosong = empty chair
- rumah besar = big house
How do I show plural or a specific number?
Indonesian doesn’t mark plural by default. Add a number or quantifier:
- Ada beberapa kursi kosong di depan. (some)
- Ada dua kursi kosong di depan. (two) Reduplication (kursi-kursi) is possible but less common in everyday speech than using numbers/quantifiers.
How would I make it definite, like “The empty chair is in front”?
Use itu/ini (that/this) or a yang phrase:
- Kursi kosong itu di depan.
- Kursi yang kosong itu di depan. By contrast, Ada kursi kosong di depan is usually indefinite (“there’s an empty chair…”).
What exactly does di depan mean? Do I need “in front of what”?
di depan = “in front,” often understood from context (me/us/this place) and can also mean “up ahead” (e.g., on the road). To specify:
- di depan rumah (in front of the house)
- di depan kita/di depanmu/di depannya (in front of us/you/him-her)
What’s the difference between di depan, ke depan, dari depan, and di hadapan?
- di depan = at the front / in front (location)
- ke depan = to the front / forward (direction; also metaphorical “going forward”)
- dari depan = from the front (source)
- di hadapan = in front of (facing; a bit more formal/literary than di depan)
Can I front the location: Di depan ada kursi kosong?
Yes. Di depan ada kursi kosong is natural and topicalizes the location (“Up front, there’s an empty seat”).
Is di depan written as one word or two?
Two words: di depan. The preposition di is written separately from the noun. Don’t write didepan. (By contrast, the passive prefix di- attaches to verbs, e.g., dibuka.)
Could I use berada instead of ada?
Use berada to state the location of a specific, already-identified subject:
- Kursi itu berada di depan. Don’t use berada to introduce existence. You can’t say Berada kursi kosong di depan.
How do I say “one” explicitly—satu or sebuah?
Both can work:
- Ada satu kursi kosong di depan. (spoken, neutral; “one” explicitly)
- Ada sebuah kursi kosong di depan. (more formal/literary; sebuah is a general classifier) In daily speech, satu is more common than sebuah.
What’s the difference between kursi kosong and kursi yang kosong?
- kursi kosong = “an empty chair” (simple adjective)
- kursi yang kosong = “the chair that is empty” (more specific/emphatic; often used when choosing among options), e.g., Ambil kursi yang kosong di depan.
How do I say “in front of me/you/him/her/us”?
Add a pronoun after di depan or attach a clitic:
- di depan saya/aku or di depanku (in front of me)
- di depan kamu/Anda or di depanmu (in front of you)
- di depannya (in front of him/her)
- di depan kita/kami or di depan kami/kita (in front of us)