Saya membeli bunga di pasar.

I buy flowers at the market.

Breakdown of Saya membeli bunga di pasar.

• saya: I
• di: at
• pasar: the market
• membeli: to buy
• bunga: the flower

Questions & Answers about Saya membeli bunga di pasar.

How do I know if this means “I bought,” “I buy,” or “I will buy”?

Indonesian verbs don’t change for tense. Membeli is neutral for time; context or time words clarify:

• Past: Saya sudah membeli bunga di pasar. / Kemarin saya membeli bunga di pasar.
• Progressive/now: Saya sedang membeli bunga di pasar.
• Future: Saya akan membeli bunga di pasar. / Besok saya membeli bunga di pasar.

Why is it membeli and not just beli?

• membeli = active/transitive form (meN- prefix) and sounds more formal/standard.
• beli = base verb; perfectly common in everyday speech: Saya beli bunga di pasar.
• meN- + beli → membeli (the prefix surfaces as mem- before b).

Does bunga mean “a flower” or “flowers”? How do I make it singular or plural?

Indonesian nouns don’t change for number. bunga can mean “flower” or “flowers.” To be specific:

• One flower (a stem): setangkai bunga; poetic: sekuntum bunga
• A bunch/bouquet: seikat bunga, sebuket bunga
• Plural by reduplication: bunga-bunga (not required)
• With numbers/classifiers: tiga tangkai bunga, banyak bunga, beberapa bunga

Does bunga also mean “interest (money)” here?

bunga can mean “flowers” or “interest.” In this sentence it clearly means “flowers,” because you don’t “buy” interest. With finance you’d say:

• membayar bunga (pay interest), bunga bank (bank interest), bunga pinjaman (loan interest).

What’s the difference between di and ke?

• di = at/in (location): di pasar = at the market
• ke = to (destination): ke pasar = to the market Example: Saya pergi ke pasar untuk membeli bunga. Saya membeli bunga di pasar.

Is di here the same as the passive prefix di-?

No.

• di (separate word) = preposition “at/in”: di pasar
• di- (no space) = passive verb prefix: dibeli (be bought) Example combining both: Bunga itu dibeli di pasar.

Can I move parts of the sentence around?

Yes, to change emphasis:

• Neutral: Saya membeli bunga di pasar.
• Emphasize location: Di pasar, saya membeli bunga.
• Emphasize the object (topicalization): Bunga (itu) saya beli di pasar.
  Adding itu helps mark “the” flowers: Bunga itu saya beli di pasar.

Should I use saya or aku (or something else)?

• saya = polite/neutral; safe with strangers, formal settings.
• aku = informal/intimate with friends/family.
• Regional/slang options exist (e.g., gue in Jakarta).
  Your sentence with each: Saya/Aku/Gue beli bunga di pasar. (formality decreases left to right)

How do I make it negative? Do I use tidak or bukan?

Use tidak to negate verbs/adjectives:

• Saya tidak membeli bunga di pasar. (I did not buy …) Use bukan to negate nouns or to contrast a whole phrase:
• Saya membeli bunga di toko bunga, bukan di pasar.

How do I turn it into a question?

• Yes/no (informal): Kamu membeli/beli bunga di pasar? (rising intonation)
• Yes/no (formal): Apakah kamu/Anda membeli bunga di pasar?
• Wh-: Di mana kamu membeli bunga? (Where did you buy flowers?)

How do I say “the flowers” or “that flower”?

Indonesian has no articles; use demonstratives or -nya:

• bunga itu = that/the flower(s)
• bunganya = the flower(s) / his/her/its flowers (context decides) Example: Saya membeli bunga itu di pasar. / Saya membeli bunganya di pasar.

Any pronunciation tips for this sentence?

• bunga: ng = [ŋ] (like “sing”); “u” like “oo” in “food.”
• membeli: the first “e” is a schwa-like sound; stress is light, often near the end: mem-be-LI.
• pasar: trilled/tapped r; both a’s like “ah.”