Kantor pusat perusahaan itu berada di pusat kota.

Kantor pusat perusahaan itu berada di pusat kota.
That company’s head office is in the city center.
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Questions & Answers about Kantor pusat perusahaan itu berada di pusat kota.

What exactly does the compound noun kantor pusat mean, and is it singular or plural?
It means the head office or headquarters of an organization. In Indonesian, kantor pusat is grammatically singular. To talk about more than one, you can say beberapa kantor pusat, dua kantor pusat, or pluralize the whole compound as kantor-kantor pusat. The English word “headquarters” looks plural, but kantor pusat is just a regular noun phrase in Indonesian.
Why use berada instead of ada here?

Both can mark location, but:

  • berada is a bit more formal and focuses on the subject’s location. Example: Kantor pusat perusahaan itu berada di pusat kota.
  • ada is more neutral/common and also expresses existence. You can say: Kantor pusat perusahaan itu ada di pusat kota (fine in speech and neutral writing). Use ada for existence when there’s no specific subject yet: Ada kantor di sini (There is an office here). You can’t use berada for pure existence.
Can I use terletak or berlokasi instead of berada?

Yes:

  • terletak (is situated/located) is very common for inanimate locations: Kantor pusat perusahaan itu terletak di pusat kota.
  • berlokasi (is located) is also fine, a bit formal/businesslike: … berlokasi di pusat kota. Another very natural option for companies is the verb phrase berkantor pusat: Perusahaan itu berkantor pusat di pusat kota (The company is headquartered downtown).
Can I use adalah in this sentence?

Not before a prepositional phrase. adalah links a subject to a noun phrase or adjective, not to di…. So Kantor pusat perusahaan itu adalah di pusat kota is ungrammatical. Say:

  • Kantor pusat perusahaan itu berada/terletak di pusat kota.
  • With adalah, use a noun/adjective: Kantor pusat perusahaan itu adalah gedung tertinggi di kota itu.
What does the post-nominal itu in perusahaan itu do?
itu is a demonstrative that makes the noun specific/definite, often “that” or “the (aforementioned)”. perusahaan itu = that company / the company (already known in context). Without itu, perusahaan is generic or indefinite. A more formal alternative is perusahaan tersebut; “this company” is perusahaan ini.
Is kantor pusat dari perusahaan itu okay, or is dari unnecessary?
It’s grammatical but usually unnecessary. Indonesian typically shows “of” relationships by simply placing the possessor after the head noun: kantor pusat perusahaan itu. You might add dari for clarity if the possessor is long/complex, but in most cases, omit it.
Is it weird to have pusat twice (kantor pusat … di pusat kota)?
Not at all. pusat in kantor pusat means “head/main,” while pusat kota means “city center.” They’re different compounds. If you want variation in style, you can say di jantung kota (“in the heart of the city”) or di tengah kota.
Why is di used here and not ke?

di marks a static location (at/in/on): berada di pusat kota = is in the city center.
ke marks movement toward a destination: Dia pergi ke pusat kota = He/She goes to the city center.

Any spacing/spelling gotchas with di?
Yes. As a preposition, di is written separately: di pusat kota, not “dipusat kota.” Don’t confuse it with the passive prefix di- (attached to verbs), e.g., ditulis, dibuat. Here di is a preposition, so it must be separate.
Can I reorder the sentence?

Yes. Common, natural variants include:

  • Perusahaan itu berkantor pusat di pusat kota.
  • Kantor pusat perusahaan itu terletak di pusat kota.
  • For fronting the location: Di pusat kota terletak kantor pusat perusahaan itu.
    All are correct; choose based on emphasis and style.
How do I specify which city’s center?
Add the city name: di pusat kota Jakarta, di pusat kota Bandung. You can also say di pusat Jakarta in many contexts. If the city is already known, you can say di pusat kota itu/tersebut.
How can I say “right in the (very) center” or “in the heart of the city”?

Use intensifiers or idioms:

  • tepat di pusat kota / benar-benar di pusat kota (right in the center)
  • di jantung kota (in the heart of the city)
What’s the difference between the head office and a branch?
  • kantor pusat = head office/headquarters
  • kantor cabang = branch office
    Example: Kantor cabang perusahaan itu berada di pinggiran kota (on the outskirts/suburbs).
Can I drop the verb and just say “Kantor pusat perusahaan itu di pusat kota”?
In casual speech, yes: Kantor pusat perusahaan itu di pusat kota is common. In formal or careful writing, include a verb like berada or terletak.