Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Pedagang di pasar menjual kerupuk renyah. - The vendor at the market sells crispy crackers.

Indonesian has no articles. Pedagang di pasar can mean a specific vendor, a vendor in general, or vendors in general, depending on context.
To say “a vendor,” add a numeral classifier: Seorang pedagang di pasar…
To say “the vendor (at that market),” add a demonstrative: Pedagang di pasar itu…
For plural “the vendors,” you can say Para pedagang di pasar…

Does di pasar mean “at the market” or “in the market”? When do I use di vs ke?

di = static location (“at/in/on”): di pasar = at/in the market.
ke = movement “to”: ke pasar = to the market.
pada is used more with abstract objects or pronouns (e.g., padanya) and not for physical locations like markets.

Is di here the same as the passive prefix di- (as in dijual)?

No. In di pasar, di is a preposition and is written separately from the noun.
The passive prefix di- attaches to verbs and is written together, e.g., dijual (“is/are sold”). Writing di jual would be incorrect.

Why is it kerupuk renyah and not “renyah kerupuk”? Where does yang fit?

In Indonesian, adjectives normally follow the noun: kerupuk renyah (“crispy crackers”).
You can also use yang: kerupuk yang renyah. This often sounds a bit more specific/restrictive (“the crackers that are crispy”), while the bare kerupuk renyah can feel more general or descriptive.

How do I show tense or aspect? Is this present, past, or habitual?

Indonesian verbs don’t change for tense. Menjual can be present, past, or habitual.
Add time/aspect markers if needed:
- Progressive: sedang or colloquial lagi → sedang menjual, lagi jualan
- Completed: sudah / telah → sudah menjual
- Future: akan → akan menjual
- Time words: kemarin, tadi, besok, etc.

What’s the difference between menjual, berjualan, jualan, menjualkan, and menjajakan?

menjual: to sell (active transitive) → menjual kerupuk
berjualan: to be in the business/activity of selling (intransitive) → berjualan di pasar
jualan: noun “goods for sale”; in colloquial speech can act as a verb (“to sell”) → Dia jualan kerupuk.
menjualkan: to sell something for/on behalf of someone → menjualkan barang temannya
menjajakan: to peddle/hawk (often moving around) → menjajakan dagangan

Where do menjual and pedagang come from morphologically?

menjual = meN- (active verb prefix) + root jual. The nasal assimilates before j, giving menjual (not “mejual”).
pedagang = agentive pe-
- dagang (“trade”), meaning “trader/merchant.” Related forms: perdagangan (“trade,” noun).

How would I say this in the passive voice?

Kerupuk renyah dijual (oleh) pedagang di pasar.
You can omit oleh in many contexts. If the agent isn’t important: Kerupuk renyah dijual di pasar.

In this sentence, does di pasar describe the vendor or the place of selling?

As written, Pedagang di pasar… most naturally reads as “the vendor(s) in/at the market” (the prepositional phrase modifies the noun).
If you want the place to modify the verb, move it: Pedagang menjual kerupuk renyah di pasar (“The vendor sells crispy crackers at the market”).

Is pedagang the same as penjual?

Both can mean “seller,” but:
- pedagang = merchant/trader (profession-leaning): pedagang pasar, pedagang kaki lima (street vendor).
- penjual = seller (agent of selling), often used in contrasts like penjual vs pembeli (seller vs buyer).
Either can fit here, but pedagang is very natural for a market vendor.

Do I need a classifier or measure word for kerupuk?

Not necessarily. Kerupuk can be mass or plural by context.
To count pieces, common choices depend on shape:
- keping or lembar: tiga keping/selembar kerupuk
For packages/servings: sebungkus kerupuk, sepiring kerupuk

How do I make things explicitly plural?

For people: para pedagang (“the vendors”).
Reduplication is also possible for emphasis: pedagang-pedagang, though para pedagang is more natural/formal.
For kerupuk, the base form often already implies plural. Kerupuk-kerupuk is rare and usually stylistic/emphatic.

How do I make the reference specific, like “that market” or “those crispy crackers”?

Add demonstratives: pasar itu (“that/the market”), kerupuk renyah itu (“those/the crispy crackers”).
Another way for “the crackers are crispy” (predicate): Kerupuknya renyah (here -nya is “the/its/their” depending on context).

How do I negate this properly?

Verb negation: tidak → Pedagang di pasar tidak menjual kerupuk renyah. (“does not sell”)
Noun/identity negation: bukan → Dia bukan pedagang di pasar. (“is not a vendor at the market”)
Adjective negation: tidak → Kerupuknya tidak renyah.

Are there useful synonyms or near-synonyms for renyah?

Is kerupuk the same as keripik? And what about the spelling krupuk?

kerupuk = Indonesian crackers (often puffy, made from tapioca flour, etc.).
keripik = chips (thin slices, e.g., keripik singkong).
krupuk is an older or regional spelling; kerupuk is the standard modern Indonesian form.