Saya simpan masker di tas saya.

I keep a mask in my bag.

Breakdown of Saya simpan masker di tas saya.

• sebuah: a
• saya: I
• di: in
• tas: the bag
• saya: my
• simpan: to keep
• masker: the mask

Questions & Answers about Saya simpan masker di tas saya.

Is Saya simpan … correct, or should it be Saya menyimpan …?

Both are acceptable, but the register differs:

• Saya menyimpan masker di tas saya. = standard/neutral, good for writing and formal speech.
• Saya simpan masker di tas saya. = common in conversation and headlines; the meN- prefix is dropped. It’s fine in everyday speech but less formal.

What tense is it? Does it mean I kept, I keep, or I will keep?

Indonesian doesn’t mark tense on verbs. Saya simpan… can mean past, present, or future depending on context. Add time/aspect words if needed:

• Past: Saya sudah/baru saja menyimpan masker di tas saya.
• Present progressive: Saya sedang menyimpan masker di tas saya. (formal) / Saya lagi nyimpen masker di tas saya. (informal)
• Future: Saya akan/nanti saya menyimpan masker di tas saya.

Is masker singular or plural here? How do I say “a mask,” “the mask,” or “masks”?

By default it’s number-neutral. To be explicit:

• A/one mask: satu masker (or sebuah masker, less common), often just masker if context is clear.
• The mask: masker itu or maskernya (definite/previously known).
• Masks: masker (context), or mark it with beberapa masker, banyak masker, or masker-masker (reduplication, more formal/literary).

Why di here? Is it the same as the passive prefix di-?

Here di is a preposition meaning “at/in/on” and is written separately: di tas. The passive prefix di- attaches to verbs and is written together, e.g., disimpan “is/was kept.” Compare:

• Preposition: di tas saya = in my bag.
• Passive: Masker itu disimpan di tas saya.

Should it be di tas saya or di dalam tas saya?

Both work. di tas saya commonly means “in my bag” in everyday speech. di dalam tas saya explicitly emphasizes “inside (the) bag,” useful when you want to stress the interior.

Do I need to repeat saya? Can I say tasku instead?

You can vary possession:

• Neutral/formal: tas saya.
• Colloquial enclitics: tasku (my bag), tasmu (your bag), tasnya (his/her/that bag).
• Super informal/Jakarta: tas gue, tas kamu/lu.
  You don’t have to repeat the possessor if context is clear; di tas might be understood as “in my bag” if already established.

How would I say it more formally and more informally?

• More formal: Saya menyimpan masker di dalam tas saya.
• Casual neutral: Saya simpan masker di tas saya.
• Informal: Aku simpen masker di tasku.
• Jakarta-style informal: Gue nyimpen masker di tas gue.

Can I change the word order?

Yes, for emphasis/topic:

• Neutral: Saya menyimpan/simpan masker di tas saya.
• Object fronting (emphasis on the mask): Masker itu saya simpan di tas saya.
• Passive: Masker itu disimpan di tas saya (oleh saya).
  Avoid putting the location before the object right after the verb (e.g., “Saya simpan di tas saya masker”)—that sounds odd.

Should I use di or ke for “into my bag”?

With placement verbs, Indonesian usually uses di for the end location:

• Natural: Saya menaruh/menyimpan masker di tas saya. If you want to emphasize motion into, use ke dalam:
• Saya menaruh masker ke dalam tas saya.
  But “menyimpan masker ke tas saya” is not idiomatic; prefer di tas or ke dalam tas depending on nuance.

What’s the difference between simpan/menyimpan and taruh/menaruh or letakkan/meletakkan?

• (me)nyimpan = keep/store/put away for safekeeping or for later use.
• (me)naruh = put/place (neutral everyday verb).
• (me)letakkan = place/put down (more formal/literary).
  So if you mean “I put it away to keep it there,” use menyimpan. If you simply placed it there, menaruh is very common.

How do I say “I kept it in my bag” where “it” refers to something already mentioned?

Attach -nya to the verb or repeat the noun with -nya:

• Saya menyimpannya di tas saya. = I kept/put it in my bag.
• Maskernya saya simpan di tas saya. = I kept the mask in my bag.

How do I make it clearly past, present, or future?

Use aspect/tense markers:

• Past/completed: Saya sudah menyimpan masker di tas saya.
• Just now: Saya baru saja menyimpan masker di tas saya.
• Ongoing: Saya sedang menyimpan masker di tas saya. / Saya lagi nyimpen masker di tas saya.
• Future: Saya akan menyimpan masker di tas saya. / Nanti saya menyimpan/menaruh masker di tas saya.

Do I need a classifier with masker?

Not necessarily. You can say satu masker, dua masker, etc. A generic classifier buah is possible (satu buah masker), but many speakers just use the numeral. lembar is used for flat sheet-like items and comes up with “sheet masks” for skincare, not typical medical masks.

Is there any rule behind menyimpan starting with meny-?

Yes. The active prefix meN- assimilates based on the first consonant of the root:

• Root: simpan
• meN- + s → meny-
  • (root) = menyimpan
    This is why it’s not “mensimpan.” In casual speech you’ll also hear nyimpen (colloquial reduction).

How do I turn it into an imperative (“Keep the mask in my bag”)?

Use the base verb, optionally with please:

• (Tolong) simpan masker di tas saya.
• More neutral everyday: (Tolong) taruh masker di tas saya.

Could I use yang here?

Not in the simple sentence. yang introduces a relative clause:

• Masker yang saya simpan di tas saya = “the mask that I keep in my bag.”
  For the standalone sentence, you don’t need yang.