Questions & Answers about Saya menaruh buku di atas meja.
What does the verb in the sentence mean, and what is its root?
The verb menaruh means to put or place. Its root is taruh. The prefix meN- attaches to the root and, because the root starts with t, the t drops and the prefix surfaces as men- → menaruh. In casual speech you will also hear taruh used without the prefix (for example, Saya taruh …) or the colloquial contraction naruh (for example, Aku naruh …).
Is this past, present, or future? How do I show time in Indonesian?
Indonesian verbs don’t inflect for tense. The sentence can be past, present, or future depending on context or time words:
- Past/completed: Saya sudah menaruh buku di atas meja. (I have already put…)
- Recent past: Tadi saya menaruh buku di atas meja. (Earlier I put…)
- Future: Saya akan menaruh buku di atas meja. (I will put…)
- Ongoing: Saya sedang menaruh buku di atas meja. (I am in the middle of putting…)
Why is there no article like a or the? How can I say a book or the book?
Indonesian has no articles. You add words or clitics to express definiteness/indefiniteness:
- Indefinite (a book): Saya menaruh sebuah buku / satu buku di atas meja.
- Definite (the book): Saya menaruh buku itu di atas meja. or Saya menaruh bukunya di atas meja. Note: -nya can mean the specific/previously known item (the book) or his/her book, depending on context.