Breakdown of Anjing saya mengejar kucing kecil di halaman belakang.
sebuah
a
di
in
anjing
the dog
kucing
the cat
kecil
small
halaman belakang
the backyard
saya
my
mengejar
to chase
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Questions & Answers about Anjing saya mengejar kucing kecil di halaman belakang.
Does the verb form mengejar tell me the tense (past, present, future)?
No. Indonesian verbs don’t inflect for tense. Mengejar simply means to chase/is chasing/chased depending on context. To make time clear, add time/aspect words:
- Present/progressive: sedang or colloquial lagi → Anjing saya sedang mengejar... / Anjing saya lagi ngejar...
- Past: tadi, kemarin, sudah → Tadi anjing saya mengejar... / Anjing saya sudah mengejar...
- Future: akan, nanti → Anjing saya akan mengejar...
Why is it mengejar and not just kejar?
The base verb is kejar (chase). The prefix meN- makes an active transitive verb: mengejar. With base words starting with k, meN- surfaces as meng- and the k is dropped: meng + ejar → mengejar. Compare:
- kirim → mengirim
- kali → mengali (rare example; more common: menggali from gali) Use mengejar in normal active sentences.
Can I ever use the base form kejar by itself?
- Imperative: yes. Kejar kucing itu! (Chase that cat!)
- Dictionary/neutral citation form: yes, kejar.
- In standard statements you need the meN- form: Anjing saya mengejar...
- In casual speech the meN- form often reduces to nge-: Anjing saya ngejar kucing kecil.
Why is it kucing kecil, not kecil kucing?
In Indonesian, adjectives typically follow the noun:
- kucing kecil = small cat Saying kecil kucing is ungrammatical. You can also use yang for emphasis or to specify: kucing yang kecil = the cat that is small/the small one.
Is kucing kecil the same as anak kucing?
Not exactly.
- kucing kecil = a small (possibly adult) cat.
- anak kucing = a kitten (a young cat). Choose based on whether you mean size or age.
How do I say “a small cat” or “the small cat” if Indonesian has no articles?
Indonesian has no mandatory articles. Options:
- Indefinite: just kucing kecil, or add a classifier for one animal: seekor kucing kecil (one small cat).
- Definite: add itu (that/the) after the noun phrase: kucing kecil itu (the small cat/that small cat).
What is seekor, and when would I use it?
Ekor is the classifier for animals. Use it with numbers or to emphasize quantity:
- seekor kucing kecil = one small cat
- dua ekor kucing kecil = two small cats You normally would not say seekor anjing saya unless you mean “one of my dogs.” For “my dog,” anjing saya or anjingku is enough.
How do I make “small cats” (plural)?
Plural is marked by context, numbers, or reduplication:
- Context/number: dua ekor kucing kecil (two small cats).
- Reduplication: kucing-kucing kecil (small cats).
- Colloquial distributive: kucing kecil-kecil (all of them are small).
Can I move di halaman belakang to the beginning?
Yes, for emphasis or topicalization:
- Di halaman belakang, anjing saya mengejar kucing kecil. This is common and natural.
What’s the difference between di (in/at) and ke (to) and dari (from)?
- di marks location: di halaman belakang (in the backyard).
- ke marks destination: ke halaman belakang (to the backyard).
- dari marks origin: dari halaman belakang (from the backyard).
Is di here the same as the passive prefix di- (as in dikejar)?
No. In di halaman belakang, di is a preposition (separate word). The passive prefix di- attaches to verbs with no space:
- dikejar = be chased Be careful with spacing: di halaman, not dihalaman.
How would I say “My dog was chased by a small cat”?
Use the passive:
- Anjing saya dikejar kucing kecil. You can add the agent marker oleh: Anjing saya dikejar oleh kucing kecil.
How do I say this in a clearly ongoing sense, like “is currently chasing”?
Add a progressive marker:
- Neutral/formal: Anjing saya sedang mengejar kucing kecil di halaman belakang.
- Colloquial: Anjing saya lagi ngejar kucing kecil di belakang rumah.
What are the differences among saya, aku, gue, and using -ku?
- saya: polite/neutral, widely safe.
- aku: informal/intimate.
- gue: very informal Jakarta slang.
- Possessive suffix -ku attaches to nouns: anjingku = my dog. So:
- anjing saya (neutral), anjingku (informal/intimate), anjing gue (slang).
How do I say “in my backyard”?
Common, natural options:
- di halaman belakang rumah saya (in my house’s backyard).
- Informal suffix: di halaman belakang rumahku.
- You can also say di belakang rumah saya/ku (behind my house).
Any pronunciation tips for these words?
- c is like English ch: kucing → koo-ching.
- ng is like the final sound in sing: anjing ends with that nasal.
- The e in mengejar is a schwa (uh) sound: mən-gə-jar.
- Stress is fairly even; don’t over-stress syllables as in English.
When would I use yang in a phrase like this?
Use yang to specify or contrast:
- kucing yang kecil = the cat that is small / the small one (as opposed to a big one). Without yang, kucing kecil is a simple noun+adjective.
Is anjing ever impolite?
As a noun for the animal, anjing is fine. However, it can also be used as a swear word. Context and tone matter. When talking about pets, it’s neutral: anjing saya (my dog).