Questions & Answers about Saya membeli deterjen murah di pasar.
Can I say "Saya beli..." instead of "Saya membeli..."?
Yes. Both are correct. Membeli is the formal/politer form (meN- prefix + root), while beli is the bare verb commonly used in everyday speech. So:
- Formal/neutral: Saya membeli deterjen murah di pasar.
- Conversational: Saya beli deterjen murah di pasar.
Why is the adjective after the noun (deterjen murah), not before it?
In Indonesian, adjectives usually follow the noun they modify. So deterjen murah = “cheap detergent.” Putting it before (murah deterjen) is ungrammatical. Other examples: mobil merah (red car), rumah besar (big house).
How do I express “the cheap detergent” versus “a cheap detergent”?
Indonesian doesn’t have articles. You show specificity with demonstratives or context:
- Indefinite/generic: deterjen murah
- Specific/definite: deterjen murah itu (that/the cheap detergent)
- Emphasizing selection: deterjen yang murah (the one(s) that are cheap), e.g., Saya membeli deterjen yang murah, bukan yang mahal.
How do I show past, present, or future? The sentence looks “tenseless.”
Indonesian doesn’t inflect for tense. Use time words or aspect markers:
- Completed: Saya sudah membeli... / (formal)