Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Kami memompa ban dengan pompa kecil di bengkel dekat rumah. - We pump the tire with a small pump at a workshop near the house.

Kami = we (excluding the listener). The listener is not part of the group.
Kita = we (including the listener). The listener is part of the group. So the sentence says the listener was not involved.

Why is it memompa, not mempompa or mengompa?

Indonesian uses the prefix meN- for active verbs. When it attaches to a base starting with p, the initial p drops and the prefix becomes mem-:

meN- + pompa → memompa (p drops) Compare:
pukul → memukul
pakai → memakai
tulis → menulis (t drops, prefix men-)
kirim → mengirim (k drops, prefix meng-)
sapu → menyapu (s drops, prefix meny-)

Does ban mean “tire” or “wheel”?

Ban means “tire” (the rubber part). “Wheel” is roda. The metal rim is often velg.

How do I show singular/plural and definiteness for ban?

Indonesian has no articles. Context handles “a/the.”

“a tire”: just ban or satu ban (one tire)
“the tire”: ban itu (“that tire”) or context
plural: context, banyak ban (many tires), semua ban (all tires), or reduplication ban-ban (emphatic/written)

Is dengan necessary before the instrument? Can I use pakai or menggunakan?

All are fine:

Neutral: dengan pompa kecil
Informal/common: pakai pompa kecil
Formal/politer: menggunakan pompa kecil Meaning is the same; only register changes.

Why is it pompa kecil and not kecil pompa?

In Indonesian, adjectives usually follow nouns:

noun + adjective → pompa kecil (small pump), bengkel besar (big workshop)

Is pompa yang kecil okay?

Grammatically yes, but it adds contrast/emphasis (“the pump that is small”) or helps when the description is long. For a simple description, pompa kecil is more natural.

What’s the nuance between dekat rumah, di dekat rumah, and bengkel dekat rumah?

dekat rumah = near the house/home (can modify a noun: bengkel dekat rumah)
di dekat rumah = at a place near the house (used as a location phrase) In your sentence, di bengkel dekat rumah is “at the workshop near the house.” You could also say di bengkel di dekat rumah; both are acceptable.

Whose house is rumah? Should it be rumah kami?

Without a possessor, rumah is understood from context. To be explicit:

rumah kami (our house), rumah saya (my house), rumahnya (his/her/their house)

Can I change the order of the instrument and place phrases?

Yes. Common options (all natural):

Kami memompa ban dengan pompa kecil di bengkel dekat rumah.
Kami memompa ban di bengkel dekat rumah dengan pompa kecil.
Di bengkel dekat rumah, kami memompa ban dengan pompa kecil. Word order mainly affects emphasis, not meaning.

How would I say this in the passive voice?

Formal passive: Ban itu dipompa dengan pompa kecil di bengkel dekat rumah (oleh kami).
Colloquial/“short passive”: Ban itu kami pompa dengan pompa kecil di bengkel dekat rumah. Both are natural; the second is very common in speech.

How do I show past, ongoing, or future time?

Add time/aspect markers:

Past/completed: tadi, sudah, baru saja
- Tadi kami memompa ban...
- Kami sudah memompa ban...
Ongoing: sedang, or informal lagi
- Kami sedang/lagi memompa ban...
Future: akan, nanti
- Kami akan memompa ban... Indonesian verbs don’t change form for tense.

Is dengan pompa kecil redundant since memompa already implies a pump?

It’s not wrong. Memompa implies using a pump, but adding the instrument clarifies the type (e.g., a small hand pump vs. an electric compressor). Omitting it is fine if the detail isn’t needed.

Do I need a classifier like sebuah before pompa or ban?

Not required. You can say:

pompa kecil (a small pump)
satu pompa kecil (one small pump) Classifiers like buah are possible (sebuah pompa kecil), but everyday speech usually drops them unless needed for clarity or formality.

What exactly is a bengkel? Is it the same as a garage?

Bengkel is a repair workshop (cars, motorbikes, bicycles, etc.). A private home garage is garasi. A small roadside tire/patch place is often tambal ban. A gas station is SPBU or pom bensin.

Why di and not ke?

di marks location (at/in/on): di bengkel = at the workshop.
ke marks motion toward: ke bengkel = to the workshop. Your sentence describes where the action happened, so di is correct.

Are there common alternatives to memompa ban?

Yes:

mengisi angin ban or colloquial isi angin ban = fill the tire with air
For a hand pump, people might say pompa ban as a noun phrase for the tool (pompa angin/pompa tangan).