Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Saya membeli mangga segar di pasar kampung. - I buy fresh mangoes at the village market.

Past/completed: sudah, telah, or time words like tadi, kemarin (e.g., Saya sudah membeli…).
Progressive: sedang (e.g., Saya sedang membeli…).
Future: akan, nanti, besok (e.g., Saya akan membeli…).

Why is it membeli and not just beli?

The base verb is beli (“buy”). The prefix meN- builds an active verb: meN- + beli → membeli. This is more formal/neutral and common in writing. In everyday speech, dropping the prefix is very common: Saya beli mangga… is perfectly natural. Both mean the same here.

What exactly does the prefix meN- do, and why does it become mem-?

meN- marks an active verb with an agent subject. Its form changes based on the first sound of the root:

Before words starting with b, f, v, p: it surfaces as mem- (and a root-initial p drops). Hence mem
- beli → membeli.
Other examples: menulis (from tulis), mengambil (from ambil), menyapu (from sapu). It doesn’t add tense; it’s morphological/voice information.

What’s the difference between membeli and membelikan?

membeli: to buy something.
membelikan: to buy something for someone (benefactive). Examples:
Saya membelikan ibu mangga. = I buy mangoes for my mother.
Saya membelikan mangga untuk ibu. (using untuk is also fine) Clitic -kan often adds a “for/causative” sense.

Why is the adjective after the noun (mangga segar) and not before?

In Indonesian, adjectives typically follow the noun: mangga segar (“fresh mango”). You can use yang for emphasis or a more specific/contrastive meaning: mangga yang segar (“the mango that is fresh [as opposed to others]”). To intensify:

Very fresh: sangat segar or segar sekali
Comparatives/superlatives: lebih segar, paling segar

Where are “the,” “a,” or plural markers? How do I say “the fresh mangoes” or “some fresh mangoes”?

Indonesian has no articles. Definiteness and plurality are inferred or marked with other words:

“the” is often itu after the noun phrase: mangga segar itu = “that/the fresh mango(es).”
“this” is ini: mangga segar ini.
Plural is usually unmarked or shown with a quantifier: beberapa mangga segar (some fresh mangoes), banyak mangga segar (many). Reduplication (mangga-mangga) can mark plurality but is less common for countables than using a number/quantifier.

Do I need a classifier like buah with mangga?

You can use a number directly or add a classifier:

tiga mangga segar = three fresh mangoes.
tiga buah mangga segar = also correct; buah is a general classifier for many objects/fruit. Both are natural. Classifiers are optional with numbers for many nouns, but using buah is very common with fruit.

Why di pasar kampung and not ke pasar kampung or dari pasar kampung?

di = at/in (location): membeli … di pasar (bought at the market).
ke = to (direction): pergi ke pasar (go to the market).
dari = from (source/origin): membeli … dari pasar (bought from the market; focuses on source). With membeli, di emphasizes the place of purchase, dari emphasizes where the goods came from, and ke is for going, not buying.

What does pasar kampung mean structurally? Is it different from pasar di kampung?

pasar kampung is a noun–noun compound (“village market”/local neighborhood market), treating kampung as a classifier/modifier of pasar. pasar di kampung literally means “a market in the village” (focusing on location). They often overlap in meaning, but:

pasar kampung = a type/category (the village’s/local market).
pasar di kampung = a market that happens to be located in a village. Nuance: kampung can mean a traditional neighborhood (even in cities), while desa is a formal administrative “village.”

Could I replace Saya with other pronouns like Aku or Gue?

Yes, depending on formality:

Saya: neutral/polite; safe in most contexts.
Aku: informal/intimate with friends/family.
Gue: very informal Jakarta slang. All can fit the sentence: Aku membeli/beli…, Gue beli…. Match your pronoun choice to context and your interlocutor.

Is there a passive or fronted-object version for emphasis?

Yes:

Object fronting (common in speech): Mangga segar saya beli di pasar kampung. (Emphasizes the mangoes)
Passive: Mangga segar dibeli di pasar kampung (oleh saya). (Agent optional; sounds more formal/generic without it)
Another emphasis: Yang saya beli (adalah) mangga segar.

Anything to watch out for with di spelling?

Yes. The preposition di (location) is written separately: di pasar. The passive prefix di- attaches to verbs: dibeli. Don’t write dipasar (wrong for the preposition), and don’t separate di from a passive verb (di beli is wrong).