Questions & Answers about Belok kiri di gerbang sekolah.
Is there an implied subject here, or is a pronoun missing?
Yes—Indonesian often omits the subject in commands. The sentence is an imperative addressed to you (singular or plural). If you add a subject, it becomes a statement, e.g., Saya akan belok kiri di gerbang sekolah.
Why is di used here instead of ke?
di marks a static location (at/in/on), so di gerbang sekolah means “at the school gate.” ke marks movement toward a destination (to/towards). Using ke would change the meaning to going to the gate, not turning at that point.
Do I need ke after belok? What’s the difference between belok kiri and belok ke kiri?
Both are correct. Belok kiri is very common and natural in speech; belok ke kiri is slightly more explicit/formal. No real difference in meaning.
Can I say belok di kiri?
No. di kiri means “on the left side” (a location), not the action “to the left.” Use belok kiri or belok ke kiri. Example: Mobilnya ada di kiri = the car is on the left.
What does the noun phrase gerbang sekolah literally mean? Which word is the head?