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Questions & Answers about Saya membeli kacang di pasar.
Does this sentence express past or present? How do I show tense in Indonesian?
Indonesian verbs don’t change for tense, so Saya membeli kacang di pasar can mean past, present, or future depending on context. Add time/aspect words:
- Completed: Saya sudah membeli kacang di pasar.
- Earlier today/just now: Tadi saya membeli/beli kacang di pasar.
- In progress (right now): Saya sedang membeli kacang di pasar. (colloquial: Saya lagi beli kacang di pasar.)
- Future: Saya akan membeli kacang di pasar besok.
Is the pronoun saya necessary? Can I use aku or gue?
- saya = polite/formal “I,” safe in most situations.
- aku = casual/intimate “I,” with friends/family.
- gue/gua = very informal Jakarta slang. You can drop the pronoun if context is clear (especially in conversation), but the sentence may become ambiguous. Note: Beli kacang di pasar can also sound like an imperative (“Buy peanuts at the market”).
Why membeli and not just beli? Are both correct?
Both are correct. membeli is more formal/neutral and common in writing; beli is very common in everyday speech. So:
- Formal/neutral: Saya membeli kacang di pasar.
- Conversational: Saya beli kacang di pasar.
How is membeli formed from the root beli?
It’s the meN- verb prefix. The prefix assimilates to the first sound of the root:
- b → mem: beli → membeli
- p drops, mem- remains: pakai → memakai
- t drops, men- remains: tulis → menulis
- s drops, meny- remains: sapu → menyapu
- k drops, meng- remains: kirim → mengirim
- Vowel-initial takes meng-: ambil → mengambil
- c/j/d keep their letter with men-: cari → mencari, jaga → menjaga, dengar → mendengar
What exactly does kacang mean here?
kacang is a broad word for legumes/nuts. In everyday market contexts, unqualified kacang often means “peanuts.” If you want to be explicit, say kacang tanah (peanuts).
How can I be more specific about the type of “nut/bean”?
Use a descriptor after kacang:
- Peanuts: kacang tanah
- Cashews: kacang mete
- Mung beans: kacang hijau (There are many others, e.g., kacang almond, kacang panjang, etc.)
How do I show quantity or make it plural?
Indonesian doesn’t mark plural on nouns. Use numbers, quantifiers, or measure words:
- A kilo of peanuts: sekilo kacang
- A pack/bag of peanuts: sebungkus/seplastik kacang
- Some peanuts: beberapa kacang
- Many peanuts: banyak kacang
What’s the difference between di pasar, ke pasar, and dari pasar?
- di pasar = at/in the market (location)
- ke pasar = to the market (destination)
- dari pasar = from the market (origin) Examples:
- Saya membeli kacang di pasar.
- Saya pergi ke pasar untuk membeli kacang.
- Saya pulang dari pasar.
Can I move di pasar to another position?
Yes. Prepositional phrases are flexible:
- Neutral: Saya membeli kacang di pasar.
- Fronted for emphasis/context: Di pasar, saya membeli kacang. You can also front the object (see next Q on passive/object voice): Kacang saya beli di pasar.
How do I say this in passive or with the object fronted?
Two common ways:
- Passive with di-: Kacang dibeli (oleh) saya di pasar. (formal/literary; oleh “by” is optional)
- Object-fronting (very natural): Kacang (itu) saya beli di pasar. ≈ “The peanuts I bought at the market.”
Why is di separate in di pasar, but attached in words like dibeli?
- di as a preposition (location) is written separately: di pasar, di rumah.
- di- as a passive prefix attaches to a verb: dibeli, ditulis. Avoid writing the passive as two words (e.g., not di beli).
How do I say “I didn’t buy peanuts at the market”?
- Verb negation: Saya tidak membeli/beli kacang di pasar. To correct the place (“not at the market, but …”):
- Saya membeli kacang bukan di pasar, tetapi di toko.
How do I pronounce the words?
- Saya: SA-ya (open vowels; y as in “yes”)
- membeli: mem-buh-LEE (the first e is a schwa)
- kacang: KA-chang (c = “ch”, ng = “ng” in “sing”)
- di: dee
- pasar: PA-sar (r lightly tapped) Stress is light, usually on the second-to-last syllable.
How do I say it as a habitual action (e.g., usually/often)?
Add frequency words:
- Saya biasanya membeli kacang di pasar. (I usually buy…)
- Saya sering membeli kacang di pasar. (I often buy…)
- Setiap minggu saya membeli kacang di pasar. (Every week…)
How do I say “Buy me peanuts at the market” or “buy peanuts for me”?
Use the benefactive suffix -kan:
- Imperative/polite: Tolong belikan saya kacang di pasar.
- Statement: Saya membelikan ibu kacang di pasar. (I bought peanuts for my mother.)