Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Saya melihat sekilas siaran langsung pertandingan di kafe. - I catch a glimpse of the live broadcast of the match at the cafe.

Yes. Menonton means “to watch” (TV, broadcasts, shows) and is often more natural for broadcasts. Melihat sekilas emphasizes that you only “caught a glimpse.” Options:

Natural for watching: Saya menonton siaran langsung pertandingan di kafe.
Emphasizing briefness: Saya hanya menonton sebentar… or Saya melihat sekilas…
More formal/literary: Saya menyaksikan…

What exactly does sekilas mean? How is it different from sebentar or sejenak?

Sekilas = “at a glance,” “briefly (with a quick look).” Visual, fleeting.
Sebentar = “for a short time.” Time-focused, not necessarily visual.
Sejenak = “for a moment.” Slightly more literary/formal than sebentar. So for “I caught a glimpse,” sekilas is perfect; for “I watched for a short while,” use sebentar.

Where can I put sekilas in the sentence?

Common, natural placements:

Saya melihat sekilas siaran langsung…
Saya sekilas melihat siaran langsung…
Sekilas, saya melihat siaran langsung… (fronted for emphasis) Avoid putting sekilas after the long object; …pertandingan sekilas sounds odd.

Does di kafe mean the broadcast was at the café or that I was in the café when I watched it?

By default, di kafe here is understood as your location when watching. To be crystal clear:

Your location: Di kafe, saya melihat…
Broadcast originated from the café: …siaran langsung dari kafe.
The match physically took place at the café: …pertandingan yang berlangsung/diadakan di kafe.

Why siaran langsung pertandingan and not pertandingan siaran langsung?

Indonesian tends to put the head noun first:

Siaran langsung = “live broadcast” (fixed collocation)
Siaran langsung pertandingan = “live broadcast of the match” Pertandingan siaran langsung would read as “a match that is a live broadcast,” which is odd.

How do I say “live match” (as in the match itself is live, not the broadcast)?

On TV guides, pertandingan langsung can mean a match shown live.
To say you attended it in person: menonton pertandingan secara langsung (di stadion).
To say “a live broadcast of the match”: siaran langsung pertandingan.

How can I make it definite, like “the live broadcast of the match”?

Use itu or -nya:

siaran langsung pertandingan itu
siaran langsung pertandingannya Both imply a specific, known match; -nya often feels slightly tighter/more colloquial.

Do I need sebuah before kafe to mean “a café”?

No. Indonesian doesn’t require articles. Di kafe is fine and natural. Add sebuah only if you really need to stress “one (single) café”: di sebuah kafe.

What tense is melihat? How do I show it’s past?

Indonesian doesn’t mark tense on the verb. Use time words:

Just now: barusan / tadi → Tadi saya melihat sekilas…
Yesterday: kemarin → Kemarin saya… Context usually makes it clear.

Is Saya the best pronoun here? Can I use Aku or drop it?

Saya = neutral/formal and always safe.
Aku = informal/intimate.
In casual speech, subject pronouns can be dropped if context is clear: (Tadi) melihat sekilas siaran langsung… But keep Saya in careful/clear writing.

Is the spacing in di kafe correct? I’ve seen di- attached to words.

Yes. Di as a preposition (location) is written separately: di kafe. The attached form di- is the passive prefix on verbs (e.g., ditonton = “was watched”).

Are there synonyms for siaran langsung?

Siaran langsung = standard “live broadcast.”
Tayangan langsung = also common in media (“live telecast”).
Liputan langsung = “live coverage,” often for news/events.

Is pertandingan the right word? What about permainan or lomba?

Pertandingan = “match/game” (competitive sports), best here.
Permainan = “game/play” (the activity itself, not necessarily competitive).
Lomba = “contest/competition” (often one-off events, festivals, school contests).

Can you give a couple of natural rephrasings (neutral vs casual)?

Neutral: Tadi di kafe, saya menonton sebentar siaran langsung pertandingan.
Casual: Tadi di kafe, aku cuma sempat nonton bentar siaran langsung pertandingan.
Emphasizing the glimpse: Di kafe, saya melihat sekilas siaran langsung pertandingan.