Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Pulpen saya ada di laci meja; tolong ambilkan. - My pen is in the desk drawer; please get it for me.

ada marks existence/presence in a place, roughly “is/are (located).”
You can drop it in casual speech: Pulpen saya di laci meja. Keeping ada is neutral and common in writing.
A more formal location verb is berada: Pulpen saya berada di laci meja. Use berada only for location, not for “there is/are.”

Why is it pulpen saya and not saya pulpen? Are there other ways to say “my pen”?

In Indonesian, the possessor follows the noun: pulpen saya = my pen. saya pulpen is incorrect.
You can also attach possessive clitics: pulpenku (my pen, informal), pulpenmu (your pen, informal), pulpennya (his/her/its/the pen, context-dependent).
Another pattern for “mine” is punya: Pulpen ini punya saya (This pen is mine).

What exactly does laci meja mean? How do these noun+noun phrases work?

laci = drawer (head), meja = desk/table (modifier). laci meja = the drawer of the desk → “desk drawer.”
This head-then-modifier order is common: kunci mobil (car key), rak buku (bookshelf).

Should it be di laci or di dalam laci? Is there a difference?

di laci already means “in the drawer.” Indonesian often uses di alone for in/on/at depending on the noun.
di dalam laci adds emphasis to being inside; use it if you want to be extra clear: Pulpen saya ada di dalam laci meja.

How do I say “in my desk drawer” versus “in my drawer”?

“In my desk’s drawer”: di laci meja saya (the noun closest to saya is possessed → the desk is mine).
“In my drawer” (drawer is mine, desk unspecified): di laci saya.

Where do Indonesian “the/that/this” go in this noun phrase?

Demonstratives follow the noun: meja itu (that desk), meja ini (this desk).
Combine them: di laci meja itu (in that desk’s drawer), di laci meja saya itu (in that desk of mine over there).

What does tolong do? Is it the same as “please”?

tolong literally means “help (to)” and politely introduces a request: Tolong ambilkan (Please fetch it for me).
Alternatives to soften/formalize:
- Bisa tolong …? / Bisakah …? (Could you …?)
- Mohon … (I humbly request …, formal): Mohon diambilkan.
- Do not use silakan to ask someone to do you a favor; silakan invites them to do something for themselves.

What does the suffix -kan add in ambilkan compared to ambil?

ambil = take/get.
ambilkan = take/get something for someone (benefactive). It implies you benefit another person (often the speaker).
So Tolong ambil pulpen saya = please take/get my pen (neutral), while Tolong ambilkan pulpen saya implies “please fetch my pen for me.”
Colloquial Jakarta Indonesian often uses -in: ambilin.

If I want to name the person I’m doing it for, where do I put them?

Before the object: Tolong ambilkan saya pulpen itu (Please fetch me that pen).
Or use a preposition: Tolong ambilkan pulpen itu untuk saya / buat saya (for me).
If the object already shows possession, you can omit the beneficiary: Tolong ambilkan pulpen saya (It’s mine, so it’s implicitly for me).

Can I use the meN-/di- forms here (mengambilkan, diambilkan)?

Active: Dia mengambilkan saya pulpen / Dia mengambilkan pulpen untuk saya (He fetched me a pen).
Passive (polite/impersonal request): Tolong diambilkan pulpen saya di laci meja (Please have my pen fetched from the desk drawer).
Imperatives commonly use the base: Tolong ambilkan …; the passive diambilkan makes it more indirect/formal.

Is the semicolon natural here?

It’s acceptable, but most people would use a period: Pulpen saya ada di laci meja. Tolong ambilkan.
A comma would be less appropriate because the second part is a full imperative.

Is pulpen the same as pena?

pulpen commonly refers to a ballpoint pen in everyday Indonesian (you’ll also see bolpoin).
pena is a general word for pen and can sound a bit more formal/literary.
In this context, pulpen is the natural everyday choice.

Do I need to say “you” in the request (kamu/Anda)?

No. Imperatives usually omit the subject: Tolong ambilkan already addresses the listener.
To address politely, you can add a vocative: Tolong ambilkan, Pak/Bu/Mas/Mbak.
Anda appears in formal writing; kamu can sound too direct in requests unless you know the person well.

Does meja mean “table” or “desk”?

meja covers both; context decides. A writing desk can be meja tulis. So laci meja naturally reads as “desk drawer.”