Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Di ruang tamu, saya menggunakan gunting untuk membuka paket. - In the living room, I use scissors to open a package.

di is a preposition meaning in/at/on. As a preposition, it is written with a space: di ruang tamu. The bound prefix di- forms the passive voice and attaches directly to verbs with no space, e.g., dibuka (is/was opened). So:

di ruang tamu = in the living room
dibuka = opened (passive)

Why is there no the or a before ruang tamu or paket?

Indonesian has no articles. Specificity comes from context or add-ons:

To say the living room: ruang tamu itu or ruang tamu rumah saya; to say the package: paket itu or paketnya.
To emphasize a single item: sebuah paket; for rooms, sebuah ruang tamu is grammatical but often omitted unless counting.

Is ruang tamu exactly living room? How about ruang keluarga or kamar tamu?

ruang tamu is the front room for receiving guests; it’s the usual translation of living room in Indonesian homes. ruang keluarga is family room/den, used more for the household’s own activities. kamar tamu is a guest bedroom, not a living room.

Why does the sentence start with Di ruang tamu and a comma? Can I move that part?

Fronting Di ruang tamu sets the scene first. It’s stylistic; meaning doesn’t change. You can also say:

Saya menggunakan gunting untuk membuka paket di ruang tamu. A comma after a fronted adverbial like Di ruang tamu is common in writing but often dropped in casual text.

What’s the difference between saya, aku, kamu, Anda, gue?

saya: neutral/polite, safe in most situations.
aku: informal/intimate with friends/family.
kamu: you (informal/neutral with peers).
Anda: formal you in writing or customer-facing speech; capitalized.
gue/gw/gua: very informal Jakarta slang; use only with people who also speak that way.

menggunakan vs memakai vs pakai — which should I use?

All mean use, but register differs:

menggunakan: more formal/neutral, common in writing.
memakai and its colloquial base pakai: everyday speech. Example: Saya pakai gunting... Meaning is the same here; choose based on formality.

Could I say dengan gunting instead of menggunakan gunting?

Yes. dengan marks the instrument:

Saya membuka paket dengan gunting. This is as natural as Saya menggunakan gunting untuk membuka paket. The first focuses a bit more on the tool; the second on the act of using.

Is gunting singular or plural? How do I say a pair of scissors or one scissor?

Indonesian nouns don’t change for number, so gunting can mean scissors or a pair of scissors. Common ways to specify:

one pair/scissors: sebuah gunting or satu (buah) gunting
many scissors: banyak gunting or beberapa gunting You’ll also hear sepasang gunting, but most speakers just say sebuah/satu gunting.

Why is it untuk membuka and not untuk buka? Is there an infinitive in Indonesian?

Indonesian has no separate infinitive. Purpose is expressed with untuk + verb. After untuk, both the base verb and the me- verb occur:

more standard: untuk membuka
casual: untuk buka Both are understood; the me- form is a bit more formal.

How do I show past, present, or ongoing time here?

Indonesian verbs don’t inflect for tense. Add time/aspect words:

past: tadi (earlier), kemarin (yesterday) — Tadi saya menggunakan...
ongoing: sedang — Saya sedang menggunakan...
future: akan — Saya akan menggunakan... You can also rely on context without any marker.

Is there a natural passive or object-fronted version of this sentence?

Yes. Common alternatives:

Object fronting: Paket itu saya buka di ruang tamu (pakai gunting).
Passive: Paketnya dibuka di ruang tamu (dengan gunting). Adding oleh saya is possible but usually omitted in speech.

untuk vs agar/supaya vs buat — what’s the difference?

untuk
- verb/noun = for/to (purpose): untuk membuka.
agar/supaya
- clause = so that/in order that: agar paket itu terbuka. agar is more formal than supaya.
buat: informal colloquial alternative to untuk before verbs/nouns: buat buka paket.

di vs di dalam — which should I use?

di is enough for at/in. di dalam emphasizes being inside an enclosed space. Both work, but di ruang tamu is the default; di dalam ruang tamu sounds a bit more emphatic or contrastive.

Does paket always mean a mailed parcel? What about bungkusan or bingkisan?

paket: a shipped parcel or a bundled offering (phone data package, tour package).
bungkusan: any wrapped item or bundle; neutral.
bingkisan/parsel: a gift parcel/hamper. In your sentence, paket suggests a parcel you received.

Any quick pronunciation tips for these words?

saya: sah-yah
ruang: roo-ahng (ng as in sing)
tamu: tah-moo
menggunakan: meng-goo-nah-kan (ng as in sing; g always hard)
gunting: goon-ting (final ng as in sing)
membuka: mem-boo-kah
paket: pah-ket (e like bed)