Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Tiba-tiba telepon di meja bos berdering lagi, lalu dia angkat. - Suddenly the phone on the boss’s desk rings again, then he/she answers it.

Tiba-tiba is a fixed adverb meaning “suddenly.” It’s a reduplication of tiba (“arrive”), but in this form it just marks suddenness. The hyphen shows reduplication. Writers often put a comma after an initial tiba-tiba, but it’s optional.

Is telepon the correct spelling? What about telpon or telefon?

Yes, standard Indonesian uses telepon (per KBBI). Telpon is informal/colloquial but common in speech. Telefon is an older/foreign spelling. For mobile phones people often say HP or ponsel.

Does di meja mean “on the table” or “at the table”? Why not di atas meja?

In everyday use, di meja commonly means “on the table/desk.” Di atas meja (“on top of the table”) is more explicit, and always correct. Both are fine here.

How does telepon di meja bos work as a noun phrase? Could I say di meja bos telepon instead?

Modifiers follow the noun: telepon [di meja bos] = “the phone [on the boss’s desk].” You don’t put the modifier first inside the noun phrase. You could topicalize as Di meja bos, telepon …, but that’s a different sentence. You may also add yang for clarity: telepon yang di meja bos.

What does the prefix in berdering do? Is mendering a word?

Ber- forms an intransitive verb: berdering = “to ring” (by itself). There’s no standard mendering. Alternatives:

berbunyi = “to make a sound” (more general)
membunyikan = “to make [something] sound” (transitive)

What exactly does lagi mean here, and where does it go?

Here lagi means “again” and normally follows the verb: berdering lagi. Other notes:

Before a verb, lagi (colloquial) can mark the progressive: lagi berdering = “is ringing (right now),” not “again.”
Stronger “again”: lagi-lagi (yet again) or kembali (more formal): berdering kembali.

Can I use berbunyi instead of berdering?

Yes. Berbunyi = “to sound” (general), while berdering is the natural choice for phones/bells. Telepon … berbunyi lagi is fine but less specific.

What’s the difference between lalu, kemudian, terus, and habis itu?

All can mean “then/and then.”

lalu, kemudian: neutral; kemudian is a bit more formal.
terus: very colloquial/conversational.
habis itu: conversational “after that.”

Why is it dia angkat and not dia mengangkat (telepon)?

Angkat is the base verb “lift/pick up.” With phones, (meng)angkat telepon = “to answer the phone.”
Indonesian often omits an obvious object and even uses the base verb in narratives: lalu dia angkat ≈ “then he/she picked it up.” It’s concise and natural.
More explicit variants:
- lalu dia mengangkatnya
- lalu dia mengangkat telepon itu
- lalu telepon itu diangkatnya (passive)

Does dia angkat mean the same as diangkat?

No.

dia angkat = “he/she picked (it) up” (active; two words).
diangkat (one word) = “is/was picked up” (passive). Example: Telepon itu diangkatnya = “The phone was picked up by him/her.”

Could I say Telepon itu dia angkat?

Yes. That’s a common topicalization: object first, then subject + bare verb. Variants:

Telepon itu dia angkat.
Telepon itu diangkatnya.
Dia mengangkat telepon itu. All correct; choose based on emphasis and register.

Does dia mean “he” or “she”? Can I use ia or beliau?

Dia is gender-neutral (“he/she”), decided by context. Alternatives:

ia: more formal/literary; fine here (lalu ia angkat).
beliau: respectful for elders/superiors (e.g., a boss) in formal contexts: lalu beliau mengangkatnya.

Is the comma placement correct? Should there be a comma after tiba-tiba?

Yes, a comma before lalu is normal. Many writers also put a comma after an initial tiba-tiba for clarity (Tiba-tiba, …), but it’s optional in informal prose.

Why is di written separately in di meja, but sometimes I see di- attached to verbs?

di as a preposition (“at/on/in”) is separate: di meja, di rumah.
di- as a prefix is passive: diangkat, dibaca. Don’t confuse dia (he/she) with di-.

Can I say menjawab telepon or menerima telepon instead of mengangkat telepon?

Yes:

mengangkat telepon: most literal “pick up/answer the phone.”
menjawab telepon: “answer the phone.”
menerima telepon: “receive/take a call” (a bit more formal).