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Saya memasak tahu dan tempe dengan kecap di wajan.

Saya memasak tahu dan tempe dengan kecap di wajan.
I cook tofu and tempeh with soy sauce in the frying pan.
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Questions & Answers about Saya memasak tahu dan tempe dengan kecap di wajan.

What’s the difference between memasak and masak? When should I use each?
  • Root: masak = “to cook” (also “cooked/ripe”).
  • memasak = standard active verb with prefix meN-, preferred in neutral/formal Indonesian, especially with an object: Saya memasak tahu...
  • In everyday speech it’s common to drop the prefix: Saya masak tahu...
  • Morphology note: meN- becomes mem- before m-initial roots: meN- + masak → memasak.
Does the sentence express past, present, or future? How do I show tense/aspect?
  • Indonesian is tenseless; context decides. It can mean “I cook / am cooking / cooked.”
  • Add markers if needed:
    • Past/completed: sudah, tadi, barusan → Saya sudah memasak...
    • Progressive: sedang (neutral), lagi (colloquial) → Saya sedang/lagi memasak...
    • Future/intention: akan, mau (colloquial) → Saya akan/mau memasak...
Can I omit Saya, or use Aku instead?
  • Yes. Subjects are often dropped if obvious: (Saya) memasak tahu...
  • Saya = neutral/formal “I”; Aku = casual/intimate.
  • Keep your pronoun choice consistent with the relationship and setting.
Is the word order fixed? Where can I put dengan kecap and di wajan?
  • Default: S V O, then adverbials → Saya memasak [object] [with-phrase] [place].
  • You can swap the two prepositional phrases:
    • Saya memasak tahu dan tempe di wajan dengan kecap.
    • Di wajan, saya memasak tahu dan tempe dengan kecap.
  • Keep the object together: don’t split tahu and tempe.
When do I use dengan, pakai, or menggunakan for “with/using”?
  • dengan = neutral “with”: dengan kecap.
  • pakai = very common, casual “use/wear”: masak pakai kecap.
  • menggunakan = formal “to use”: menggunakan kecap (instructional tone).
  • Colloquial sama can mean “with”: nasi sama kecap, but for tools/ingredients dengan/pakai are clearer.
Why is it di wajan, not ke wajan or pada wajan?
  • di = location (“at/in/on”): di wajan.
  • ke = movement (“to/toward”): masukkan ke wajan.
  • pada is formal, often for abstract/time; not used for ordinary physical locations here.
Should it be di dalam wajan instead of di wajan?
  • di wajan is normal and sufficient.
  • di dalam wajan is only if you need to emphasize “inside,” which is rarely necessary with a pan/wok.
What exactly does wajan refer to? Are there other words?
  • wajan = wok or deep frying pan (curved sides).
  • Related cookware:
    • penggorengan = frying pan/skillet (generic).
    • panci = pot/saucepan (boiling).
    • kuali = another word for wok/pan (more regional/literary).
  • Use the one that matches the cookware you mean.
Does kecap mean ketchup?
  • No. kecap is soy sauce.
  • Types:
    • kecap manis = sweet, thick soy sauce (very common).
    • kecap asin = salty, thinner soy sauce.
  • “Ketchup” is saus tomat in Indonesian.
How do I pronounce the tricky words?
  • kecap: keh-chap (c = ch). Not like English “ketchup.”
  • tempe: tem-peh (final e like in “café”).
  • tahu: tah-hoo (pronounce the h).
  • memasak: muh-mah-sak (a as in “father”).
Is tahu here the same as the verb “to know”?
  • Same spelling, different meanings; context disambiguates.
  • Noun tahu = tofu.
  • Verb tahu = “to know” (often spelled tau colloquially). In your sentence it’s clearly the food.
Do I need plural or articles like “a/the/some”?
  • Indonesian has no articles and usually no plural marking.
  • tahu dan tempe can mean one or more pieces—context tells you.
  • To be specific, add quantifiers: dua potong tahu, sepotong tempe, beberapa potong tempe.
What are natural quantifiers/measure words for tofu and tempeh?
  • potong (piece/slice): sepotong tahu/tempe, tiga potong tempe.
  • Packaging/blocks:
    • satu papan tempe (a slab/block of tempeh).
    • sekotak tahu / satu bungkus tahu (a box/pack of tofu).
  • Thin slices: iris → beberapa iris tempe.
Is dan the only way to say “and”?
  • dan is the default.
  • Alternatives: serta (formal “as well as”); colloquial sama can join nouns: tahu sama tempe.
  • In casual speech people often just list: tahu tempe.
Can I make the sentence passive?
  • Yes:
    • Tahu dan tempe dimasak dengan kecap di wajan. (passive with di-)
    • Tahu dan tempe saya masak dengan kecap di wajan. (object fronted; still active)
  • Passive focuses on the food; active focuses on the cook.
Is there a more specific verb than memasak here?
  • Choose the method:
    • menumis = sauté/stir-fry (little oil).
    • menggoreng = fry.
    • merebus = boil; mengukus = steam; memanggang/membakar = bake/roast/grill.
  • With soy sauce in a wok, menumis often fits best.
Could di be confused with the passive prefix di-?
  • They’re different:
    • di (separate word) = preposition “at/in/on”: di wajan.
    • di- (attached) = passive prefix: dimasak.
  • Spacing distinguishes them.
Is this sentence okay in casual Jakarta-style Indonesian?
  • Very natural variant: Gue masak tahu sama tempe pakai kecap di wajan.
  • Neutral casual: Aku masak tahu dan tempe pakai kecap di wajan.
  • Your original is perfectly fine in neutral/standard Indonesian.