Questions & Answers about Kami menunggu tagihan di kafe.
What does kami mean exactly? Does it include the person I’m talking to?
Kami means we/us but excludes the listener. If you’re telling a waiter, kami does not include them. If you want to include the listener, use kita.
Why isn’t there a word for “for” after “wait”? Why not menunggu untuk tagihan?
In Indonesian, menunggu is transitive and directly takes its object. So you say menunggu tagihan (wait for the bill), not menunggu untuk tagihan.
To express “wait to do something,” use patterns like:
- menunggu sampai … (wait until …)
- menunggu giliran (untuk) … (wait one’s turn to …)
Does this mean “are waiting,” “waited,” or “will wait”? How do you show tense?
Indonesian has no tense marking. Context or time/aspect words clarify:
- Right now: Kami sedang/lagi menunggu tagihan di kafe.
- Earlier: Tadi kami menunggu tagihan di kafe.
- Completed: Kami sudah menunggu 10 menit.
- Future: Kami akan menunggu tagihan di kafe.
How do I say “the bill” vs “a bill”? Why no articles?