Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Spidol itu saya simpan di laci meja.

In Indonesian, demonstratives normally follow the noun when they modify it: spidol itu = “that/the marker.” Ini = “this,” itu = “that.” If you say ini spidol, that’s the equational pattern “This is a marker,” not “this marker.”

Why does the sentence start with Spidol itu? Isn’t Indonesian usually Subject–Verb–Object?

Indonesian allows object-fronting to topicalize the object. Spidol itu saya simpan… literally “That marker, I keep…” emphasizes the marker (it’s the topic or contrastive focus). The neutral SVO version is Saya menyimpan spidol itu di laci meja. Both are correct.

Why is it saya simpan and not saya menyimpan?

In this object-fronting pattern, with a pronominal actor like saya/aku after the object, the verb commonly appears as the bare root: … saya simpan …. You can still say … saya menyimpan … (fully correct, a bit more neutral/formal). If the subject comes first, Saya menyimpan… is the standard. Morphology: menyimpan = meN- + simpan (the initial s drops and meN- surfaces as meny-).

Could I use a passive instead? What would it sound like?

Yes: Spidol itu disimpan di laci meja (oleh saya). The di- passive focuses on the object; the agent is optional and often omitted. It sounds descriptive or report-like. Another compact actor-voice variant is with ku-: Spidol itu kusimpan di laci meja.

Why di laci and not ke laci? What about di dalam laci?

di marks location (at/in): di laci = in the drawer (resulting location).
To highlight motion into, use ke (dalam) with a placement verb: Aku menaruh spidol itu ke dalam laci.
di dalam laci explicitly emphasizes “inside.” di laci is already idiomatic for “in the drawer.”

What does laci meja literally mean? Why not meja laci?

Noun–noun compounds put the head first. laci meja = “the drawer (of the) desk/table.” meja laci would be “a drawer-table” (a table that’s a drawer unit)—a different meaning. Similar patterns: kaki meja (table leg), tutup botol (bottle cap).

How do I say “in my desk drawer”?

Add the possessor after the noun phrase:

di laci meja saya = in my desk drawer
di lacinya = in its/the drawer (referring to something known)
di laci mejanya = in the drawer of that desk/his/her desk (context decides what -nya refers to)

Does meja mean “table” or “desk” here?

Meja is the general word for both table and desk. If you want to be specific: meja kerja or meja tulis for “desk.” So di laci meja is understood as “in the desk drawer” when context suggests a desk.

Could spidol be plural in this sentence?

Indonesian doesn’t mark plural by default. Spidol itu usually refers to one specific marker, but context decides. To be explicit:

plural: spidol-spidol itu, beberapa spidol (several markers), semua spidol (all markers)
singular definite: spidol itu

Can I drop saya?

Not in a normal active declarative; you need a subject. If you drop it, you get an imperative: Simpan spidol itu di laci meja! To avoid naming the actor in a statement, switch to passive: Spidol itu disimpan di laci meja.

Could I use aku instead of saya? What about ku-?

Yes. Aku is informal/intimate; saya is neutral/formal.

Aku menyimpan spidol itu di laci meja.
Spidol itu aku simpan di laci meja.
With the clitic: Spidol itu kusimpan di laci meja. (ku- attaches to the verb)

Is there a nuance difference among simpan, taruh, and letakkan?

simpan: keep/store (often implies safekeeping or a usual place)
taruh: put/place (casual, everyday)
letakkan: place/put down (a bit more formal/literary) All fit here, with slightly different shades of meaning.

Why is di separate in di laci but attached in disimpan?

Two different morphemes:

di as a preposition (“at/in”) is written separately: di laci, di rumah.
di- as a passive prefix attaches to the verb: disimpan, ditaruh.

How do I express past or future time with this sentence?

Use time/aspect markers:

Completed/past: Spidol itu sudah/telah saya simpan di laci meja (or add a time word like kemarin/tadi).
Future: Spidol itu akan/nanti saya simpan di laci meja. The verb form itself doesn’t change for tense.

What nuance does fronting Spidol itu add?

It highlights/contrasts the object or ties it to shared context: Spidol itu saya simpan di laci, pensilnya di kotak. It sounds cohesive and slightly more focused on the object than the plain SVO version.

How do you pronounce spidol?

Roughly “spee-dol,” with a short o as in “dot.” Indonesian stress is light and typically penultimate, so don’t overemphasize it.