Breakdown of Saya simpan nomor ojek di telepon saya.
saya
I
di
in
telepon
the telephone
saya
my
simpan
to save
nomor ojek
the motorcycle taxi number
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Questions & Answers about Saya simpan nomor ojek di telepon saya.
Why is it using the bare verb simpan instead of menyimpan?
Colloquial Indonesian often drops the active prefix meN-, so Saya simpan ... is a very common everyday alternative to the more formal Saya menyimpan .... Both are correct and mean the same. Note the morphology: meN- + simpan → menyimpan (the initial s assimilates to ny). In casual speech you may also hear nyimpan/nyimpen.
Does nomor ojek specifically mean the driver’s phone number?
By context it’s usually understood as the ojek driver’s phone number, but literally it could be any number related to the ojek. To be explicit, say nomor telepon ojek or nomor telepon driver ojek. With app-based drivers, people also say nomor driver or nomor ojek online (ojol).
Is di telepon saya natural, or should I say di HP saya?
All are understandable, but HP (from “handphone”) is the most common everyday word for a mobile phone: di HP saya. Telepon can sound like a landline unless context makes it clear; ponsel is a bit more formal. You’ll also see hape (colloquial spelling).
What does di mean here—“in,” “on,” or “at”?
Indonesian di is a general locative preposition that can translate as “in,” “on,” or “at,” depending on context. Here it corresponds to “in/on (my phone).” Contrast with ke, which indicates movement “to.”
Why is saya used twice? Isn’t that redundant?
Repeating saya is normal and clear: Saya simpan … di telepon saya. You can shorten the second one with a possessive suffix: di teleponku/HP-ku. In informal speech you might also switch the subject pronoun to aku or gue.
How do I show past, present, or future time in this sentence?
Indonesian doesn’t change the verb; add particles/adverbs:
- Past/completed: Saya sudah menyimpan …
- Just now: Saya baru saja menyimpan …
- Earlier today: Saya tadi menyimpan …
- Ongoing: Saya sedang menyimpan … (rare with this verb)
- Future: Saya akan menyimpan …
How do I make it passive or emphasize the object?
Passive: Nomor ojek disimpan di telepon saya (“The ojek number is saved in my phone”).
Topicalized object (still active): Nomor ojek itu saya simpan di telepon saya (emphasizes the number). The topicalized pattern is very common in Indonesian.
Can I rearrange the word order?
Basic order is S–V–O–(place): Saya simpan nomor ojek di HP saya. Fronting the object for emphasis is natural: Nomor ojek itu saya simpan di HP saya. Putting the place phrase before the object (e.g., Saya simpan di HP saya nomor ojek) is possible but sounds less natural.
Any spelling or spacing pitfalls here?
Yes: the preposition di is written separately (di telepon), but the passive prefix di- is attached (disimpan). The standard spelling is telepon (you’ll see telpon informally). Also, nomor is Indonesian; nombor is Malaysian.
How is everything pronounced?
- simpan: SIM-pan (i as in “sit,” a as in “father”)
- nomor: NO-mor (first o like “no,” second o like “or” without the r)
- ojek: OH-jek (e like “bed”)
- telepon: te-LE-pon (first e is a schwa, like the a in “sofa”)
If I drop the first Saya and say Simpan nomor ojek di telepon saya, is it still a statement?
Without a subject, Simpan … is read as an imperative (“Save the ojek’s number in my phone”). To keep it as a statement, include the subject (Saya) or use a passive (Nomor ojek disimpan …) depending on the nuance you want.
Is there a more idiomatic way to say I already have the number in my phone?
Yes: Nomor ojeknya sudah ada di HP saya (“The ojek’s number is already in my phone”). You can also say Saya sudah simpan nomor ojeknya di HP saya for “I’ve already saved the ojek’s number.”