Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Saya makan siang bareng teman di kantin sekolah. - I have lunch together with a friend at the school canteen.

Here it functions as a verb phrase meaning “to have/eat lunch.” You can say Saya makan siang = “I have lunch.” As a noun, it appears in phrases like waktu makan siang “lunchtime.”

How do I show past, present, or future if Indonesian doesn’t mark tense?

Use time words or aspect markers:

Past: tadi siang, kemarin, sudah, baru saja (e.g., Saya sudah makan siang).
Present/progressive: sedang or colloquial lagi (e.g., Saya sedang makan siang).
Future: nanti, besok, akan (e.g., Saya akan makan siang).

Is bareng formal? What are the more neutral or formal alternatives?

Bareng is informal/colloquial. Alternatives:

Neutral: dengan (with)
More formal: bersama So a more neutral version is Saya makan siang dengan teman di kantin sekolah, and a formal one is Saya makan siang bersama teman di kantin sekolah.

Does teman mean “friend” or “friends” here?

It’s ambiguous; Indonesian doesn’t require plural marking. Use:

Singular: seorang teman (a friend)
Plural: teman-teman (friends)
Possessive plural: teman-teman saya (my friends)

If I mean “with my friend(s),” should I say teman saya?

Add it for clarity:

One friend: bareng seorang teman saya
My friends: bareng teman-teman saya Colloquially, bareng teman often implies your own friend(s) from context, but … saya makes it explicit.

Can I drop Saya?

Yes, in casual speech/writing when context is clear: Makan siang bareng teman di kantin sekolah. Indonesian allows subject drop in informal contexts.

Why is it kantin sekolah and not sekolah kantin?

Indonesian puts the head noun first, then the modifier: kantin (canteen) + sekolah (school) = “school canteen.” This N + modifier order is standard in noun phrases.

How do di and ke differ?

di = at/in (location): di kantin sekolah
ke = to/toward (movement): ke kantin sekolah Example: Saya pergi ke kantin sekolah untuk makan siang. (go to) vs Saya makan siang di kantin sekolah. (at)

What about di vs di dalam?

di is general “at/in.”
di dalam emphasizes “inside (the interior of).” If you want to stress the interior: di dalam kantin sekolah.

Is mixing formal saya with informal bareng okay?

It’s common in everyday speech and doesn’t sound odd. For fully formal style, prefer Saya … bersama …; for fully casual, use Aku or regional gue with bareng/sama.

What’s the difference among bareng, bareng-bareng, dengan, sama, and bersama?

bareng: informal “together/with.”
bareng-bareng: “all together/as a group,” emphasizing collective action.
dengan: neutral “with.”
sama: colloquial “with” (e.g., sama teman).
bersama: formal “together with.” All can fit, depending on register and nuance.

Where can I place the “with friends” and the place phrase?

Word order is flexible. All are natural:

Saya makan siang bareng teman di kantin sekolah.
Saya makan siang di kantin sekolah bareng teman.
Di kantin sekolah, saya makan siang bareng teman. Choose the one that flows best for what you want to emphasize.

How do I say “I am eating lunch right now”?

Use progressive markers:

Neutral: Saya sedang makan siang (sekarang).
Colloquial: Saya lagi makan siang (sekarang).

How do I make it clearly past, like “I ate lunch (already)”?

Use perfective markers/time words:

Saya sudah makan siang.
Saya baru saja makan siang.
Tadi siang saya makan siang bareng teman.

How do I make “the school canteen” definite, like using “the”?

Add itu for definiteness: di kantin sekolah itu (at that/the school canteen we both know). Indonesian lacks articles; context or itu handles “the.”

Any spelling rule for di?

Yes:

Preposition “at/in” is separated: di kantin, di sekolah.
Passive prefix attaches to the verb: dimakan, ditulis. So write di kantin (spaced), not dikantin.

Why not memakan siang? When do I use makan vs memakan?

Makan is the common base verb “eat” and is used in set phrases like makan siang. Memakan is more formal/literal “to consume” and is less natural here. Prefer makan siang.

How do I specify the kind of friend, like “classmate” or “coworker”?

Add a classifier:

Classmate: teman sekelas (e.g., bareng teman sekelas)
Coworker: rekan kerja / teman kantor
One friend: seorang teman; many: teman-teman

Could di kantin sekolah modify teman (friend at school) instead of the place?

As written, it naturally reads as the place of the activity. To say “friend at school,” put it right after teman without another noun in between: teman di sekolah or teman sekolah. For both: Saya makan siang bareng teman sekolah di kantin.

Is bareng regional slang?

It’s widely used in colloquial Indonesian, especially in urban/Jakartan speech. In more formal or nationwide contexts, dengan/bersama is safer.

Pronunciation tips for tricky parts?

siang ends with the velar nasal /ŋ/ (like “sing”): syaŋ.
bareng also ends with /ŋ/: barəŋ.
kantin has a clear “a” as in “father.”