Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Saya menulis tanggal rapat di kalender dan memasang pengingat di telepon. - I write the meeting date on the calendar and set a reminder on the phone.

Indonesian noun–noun compounds put the head noun first, then the modifier. So tanggal rapat literally means “date (of the) meeting,” like English “meeting date.”

Other examples:
- nomor kamar = room number
- kalender dinding = wall calendar
- jadwal rapat = meeting schedule

Is there any tense marking here? How do I know if it’s past or future?

Indonesian doesn’t inflect verbs for tense. Context or time words show time. You can add:

Past/completed: sudah, tadi, kemarin
- Saya sudah menulis…
Future: akan, nanti
- Saya akan menulis…

Is di here a preposition or the passive prefix?

It’s the preposition di meaning “in/on/at” because it’s written separately: di kalender, di telepon.

Passive prefix di- attaches to a verb: ditulis (was written), ditelepon (was phoned).
Compare: Tanggal rapat ditulis di kalender.

Is memasang the best verb for “set a reminder”?

It works and is understood (“to install/set/put on”), but many speakers prefer:

mengatur pengingat or menyetel pengingat (very natural “set a reminder”)
membuat pengingat (create a reminder)
With a calendar app: menambahkan/memasukkan pengingat ke kalender

Should I say di telepon, di ponsel, or di HP?

All are understood, but style varies:

Neutral/formal: di ponsel (mobile phone), di gawai (device)
Casual: di HP (very common), sometimes written di hape
di telepon can mean “on the phone (device)” but may also suggest “by phone (call)” from context, so di ponsel/HP is often clearer.

What exactly does pengingat mean? Is it countable?

Pengingat is a noun derived from ingat (“remember”), meaning “reminder.” It’s countable, but Indonesian doesn’t mark plural:

satu/dua pengingat, beberapa pengingat if you need to specify quantity.

Why di kalender and not ke kalender?

Use:

di for location (“on/in/at”): menulis … di kalender (write on the calendar)
ke for destination (“to”): menambahkan … ke kalender or memasukkan … ke kalender (add/put into the calendar)

Could I use mencatat or memasukkan instead of menulis?

Yes, with nuance:

menulis: write (general; often physical writing)
mencatat: note down/record (neutral, paper or digital)
memasukkan/menambahkan … ke kalender: add it into the calendar (sounds more digital/app-like)

How does dan work here? Why isn’t Saya repeated?

Dan links two verb phrases sharing the same subject:

Saya [menulis …] dan [memasang …]. Repeating Saya is possible but usually unnecessary unless for emphasis or clarity.

Is rapat the same as pertemuan?

rapat: a meeting, typically formal/organizational (work, committee)
pertemuan: any meeting/encounter (broader, can be less formal) Both are fine; choose based on context: tanggal rapat vs tanggal pertemuan.

Can I drop Saya, or use Aku instead?

Saya: neutral/formal
Aku: informal/intimate You can drop the subject if it’s clear from context (common in conversation), but in a standalone sentence keeping Saya is safest.

Do I need -nya for “the” (definiteness), like tanggal rapatnya?

Optional, for specificity/possession:

tanggal rapatnya = the meeting date (specific/previously known) or “his/her/their meeting date”
kalendernya/teleponnya = the/one’s phone/calendar Use -nya when the reference is already known or possessed.

How do the affixes work in menulis, memasang, pengingat?

menulis = meN- + tulis (active verb “to write”)
memasang = meN- + pasang (active verb “to install/set/put on”)
pengingat = peN- + ingat (noun “reminder”) The meN-/peN- prefixes are very common for forming verbs and agent/result nouns.

What’s a more natural version for a digital context?

Two very natural options:

Saya menambahkan tanggal rapat ke kalender dan mengatur pengingat di ponsel.
Saya memasukkan tanggal rapat ke kalender dan menyetel pengingat di HP.

Can I shorten it to … di kalender dan telepon?

Not here, because each verb has its own prepositional phrase. You can’t share di across different verbs. If the same verb governed both locations, you’d usually repeat di anyway:

Saya menyimpan nomor itu di kalender dan di ponsel.

Should I use pada instead of di, as in pada kalender?

Di is the default for physical or app locations. Pada is more formal/abstract and less common with concrete places. Prefer di kalender, not pada kalender. You will see pada with times or abstract relations (e.g., pada hari Senin).

There’s no article like “a/the.” How do I show that meaning?

Indonesian has no articles. kalender, telepon, pengingat can mean “a” or “the.” Use context or add words for specificity:

sebuah pengingat (a reminder)
kalender itu (that/the calendar)
ponsel saya (my phone)