Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Anak laki-laki itu menunggu di pinggir lapangan dengan sabar. - That boy waits at the edge of the field patiently.

In Indonesian, demonstratives like itu (that/the) come after the noun phrase to mark definiteness or point out a specific referent. Anak laki-laki itu means “the/that boy” (a particular boy already known from context or visible).

Can I say itu anak laki-laki instead?

Not for “that boy.” Itu before a noun usually starts a clause meaning “that is…,” e.g., Itu anak laki-laki = “That is a boy.” To say “that boy,” put itu after the noun: anak laki-laki itu.

How do I say “a boy,” “the boy,” and “this/that boy”?

“a boy”: seorang anak laki-laki (using the person classifier seorang). In casual speech, bare anak laki-laki can be indefinite if context allows.
“the/that boy”: anak laki-laki itu.
“this boy”: anak laki-laki ini.
More formal “that boy”: anak laki-laki tersebut.

Why anak laki-laki, not just laki-laki?

Laki-laki = male/man in general. Anak adds the child sense, so anak laki-laki = boy. For an adult male, use laki-laki/lelaki/pria (and informal cowok for “guy”).

Is the hyphen in laki-laki required? Are there alternatives?

Yes—write laki-laki with a hyphen (it’s a reduplication). Alternatives:

lelaki (one word), often “man.”
pria (formal “man”).
Informal “guy”: cowok. For “boy,” neutral style is anak laki-laki.

What’s the difference between menunggu and tunggu?

tunggu is the base verb; as an imperative: Tunggu! = “Wait!”
menunggu is the meN- form used in statements: Dia menunggu = “He is waiting.” Morphology: meN- + tunggu → menunggu (initial t drops). Menunggu can be intransitive or take an object: menunggu bus = “wait for the bus.”

Do I need a word for “for,” like untuk, after menunggu?

No before nouns. Use:

wait for + noun: menunggu + [noun] (e.g., menunggu ibunya).
wait until: menunggu sampai/hingga [clause].
wait for someone to do something: menunggu [orang] [verb] or a sampai-clause. Avoid menunggu untuk + noun. With verbs, menunggu untuk + verb appears but is less idiomatic than using sampai or rephrasing.

Does menunggu show tense? How do I say “is waiting,” “waited,” “will wait”?

Indonesian verbs don’t inflect for tense. Use time/aspect markers:

ongoing: sedang/lagi (e.g., sedang menunggu)
past/completed: sudah, or time words like tadi/kemarin
future: akan, nanti Your sentence is tenseless; context decides the English tense.

How do I best express “patiently”: dengan sabar, secara sabar, or just sabar?

Use dengan sabar; it’s the idiomatic adverbial (“patiently”). Secara sabar is grammatical but uncommon here. Bare sabar is an adjective; you could say Dia sabar menunggu (“He is patient in waiting”), which slightly shifts structure.

Can I move dengan sabar elsewhere in the sentence?

Yes:

Anak laki-laki itu menunggu di pinggir lapangan dengan sabar. (neutral)
Anak laki-laki itu dengan sabar menunggu di pinggir lapangan. (manner-focused)
Dengan sabar, anak laki-laki itu menunggu di pinggir lapangan. (emphatic)

What does di pinggir lapangan literally mean? Are there synonyms?

Literally “at the edge of the field.” Near-synonyms:

di tepi lapangan: at the edge/border (very common)
di sisi lapangan: at the side of the field
di pinggiran lapangan: in the peripheral area around the field (looser than the exact edge) For “on the sidelines,” di pinggir/tepi lapangan works well.

Why not di lapangan pinggir?

“Edge of X” is expressed as pinggir X, not “X pinggir.” So it’s di pinggir lapangan.

Any pitfalls with di here?

Don’t attach the preposition di to the next word: write di pinggir, not dipinggir. Note di- can also be a passive prefix (e.g., dibaca), but that’s only with verbs, not locations.

What does lapangan mean in this context?

A physical field/court/open ground (e.g., sports field). You can specify: lapangan bola (soccer field), lapangan basket (basketball court). In other compounds it can mean “sector/field” (e.g., lapangan kerja = employment), but here it’s the place.

Is the subject definitely singular?

Yes. Anak laki-laki itu is singular. Plural is usually marked, e.g., anak-anak itu (“those children”) or para lelaki (“the men”). You can say anak-anak laki-laki for “boys,” but the given sentence is singular.

When would I use yang as in anak laki-laki yang itu?

Use yang itu to single out one among several (“that particular one”). Anak laki-laki itu = “that/the boy” (already known). Anak laki-laki yang itu adds contrast/selection: “that specific boy (not the other one).”

How could I refer back with a pronoun?

Replace the noun phrase with dia (neutral) or ia (more formal/literary, usually as subject): Dia menunggu di pinggir lapangan dengan sabar.

Is there a passive version of the verb here?

Yes, but it changes meaning. ditunggu = “is/was waited for.” Example: Dia ditunggu di pinggir lapangan = “He is being waited for at the edge of the field.” The original sentence is active: the boy is doing the waiting.