Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Dia akan menyusul kami di perpustakaan. - He/She will catch up with us at the library.

Indonesian dia is gender-neutral; it can mean either he or she. For a respectful reference (an elder/authority), use beliau. In formal writing you may see ia as a subject form (e.g., Ia akan menyusul...), but ia isn’t used as an object pronoun.

What’s the difference between kami and kita?

Both mean we/us, but:

kami excludes the listener (we = me + my group, not you).
kita includes the listener (we = you and I). In the sentence, kami implies the person being addressed is not part of the group at the library. If the listener is included, say Dia akan menyusul kita di perpustakaan.

Do I need akan to express the future?

No. Indonesian doesn’t mark tense the way English does. Akan is an optional future marker and sounds neutral–formal. You can omit it and/or add a time word:

Dia akan menyusul kami di perpustakaan.
Dia menyusul kami di perpustakaan nanti.
Nanti dia menyusul kami di perpustakaan. Colloquially, bakal also marks future: Dia bakal menyusul…

Where can I put time words like nanti (later) or a clock time?

Flexible placement is natural:

Dia akan menyusul kami di perpustakaan nanti.
Nanti dia akan menyusul kami di perpustakaan.
Dia akan menyusul kami di perpustakaan jam tiga.

What exactly does menyusul mean here?

Menyusul means to come later and catch up/join someone who went ahead. It’s not “to chase” (that’s mengejar) and not “to follow along with/attend” (often mengikuti). Here it’s “join us later at the library.”

Can menyusul be used without an object?

Yes, when context is clear:

Saya menyusul (ke perpustakaan). = I’ll come later (to the library). With an object, you specify whom you’ll catch up with: menyusul kami = catch up with us.

Why is it di perpustakaan and not ke perpustakaan?

di = at/in (location)
ke = to (destination) In menyusul kami di perpustakaan, the library is the meeting location. If you say menyusul kami ke perpustakaan, it emphasizes going to that destination to catch up with us there.

How does the meaning change if I use ke instead of di?

Dia akan menyusul kami di perpustakaan. = He/She will catch up with us at the library (that’s where we’ll meet).
Dia akan menyusul kami ke perpustakaan. = He/She will follow/catch up with us to the library (that’s where he/she will head to meet us).

Is the space in di perpustakaan important?

Yes. Di as a preposition is written separately: di perpustakaan. Don’t write diperpustakaan. Attached di- is a passive prefix on verbs (e.g., ditulis = written), which is different.

Can I change the word order?

Yes, for emphasis:

Di perpustakaan, dia akan menyusul kami. (Fronts the location)
Dia akan menyusul kami di perpustakaan. (Neutral) Avoid moving kami after perpustakaan unless you mean possession: di perpustakaan kami = at our library.

Does perpustakaan mean “the library” or “a library”?

Indonesian has no articles. Perpustakaan can mean a library or the library, depending on context. To specify a particular one, add itu (that): di perpustakaan itu. For possession: di perpustakaan kami (at our library).

How do I negate this sentence?

Use tidak before the verb/verb phrase:

Dia tidak akan menyusul kami di perpustakaan. Use bukan to negate nouns/adjectives, not verbs. Here, tidak is correct.

Is there a more respectful version?

Yes, use beliau for respected people:

Beliau akan menyusul kami di perpustakaan. This sounds polite/formal.

What’s a casual, conversational version?

You might hear:

Dia bakal nyusul kita di perpus. Notes:
bakal = colloquial future
nyusul = colloquial for menyusul
kita = inclusive “we”
perpus = slang for perpustakaan

Can I omit the subject if it’s obvious?

In casual speech/text, yes:

(Dia) nanti menyusul di perpustakaan. Dropping dia is fine if context makes the subject clear. In careful writing, keep the subject.

What’s the imperative (command) form?

Use the base verb:

Susul kami di perpustakaan! = Catch up with us at the library! For a softer request: Tolong susul kami di perpustakaan.

How do I make a passive version?

Two common options:

Short passive (colloquial): Kami akan dia susul di perpustakaan.
Long passive (formal): Kami akan disusul olehnya di perpustakaan. Both mean “We will be caught up with by him/her at the library.”

What’s the root of menyusul, and why is it spelled that way?

The root is susul. With the meN- prefix, initial s drops and the prefix becomes meny-: meN- + susul → menyusul. Pronounce the ny as in “canyon” (Indonesian /ɲ/).

Do I need a preposition like “with” before kami?

No. Menyusul directly takes the person you catch up with as its object: menyusul kami. If you want “meet with,” you could say bertemu dengan kami: Dia akan bertemu dengan kami di perpustakaan.