Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Staf menyalin berkas penting dan menyimpannya di map hijau. - The staff copies an important file and stores it in the green folder.

To emphasize a single person: use seorang staf or anggota staf (also common: pegawai/karyawan).
To emphasize plural: use para staf. Reduplication (staf-staf) is rare and usually avoided. So the sentence could mean either “a staff member” or “the staff,” depending on context.

What does the -nya in menyimpannya mean?

The clitic -nya means “it/its/the.” Here it refers back to berkas penting: “and saved it/them.” It’s number-neutral (it can refer to a singular or plural object). You could rewrite it as menyimpan berkas itu (“saved the file(s)”).

Is the -nya necessary here?

You generally want an object after menyimpan. Without -nya, menyimpan di map hijau feels incomplete or vague. Keep -nya or restate the object (e.g., menyimpan berkas itu). In casual speech the object can be dropped if crystal-clear, but using -nya is natural and safe.

Why is it di map hijau and not ke map hijau?

di marks location (“at/in”): where something is kept.
ke marks destination (“to”): movement toward a place. With menyimpan you describe where the item is stored, so di is right. If you phrase it as an insertion/motion event, you’d use ke (dalam): memasukkan berkas itu ke dalam map hijau (“put the file into the green folder”).

Does map mean “map” as in geography?

No. Indonesian map = “folder” (stationery). A geographic map is peta. So map hijau is “a green folder.”

Why do adjectives follow the noun (map hijau, berkas penting)?

Indonesian adjectives typically come after the noun:

map hijau = green folder
berkas penting = important file(s) To make it definite: map hijau itu (“that/the green folder”). You can also say map yang hijau to single out the green one among others.

What’s the difference between berkas penting and berkas yang penting?

berkas penting: “important file(s)” (descriptive).
berkas yang penting: “the file(s) that are important” (restrictive/contrastive—selecting the important ones from a larger set).

Which is more natural: berkas, dokumen, or file?

They overlap but have nuances:

berkas: file/dossier; often physical or a set of papers; also used in computing in some contexts.
dokumen: document(s); formal/legal tone.
file: IT loanword; common for computer files. All are acceptable; choose based on context and tone.

Is berkas singular or plural here? How do I show plurality?

Indonesian normally leaves number unmarked. berkas can mean “file” or “files.” To show plural explicitly:

Reduplication: berkas-berkas penting
Quantifiers: beberapa berkas penting (some), semua berkas penting (all)

Why do menyalin and menyimpan start with meny-?

The verbs come from roots salin (copy) and simpan (store/keep). With the active prefix meN-, initial s assimilates to ny, giving menyalin and menyimpan. This is a regular sound change with the meN- prefix.

Do menyalin and menyimpan need objects?

Typically yes; they’re transitive:

menyalin [apa]? copy what?
menyimpan [apa]? store/save what? You can omit the object if it’s understood from context, but Indonesian often uses -nya or repeats the noun to keep it clear.

How do I pronounce tricky parts like nya and hijau?

ny as in Spanish ñ: nya ≈ “nyah.”
hijau ≈ “hee-jow” (ow like “now”).
Vowel tips: Indonesian a = “ah”; e can be a schwa “uh” (as in penting ≈ “puhn-ting”).
staf ≈ “stahf”; berkas ≈ “burr-kahs”; menyalin ≈ “muh-nyah-leen”; menyimpannya ≈ “muh-nyim-pan-nya.”

Could I use lalu or kemudian instead of dan?

Yes, to emphasize sequence:

dan = “and” (neutral coordination)
lalu/kemudian = “then/after that” (temporal sequence) Example: Staf menyalin berkas penting lalu menyimpannya di map hijau.

Is di dalam map hijau different from di map hijau?

di map hijau: at/in the green folder (often sufficient).
di dalam map hijau: explicitly “inside” the folder; a bit more explicit/formal. Both are fine here.

What would the passive version look like?

Use the di- passive:

Berkas penting disalin dan disimpan di map hijau (oleh staf). Passive is common in formal writing; the agent (staf) can be added with oleh or omitted.

How do I make map or berkas clearly definite (“the” rather than “a”)?

Add a demonstrative:

map hijau itu / map hijau tersebut = the/that green folder
berkas penting itu / berkas penting tersebut = the/that important file(s) Indonesian often relies on context, but itu/tersebut makes definiteness explicit.