Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Dia menambahkan keju dan mentega ke roti panggang. - He/She adds cheese and butter to the toast.

Indonesian verbs don’t change form for tense, so menambahkan can be past, present, or future depending on context. To be explicit, add time or aspect words:

Past/Completed: Dia sudah/telah menambahkan… (has already added)
Progressive: Dia sedang menambahkan… (is adding)
Future: Dia akan menambahkan… (will add)
Time adverbs: tadi, kemarin, besok, etc.

What’s the difference between menambah, menambahkan, and menambahi?

menambah = to add/increase something, without specifying a recipient. Example: Dia menambah keju (He/She added cheese).
menambahkan = to add X to Y; emphasizes the thing being added. Pattern: menambahkan X ke/pada Y. Example: Dia menambahkan keju dan mentega ke roti panggang.
menambahi = to add to Y with X; emphasizes the recipient/target. Pattern: menambahi Y dengan X. Example: Dia menambahi roti panggang dengan keju dan mentega. Root is tambah. With the prefix meN-, the initial t drops: meN + tambah → menambah; adding -kan gives menambahkan.

Can I just say Dia menambah keju dan mentega?

Yes, but then you’re not saying what they were added to. To mention the target, use:

Dia menambahkan keju dan mentega ke/pada roti panggang.
or the -i version: Dia menambahi roti panggang dengan keju dan mentega.

Why is ke used? Could I use pada, di, or untuk?

ke marks a direction/target (“to”), and is common with menambahkan.
pada is also correct here and sounds a bit more formal.
di means “at/on” (static location), so it doesn’t pair naturally with the dynamic idea of “adding to.”
untuk means “for,” not “to,” so it’s not appropriate here.

Is pada better than ke in this sentence?

Both are acceptable. pada is more formal or written; ke is very common in everyday speech. With a physical recipient like toast, either is fine.

What does roti panggang literally mean, and is it the usual way to say toast?

Literally, roti = bread and panggang = roast/bake/grill, so roti panggang is “toasted/grilled bread,” i.e., toast. You’ll also hear roti bakar, which is very common on menus and in everyday speech. Both are fine; roti bakar often evokes café-style toast.

How would I say “spread butter on toast” instead of “add butter to toast”?

Use a more specific verb:

Dia mengoleskan mentega pada/ke roti panggang. (spread butter on/onto the toast) For cheese:
Grated/sprinkled: Dia menaburkan keju di atas roti panggang.
Placed/put: Dia menaruh keju di atas roti panggang.

How do I say “onto the toast” vs “on the toast”?

“onto the toast” (movement): ke atas roti panggang
“on (top of) the toast” (location): di atas roti panggang Example: Dia menaruh keju ke atas roti panggang (onto); Keju ada di atas roti panggang (on).

How can I specify quantities like “a slice of toast” or “a slice of cheese”?

A slice/piece of toast: sepotong roti panggang
A slice of cheese: selembar or seiris keju
Butter often uses portion words: sepotong mentega (a piece), sesendok mentega (a spoonful).

How do I say “the toast” rather than just “toast”?

Use markers of definiteness:

roti panggang itu (that/the toast)
roti panggangnya (the toast / his/her toast, depending on context) Note that -nya can mean “the” or a possessive; context clarifies.

Any quick pronunciation tips for key words?

keju ≈ “keh-joo” [kə-dʒu]
mentega ≈ “men-TEH-gah” [mən-te-ga]
roti ≈ “roh-tee” [ro-ti]
panggang: the ng is [ŋ], so “pang-gang” [paŋ-gaŋ] Indonesian is syllable-timed; stress is light, usually near the penultimate syllable.

Can I use sama instead of dan?

In informal speech, yes. sama can mean “and”: keju sama mentega. In formal writing, prefer dan.

Can I move the prepositional phrase earlier, like Dia menambahkan ke roti panggang keju dan mentega?

That word order is unnatural. Standard is: Subject + Verb + Thing added + ke/pada + Recipient. You can front the ke/pada phrase for emphasis: Ke roti panggang, dia menambahkan keju dan mentega, but it sounds marked or literary.

What’s a casual alternative to menambahkan?

Informal Indonesian often uses nambahin or tambahin:

Dia nambahin keju sama mentega ke roti panggang. This is fine in conversation but avoid in formal writing.

Do keju and mentega ever take plural endings?

No. Indonesian generally doesn’t mark plural on nouns. Use quantifiers if needed:

banyak keju (a lot of cheese), dua lembar keju (two slices of cheese), sedikit mentega (a little butter).

Why is there no article like a or the?

Indonesian has no articles. Use classifiers/quantifiers for “a/an,” or demonstratives/particles for definiteness:

sepotong roti panggang (a piece of toast)
roti panggang itu / roti panggangnya (the toast)

Can I say Dia menambahkan roti panggang dengan keju dan mentega?

That mixes patterns. With menambahkan, use ke/pada: Dia menambahkan keju dan mentega ke/pada roti panggang. If you want to use dengan, switch the verb to menambahi: Dia menambahi roti panggang dengan keju dan mentega.