Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Baterai senter cadangan ada di laci meja. - The spare flashlight battery is in the desk drawer.

Ada expresses existence/presence and goes naturally with a location phrase (di …). You use it to say something “is located” somewhere. Adalah links two noun phrases (X = Y) and is not used before a prepositional phrase. So Baterai senter cadangan ada di laci meja is correct; … adalah di laci meja is ungrammatical.

Can I drop ada and just say Baterai senter cadangan di laci meja?

Yes, in casual speech people often omit ada, and it will be understood. In neutral/formal Indonesian, keep ada. Without it, the sentence can sound note-like.

Does this mean “a battery” or “the batteries”? Is it singular or plural?

Indonesian has no articles and unmarked nouns don’t show number, so baterai is ambiguous. To be specific:

One battery: Ada satu baterai senter cadangan di laci meja.
Several: Ada beberapa baterai senter cadangan di laci meja.
Definite “the”: Baterai senter cadangan itu ada di laci meja (itu).
Using -nya for definiteness/possessive: Baterai senter cadangannya ada di laci meja.

How is the noun phrase baterai senter cadangan structured?

Head noun: baterai (battery/batteries)
Noun modifier: senter (flashlight) → specifies type (“flashlight battery”)
Adjective-like modifier: cadangan (spare/backup) Indonesian order is head + modifiers, so baterai senter cadangan = “spare flashlight batteries.”

Can I say baterai cadangan senter instead?

That sounds odd. Prefer:

baterai senter cadangan (most compact), or
baterai cadangan untuk senter (“spare batteries for the flashlight”), using untuk to mark purpose.

What’s the difference between di laci and di dalam laci?

Both can mean “in the drawer.” Di laci is what people say most. Di dalam laci emphasizes “inside” and can be used for clarity or contrast.

Why is it laci meja and not laci dari meja?

To express “the drawer of the desk/table,” Indonesian stacks nouns: laci meja (drawer + table). Dari means “from,” not “of,” so laci dari meja isn’t the normal way to show that relationship.

Does meja mean “desk” or “table”? How do I be specific?

Meja is general and often covers “desk” by context. To be explicit:

Desk: meja tulis or meja kerja
So: di laci meja tulis / di laci meja kerja

Can I change the word order, like starting with the location or with ada?

Yes. Indonesian allows flexible information order:

Location first (emphasis on place): Di laci meja ada baterai senter cadangan.
Existential presentation: Ada baterai senter cadangan di laci meja.
Topic first (your original): Baterai senter cadangan ada di laci meja.

What’s the nuance between ada, berada, and terdapat?

ada: neutral, everyday “there is/are; is located.”
berada: more formal/literary “to be (located/present).” Acceptable with things: Baterai senter cadangan berada di laci meja.
terdapat: formal “can be found/there is.” Common in reports/signage: Di laci meja terdapat baterai senter cadangan.

How do I count batteries naturally?

Most common: number + noun → dua baterai, tiga baterai, etc.
With a generic classifier: dua buah baterai
With butir (for small roundish items): dua butir baterai All are acceptable; everyday speech often uses just the number + noun.

How can I mark possession or definiteness with -nya here?

baterainya = “the battery/its battery”
senternya = “the flashlight/its flashlight”
lacinya = “the drawer/its drawer” Examples:
Baterai senternya ada di laci meja. = “The flashlight’s battery is in the desk drawer.”
Baterai cadangan senternya ada di laci meja. = “The flashlight’s spare battery is in the desk drawer.”
Baterai senter cadangannya ada di lacinya. = “Its spare flashlight battery is in its drawer.”

Is di ever written together with the next word?

As a preposition meaning “at/in/on,” di is always separate: di laci. It’s only attached when it’s the passive prefix di- on verbs, e.g., dibeli (“was bought”). So don’t write dilaci here.

Can ada mean “have”?

Not in this sentence. Here ada = “there is/are; is located.” For possession, use punya or memiliki (e.g., Saya punya baterai cadangan). In some varieties and casual speech, Saya ada uang (“I have money”) is also heard and understood.

Can I use yang as in baterai senter yang cadangan?

Normally you don’t need yang with cadangan here. Yang is used to pick out “the one that …” among several. You might say Ambil baterai senter yang cadangan, bukan yang sudah dipakai (“Take the spare flashlight battery, not the used one”), but as a simple modifier, just say baterai senter cadangan.

Is senter enough, or should I say lampu senter?

Senter alone is very common and natural. Lampu senter (“flashlight lamp”) is also used but can sound a bit redundant. For the battery, baterai senter is the normal collocation.