Questions & Answers about Rumah nenek kami di pinggir jalan kampung.
Where is the verb “is” in this sentence?
Indonesian doesn’t need a separate “to be” verb in locative sentences. A noun phrase followed by a prepositional phrase is complete: Rumah nenek kami di… means “[subject] at [location].” You can optionally add a verb like berada, terletak, or ada for “to be located,” but it isn’t required.
How does possession work in Rumah nenek kami? Why no “of” or “’s”?
Indonesian marks possession by putting the possessed noun first, then the possessor: rumah (house) + nenek kami (our grandmother). So Rumah nenek kami literally reads “house [of] our grandmother.” No “of” or “’s” is needed—juxtaposition does the job.
What’s the difference between kami and kita, and would Rumah nenek kita be acceptable?
Kami = we/our (excluding the listener). Kita = we/our (including the listener). Rumah nenek kita implies the listener shares that grandmother (e.g., speaking to a sibling). If the listener is not part of the family, use kami.
Why not use adalah here?