Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Keponakan perempuan saya menunggu di lorong sekolah.

Keponakan is gender-neutral (niece or nephew). Adding perempuan specifies it’s a female, i.e., “niece.” Without perempuan, context would determine the gender.

Can I just say keponakan saya to mean “my niece”?

Yes. Keponakan saya is the usual way to say “my niece/nephew.” If the gender matters, add perempuan (female) or laki-laki (male): keponakan perempuan saya / keponakan laki-laki saya.

Is perempuan the best word here? What about wanita or cewek?

Perempuan is neutral and works for girls and women; it’s the safest choice.
Wanita is more formal and usually for adult women; not typical for a child.
Cewek is casual/slang (girl). Avoid it in neutral/formal sentences.

Why is saya placed after the noun (keponakan perempuan saya) instead of before it?

In Indonesian, possessive pronouns typically follow the noun phrase: buku saya, rumah kami, keponakan perempuan saya. Placing the pronoun before the noun is not how possession is expressed.

Can I say keponakan saya yang perempuan instead? Any difference?

Yes: keponakan saya yang perempuan is natural and often used to distinguish among multiple nieces/nephews (e.g., “the one who is female”). Keponakan perempuan saya simply labels the noun as female without highlighting contrast.

Can I use -ku or -mu (enclitics) for “my/your” here?

Yes, but attach them to the head noun and use yang for the gender tag:

Natural: keponakanku yang perempuan
Avoid: keponakan perempuanku (this makes perempuan look like the head; it’s awkward).

What’s happening morphologically in menunggu?

Base verb: tunggu (“wait”). The active prefix meN- attaches and assimilates: meN- + tunggu → menunggu (the initial t drops; the nasal becomes n). So it’s spelled menunggu, not “mentunggu.”

Do I need to add “for” after menunggu, like “wait for”?

No. Menunggu already means “to wait (for).” Examples:

menunggu bus = wait for the bus
Don’t say: “menunggu untuk bus.”

What tense is this? How do I say “is waiting (right now)”?

Indonesian doesn’t mark tense by default, so menunggu can be present, past, or habitual. To mark ongoing action, add sedang (neutral) or lagi (colloquial):

Keponakan perempuan saya sedang menunggu di lorong sekolah.
Keponakan perempuan saya lagi nunggu di lorong sekolah. (casual)

How do I say “has been waiting for 10 minutes”?

Use sudah (or telah, formal) and selama:

Keponakan perempuan saya sudah menunggu selama 10 menit.

Why use di here? What about ke, pada, dalam/di dalam?

di = at/in/on (location): di lorong sekolah.
ke = to/towards (direction): ke lorong.
pada is not used for physical location in everyday speech.
di dalam emphasizes “inside (within)”: di dalam lorong if you need the “inside” nuance. Usually di lorong is enough.

Is di written separately from the noun? I’ve seen di- attached sometimes.

Yes. As a preposition, di is separate: di lorong. When di- is a passive prefix on a verb, it’s attached (e.g., ditunggu = “is/was waited for”).

Does lorong sekolah mean “school corridor” or “a corridor in the school”? How is it different from lorong di sekolah?

Lorong sekolah is a noun–noun compound (“school corridor”), often read as a corridor belonging to/associated with a school.
Lorong di sekolah literally highlights location (“a corridor that is in the school”). Both are fine; the difference is subtle.

Is lorong the best word for “hallway”? What about koridor or selasar?

Lorong is common for hallways/corridors; in some regions it can also mean an alley.
Koridor is a straightforward “corridor” (often in buildings/schools), slightly more formal/technical.
Selasar is a walkway/veranda-like corridor along a building’s side. All three are possible depending on the physical space and style.

How do I say “in the school corridor” with a clear “the”?

Indonesian has no articles. To make it definite, use:

di lorong sekolah itu (that specific corridor)
di lorong sekolahnya (the school’s corridor / its school corridor; also works as “the mentioned one”)

Can I front the place phrase for emphasis?

Yes: Di lorong sekolah, keponakan perempuan saya menunggu. This puts focus on the location. It’s stylistically fine.

How do I make it plural: “My nieces are waiting in the school corridors”?

People plural: Para keponakan perempuan saya menunggu… (formal-ish), or rely on context and add mereka.
Object plural: reduplication: di lorong-lorong sekolah (corridors).

How would I refer back to “my niece” in the next sentence?

Use a pronoun:

Dia (neutral), ia (more formal/written). Example: Dia membawa tas merah.
Beliau is a respectful third-person pronoun for elders/high-status people, not for a child.

Are there casual alternatives for this whole sentence?

Yes, in informal Jakarta-style Indonesian:

Ponakan cewek gue lagi nunggu di koridor sekolah. Notes: ponakan (colloquial for keponakan), cewek (slang female), gue (I/my), lagi (progressive), koridor (corridor).