Mending menunggu di kafe ketimbang di peron.

Better to wait at the cafe than on the platform.

Breakdown of Mending menunggu di kafe ketimbang di peron.

• di: at
• menunggu: to wait
• di: on
• peron: the platform
• kafe: the cafe
• mending: better
• ketimbang: than

Questions & Answers about Mending menunggu di kafe ketimbang di peron.

What does mending mean here, and how casual is it?

• Mending means “it’s better (to) … / you’d better …” and introduces a suggestion or preference.
• It’s colloquial, common in everyday speech. In neutral/formal contexts, use lebih baik or sebaiknya instead.

Is mending the same as mendingan or lebih baik/sebaiknya?

• Mending and mendingan are near‑synonyms in speech; mendingan can sound a touch more casual.
• Lebih baik is neutral and suits writing or polite speech.
• Sebaiknya means “should/it would be advisable,” slightly more prescriptive.

Who is the implied subject? Why is there no pronoun?

• Indonesian often drops the subject when it’s obvious from context.
• Here, the subject is context‑dependent: it can mean “we’d better…,” “you’d better…,” or even “I’d better…”
• You can add a pronoun for clarity: Mending kita/kamu saya menunggu…

What does ketimbang mean? How is it different from daripada?

• Ketimbang means “than / rather than / instead of” in comparisons.
• It’s informal; daripada is the standard, all‑purpose equivalent.
• Both work here: …di kafe ketimbang/daripada di peron.

Do I need to repeat menunggu after ketimbang for parallel structure?

• No. Ellipsis is natural: Mending menunggu di kafe ketimbang di peron.
• Full parallel forms are also fine: Mending menunggu di kafe ketimbang menunggu di peron.
• In formal writing, the fully parallel version is safer.

Why is di used for both “at” and “on” (di kafe, di peron)?

• Indonesian uses di for static location broadly (“at/in/on”).
• Context supplies the English equivalent: di kafe = “at the cafe,” di peron = “on the platform.”

What’s the spacing rule for di here? Why not diperon?

• When di is a preposition (“at/in/on”), it’s written separately: di peron, di kafe.
• When di- is a passive verb prefix, it’s attached: dipakai, ditunggu.

What’s the difference between menunggu, tunggu, nunggu, menanti/menantikan?

• Tunggu is the base verb (“wait”), often seen in imperatives: Tunggu sebentar.
• Menunggu is the active form with the meN- prefix; it’s the default in statements: Kami menunggu.
• Nunggu is colloquial for menunggu.
• Menanti is more formal/literary; menantikan is “to await/look forward to (something).”

Does menunggu need an object? Should it be menunggu kereta?

• Menunggu can be transitive or intransitive.
• With an object: menunggu kereta (“wait for the train”).
• Without an object, you can give a place: menunggu di kafe is perfectly natural.

Can I swap the word order to di kafe menunggu?

• The natural order is verb + place: menunggu di kafe.
• Di kafe menunggu is possible for topicalization/emphasis but can sound marked. Stick to the original order in neutral speech.

How do I make this sound more polite or formal?

• Lebih baik kita menunggu di kafe daripada di peron.
• Sebaiknya kita menunggu di kafe.
• Softer suggestion: Bagaimana kalau kita menunggu di kafe?
• A gentle nudge: Kita menunggu di kafe saja, ya?

What does saja add if I say Mending menunggu di kafe saja…?

• Saja means “just/only,” softening the suggestion and implying simplicity or convenience: Mending menunggu di kafe saja…
• In casual speech, aja is the reduced form.

Pronunciation tips for the key words?

• mending: mən-DING (e = schwa), final ng is the velar nasal [ŋ].
• menunggu: mə-NOONG-goo (both u like “oo” in “book”), double g sound; final ng = [ŋ].
• ketimbang: kə-TIM-bang (ng = [ŋ]).
• kafe: KAH-feh (open a, clear e).
• peron: PE-ron or PEH-ron; r is tapped/flapped.

What exactly is peron? Any synonyms?

• Peron is the train station platform (borrowed from Dutch perron).
• Platform (English loan) is also used in speech, but peron is the standard Indonesian term.
• Don’t confuse with jalur/rel (the track/rail).

Is kafe the correct spelling? What about cafe/café?

• Standard Indonesian spelling is kafe.
• You’ll see “cafe/café” on signs, but in writing kafe is preferred.

Can ketimbang go at the start of the sentence?

• Yes: Ketimbang di peron, mending menunggu di kafe.
• With a more formal pair: Daripada di peron, lebih baik menunggu di kafe.

Is daripada written as one word?

• Yes, daripada is one word when it means “than/rather than.”
• Don’t write it as two words (“dari pada”) in this meaning.