Kami belajar dalam kelompok kecil di perpustakaan yang sunyi.

Breakdown of Kami belajar dalam kelompok kecil di perpustakaan yang sunyi.

sebuah
a
di
in
kami
we
belajar
to study
kecil
small
yang
that
dalam
in
perpustakaan
the library
kelompok
the group
sunyi
quiet
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Indonesian grammar and vocabulary.

Start learning Indonesian now

Questions & Answers about Kami belajar dalam kelompok kecil di perpustakaan yang sunyi.

What’s the difference between kami and kita?

Both mean we, but:

  • kami excludes the listener: we (not you).
  • kita includes the listener: we (including you). In the sentence, Kami belajar… implies the person being spoken to is not part of the study group.
Does belajar mean “study” or “are studying”? How do I show tense?

Indonesian verbs don’t change for tense. Belajar can be study, are studying, or studied, depending on context. Use time/aspect markers if needed:

  • Ongoing: sedangKami sedang belajar… (We are studying…)
  • Past/completed: sudahKami sudah belajar… (We have studied/already studied…)
  • Future: akanKami akan belajar… (We will study…)
  • Habitual: add an adverb like biasanya (usually).
Why is it dalam kelompok kecil and not di kelompok kecil?
  • di marks physical location: di perpustakaan (at/in the library).
  • dalam often marks being inside something non-physical/abstract or a conceptual container: dalam kelompok kecil (in small groups), dalam bahasa Indonesia (in Indonesian). So dalam kelompok kecil is the idiomatic way to say in small groups.
Can dalam kelompok kecil mean “in a small group” or “in small groups”? How do I make it explicit?

By itself, it’s ambiguous. To be explicit:

  • In a small group (one group): dalam satu/sebuah kelompok kecil
  • In small groups (several groups): dalam beberapa kelompok kecil or dalam kelompok-kelompok kecil (reduplication shows plurality).
Why is the adjective after the noun (kelompok kecil) and not before it?

In Indonesian, descriptive adjectives typically follow the noun:

  • rumah besar (big house)
  • kelompok kecil (small group) Putting the adjective before the noun (e.g., kecil kelompok) is ungrammatical.
What does yang do in perpustakaan yang sunyi?
yang introduces a descriptive/relative clause: the library which is quiet. It narrows down which library you mean and makes the description feel more specific/restrictive. Without yang, it’s a simple noun + adjective phrase.
Can I drop yang and say di perpustakaan sunyi?
Yes, di perpustakaan sunyi is grammatical and means at a quiet library. Using yang (…yang sunyi) emphasizes the property as a clause (the library that is quiet), often implying a specific, known library. Both are natural; yang adds a slightly more specific or contrastive feel.
What’s the nuance difference among sunyi, sepi, tenang, and hening?
  • sunyi: silent/empty/isolated; can imply loneliness or very little activity.
  • sepi: not many people; quiet due to low crowd/no traffic.
  • tenang: calm, not chaotic; may still have soft background noise.
  • hening: pin-drop silence; very still and quiet. In a library context, sunyi or tenang are common; hening is stronger; sepi emphasizes few people present.
Why is it di perpustakaan and not ke perpustakaan?
  • di = at/in (location): di perpustakaan (at the library).
  • ke = to/toward (movement): ke perpustakaan (to the library). The sentence describes where the studying happens, not movement.
What’s the difference between di (preposition) and di- (passive prefix)?
  • di as a preposition is written separately: di perpustakaan.
  • di- as a prefix attaches to verbs for passive voice: dibaca, ditanya. Watch the spacing to avoid mistakes.
Can I say di dalam perpustakaan instead of di perpustakaan?
Yes. di dalam perpustakaan emphasizes being inside the library building (as opposed to outside/near it). di perpustakaan is the neutral, most common choice.
How would I say “We study in groups” without specifying size?
Use berkelompok (to be in groups): Kami belajar berkelompok di perpustakaan. To add the size back in, prefer dalam beberapa kelompok kecil rather than berkelompok kecil, which is less standard.
What’s the difference between belajar and mempelajari?
  • belajar is intransitive: to study/learn (no direct object). Example: Kami belajar di perpustakaan.
  • mempelajari is transitive: to study something (takes an object). Example: Kami mempelajari biologi di perpustakaan. If you name the subject matter, use mempelajari (or belajar
    • the subject in colloquial speech: belajar biologi is common).
Can I rearrange the phrase order, like putting the place before the manner?

Yes. Both are natural:

  • Kami belajar dalam kelompok kecil di perpustakaan yang sunyi.
  • Kami belajar di perpustakaan yang sunyi dalam kelompok kecil. Just keep yang sunyi immediately after perpustakaan, because it modifies that noun.
How do I make “the quiet library” feel definite, like with English “the”?

Indonesian has no articles, but you can add itu (that) to mark definiteness:

  • di perpustakaan yang sunyi itu = at that quiet library (the specific one you and the listener both know).
Any pronunciation tips for these words?
  • perpustakaan: per-pus-ta-ka-an; the first e is a schwa (like the a in about).
  • kelompok: ke-lom-pok; the e is a schwa.
  • yang: the ng is a velar nasal [ŋ], no hard g.
  • sunyi: the ny is a palatal nasal [ɲ], like the ñ in Spanish niño.