Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Teman saya terbiasa datang lebih awal ke perpustakaan. - My friend is used to arriving early at the library.

biasa = “usual/usually.” With a verb it describes frequency: Teman saya biasa datang… = “My friend usually comes…”
terbiasa = “accustomed to/used to (comfortable with).” It’s a state resulting from habit: Teman saya terbiasa datang… = “My friend is used to coming…”
You can add sudah for emphasis: sudah terbiasa = “already used to.”

Why is there no word for “is” in this sentence?

Indonesian doesn’t need a linking verb (“to be”) before adjectives or stative predicates. Terbiasa itself functions as the predicate. So Teman saya terbiasa… literally equals “My friend (is) used to…,” without an explicit “is.” The copula adalah is typically used before nouns, not here.

Can I say terbiasa untuk datang instead of terbiasa datang?

Yes. Both are acceptable:

terbiasa datang (more natural in everyday speech)
terbiasa untuk datang (a bit more formal or careful style) Meaning is the same.

Could I use biasa instead of terbiasa here?

You can, but the nuance changes:

Teman saya biasa datang lebih awal… = “My friend usually comes early…” (frequency)
Teman saya terbiasa datang lebih awal… = “My friend is accustomed to coming early…” (a settled habit/comfort)

Why use datang? Could I use tiba, sampai, hadir, or pergi?

datang (ke) = come (to). Pairs with ke (to).
tiba/sampai (di) = arrive (at). Pairs with di (at). E.g., tiba di perpustakaan.
hadir (di) = be present/attend (an event). More formal and event-focused (meeting, ceremony).
pergi (ke) = go (to). Focuses on leaving, not arriving: pergi ke perpustakaan lebih awal = go to the library earlier (than usual), not necessarily arrive early.

Why is it ke perpustakaan and not di perpustakaan?

Because datang expresses motion toward a destination and takes ke (“to”). Use di (“at”) for location without motion:

Motion: datang ke, pergi ke
Location/arrival: sudah di, tiba di, sampai di

What exactly does lebih awal mean? Is it the same as awal, dini, or lebih cepat?

lebih awal = earlier (than expected/than others/than a set time).
awal alone isn’t usually used as an adverb; you’d say datang lebih awal, paling awal (earliest), terlalu awal (too early).
lebih cepat = faster (speed), not earlier (time). Don’t say datang lebih cepat to mean “arrive earlier.”
lebih dulu / lebih dahulu ≈ earlier/before (someone/something). Often interchangeable with lebih awal, with a slight “before others” nuance.
dini is “early” in more formal/lexical uses (e.g., usia dini, dini hari = early hours).

Can I move lebih awal to another position in the sentence?

Preferred: Teman saya datang lebih awal ke perpustakaan. Other possibilities:

Teman saya datang ke perpustakaan lebih awal. (also fine)
Teman saya lebih awal datang ke perpustakaan. (less natural) In casual speech, you might hear Dia lebih awal ke perpustakaan, dropping the verb, but it’s elliptical.

Is teman saya singular or plural?

Indonesian nouns don’t mark number, so teman saya can mean “my friend” or “my friends,” depending on context. To make it explicitly plural, say teman-teman saya. For exactly one, you can say seorang teman saya (“one of my friends”).

Can I say temanku instead of teman saya? What about aku vs saya?

temanku = “my friend” (informal); -ku is a possessive clitic of aku.
teman saya is neutral/formal. Register:
Formal/neutral: saya, teman saya
Informal: aku, temanku
Very colloquial/regional: gue/gua, teman gue Match the pronoun choice consistently within a context.

Does perpustakaan mean “the library” or “a library”? Do I need an article?

Indonesian has no articles. perpustakaan can mean “the library” or “a library,” decided by context. To be specific:

Definite: perpustakaan itu (that/the library)
Indefinite: sebuah perpustakaan (a library) Proper names are capitalized: Perpustakaan Nasional.

How is perpustakaan formed? What does pustaka mean?

Root: pustaka = literature/works/books.
per- … -an often forms a place/institution noun.
perpustakaan = the place for books → library. Colloquial shorthand you’ll hear: perpus (informal).

Can I omit datang and just say Teman saya lebih awal ke perpustakaan?

In casual speech, yes—people sometimes drop the motion verb when it’s clear from context. In careful or written Indonesian, keep datang (or use tiba/sampai with di): Teman saya tiba lebih awal di perpustakaan.

How do I say “My friend used to come early (but not anymore)”?

Use dulu with a habitual marker like biasa or sering:

Dulu, teman saya biasa datang lebih awal ke perpustakaan (sekarang tidak lagi).
Dulu, teman saya sering datang lebih awal… Note: terbiasa describes being accustomed, not the English past-habit “used to” meaning “formerly.”

How do I make it plural: “My friends are used to coming early to the library”?

Teman-teman saya terbiasa datang lebih awal ke perpustakaan. You can also refer back with Mereka: Mereka terbiasa datang…

How do I pronounce terbiasa and perpustakaan?

terbiasa: ter-bia-sa (the ia is like “ee-ah”). Stress is fairly even; Indonesian is syllable-timed.
perpustakaan: per-pus-ta-ka-an (two a’s in ka-an are pronounced separately). Don’t drop the second -a-.