Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Saya meminjam pulpen teman saya sebentar.

bold meminjam bold = to borrow (the subject receives the item). Example: bold Saya meminjam pulpen teman saya sebentar. bold
bold meminjamkan bold = to lend (the subject gives the item). Example: bold Saya meminjamkan pulpen saya kepada teman saya sebentar. bold
In casual speech, people often use the bare root bold pinjam bold for borrow: bold Saya pinjam pulpen … bold

Do I need bold dari bold (from) here?

No. bold Saya meminjam pulpen teman saya sebentar bold already implies you’re borrowing your friend’s pen. If you want to stress the source, you can say:

bold Saya meminjam pulpen dari teman saya. bold Both are natural; the first highlights whose pen it is, the second highlights the source.

Is it okay to have bold saya bold twice (bold Saya … teman saya bold)? Isn’t that repetitive?

It’s normal. The first bold saya bold is the subject I; the second is the possessor my in bold teman saya bold. Indonesian often repeats pronouns this way, and it doesn’t sound odd.

How does possession work in bold pulpen teman saya bold?

Possession is head noun + possessor:

bold pulpen teman saya bold = my friend’s pen Not: bold teman saya pulpen bold (unnatural). You can also say:
bold pulpennya teman saya bold (the pen belonging to my friend; more definite)
bold pulpen milik teman saya bold (more formal)
bold pulpen punya teman saya bold (colloquial)

Can I say bold temanku bold instead of bold teman saya bold?

Yes. Options (from formal to casual):

bold teman saya bold
bold teman aku bold / bold temanku bold
bold temen saya bold / bold temen aku bold (colloquial spelling)
bold temen gue bold (very informal, Jakarta slang)

What’s the nuance between bold pulpen bold, bold pena bold, and bold bolpoin/bolpen bold?

bold pulpen bold and bold bolpoin/bolpen bold commonly mean ballpoint pen.
bold pena bold is a general word for pen and can sound slightly more formal or literary; context may imply fountain pen. All are widely understood; bold pulpen bold is very common.

Exactly what does bold sebentar bold mean here?

It means for a short while/briefly. Near-synonyms:

bold sebentar saja bold (just a moment)
bold bentar bold (very casual)
bold sebentar lagi bold means soon, not for a moment.

Where can I place bold sebentar bold in this sentence?

Most natural: end position: bold … pulpen teman saya sebentar. bold
Less common but acceptable: bold Saya meminjam sebentar pulpen teman saya. bold
If you put it at the very beginning as bold Sebentar, … bold it becomes an interjection meaning Wait a sec, not a duration modifier.

Should I add bold untuk bold (for), like bold untuk sebentar bold?

No. bold sebentar bold by itself already means for a moment. You can add emphasis with bold sebentar saja bold or bold hanya sebentar bold, but bold untuk sebentar bold is usually unnecessary.

Is there any tense marking? How do I say past/present/future?

Indonesian has no tense inflections. Use time words:

Past: bold Tadi/Kemarin saya meminjam … bold
Completed: bold Saya sudah meminjam … bold
Progressive (colloquial): bold Saya lagi pinjam … bold
Future: bold Saya akan meminjam … bold / bold Nanti saya meminjam … bold

Can I drop the subject bold saya bold?

In conversation, yes, if context makes it clear: bold Meminjam pulpen teman saya sebentar. bold In writing or when ambiguity is possible, keep bold saya bold.

How would I phrase this as a polite request to someone?

Common request patterns:

bold Boleh saya pinjam pulpennya sebentar? bold
bold Pinjam pulpennya sebentar, ya? bold
More formal: bold Bolehkah saya meminjam pulpen Anda sebentar? bold Using bold pinjam bold (root) is common in requests.

What’s the register difference among bold saya bold, bold aku bold, and bold gue bold?

bold saya bold = formal/neutral
bold aku bold = neutral/informal (close relationships)
bold gue bold = very informal, Jakarta slang Choose based on the relationship and setting.

How would I say I lent my pen to my friend (not borrowed)?

Use bold meminjamkan bold and bold kepada bold:

bold Saya meminjamkan pulpen saya kepada teman saya sebentar. bold Colloquial: bold Saya pinjemin pulpen saya ke teman saya bentar. bold

Is there a passive or fronted alternative that focuses on the pen?

Yes:

Object-fronting: bold Pulpen teman saya saya pinjam sebentar. bold
Passive: bold Pulpen teman saya dipinjam sebentar (oleh saya). bold The first is very natural in speech.

Does bold teman saya bold indicate gender or number?

No gender is expressed. It typically reads as singular my friend, but Indonesian doesn’t mark number unless needed. For plural: bold teman-teman saya bold. For gender: bold teman laki-laki/perempuan saya bold if you must specify.

Why does the letter p disappear in bold meminjam bold?

It’s the meN- prefix assimilation rule:

meN- + bold pinjam bold → bold meminjam bold (p drops; prefix becomes mem-) Similar patterns: bold menulis bold (from bold tulis bold), bold menyapu bold (from bold sapu bold), bold mengirim bold (from bold kirim bold).

Could I just use bold pinjam bold instead of bold meminjam bold?

Yes, especially in casual speech: bold Saya pinjam pulpen teman saya bentar. bold Using the root is very common in everyday conversation.

How do I say his/her pen with bold -nya bold?

bold pulpennya bold = his/her pen or the pen (context decides).
bold Saya meminjam pulpennya sebentar. bold = I borrowed his/her/the pen briefly. To make the possessor explicit: bold pulpennya teman saya bold.

Are there any noun forms related to bold pinjam bold?

Yes:

bold pinjaman bold = a loan/borrowed item.
bold barang pinjaman bold = a borrowed thing. Example: bold Saya sedang memakai barang pinjaman. bold