Kami jalan kaki ke perpustakaan.

We walk to the library.

Breakdown of Kami jalan kaki ke perpustakaan.

• kami: we
• ke: to
• perpustakaan: the library
• jalan kaki: to walk

Questions & Answers about Kami jalan kaki ke perpustakaan.

What is the difference between kami and kita, and why is kami used here?

Indonesian has two words for we:

• kami = we (but NOT including the person we’re talking to) → “we (not you)”
• kita = we (INCLUDING the person we’re talking to) → “you and I / you and we”

In Kami jalan kaki ke perpustakaan, the speaker means “we are going to the library on foot, but you are not part of this group.” That’s why kami is used, not kita.

If the listener is included, you would say:

• Kita jalan kaki ke perpustakaan. = “We (you and I) walk to the library.”

What does jalan kaki literally mean, and why is kaki needed?

Literally:

• jalan = walk / go
• kaki = foot

So jalan kaki literally means “to walk by foot”. Indonesian often specifies the means of transportation:

• jalan kaki = go on foot
• naik bus = go by bus
• naik motor = go by motorcycle
• naik mobil = go by car

You could say just jalan in some contexts (“to walk”), but jalan kaki makes it very clear that you are going on foot (as opposed to by vehicle).

What is the difference between jalan, jalan kaki, and berjalan kaki?

• jalan

  • Verb: to walk / to go
  • Noun: road, street
  • Example (verb): Saya jalan ke rumah dia. = I walk / go to his house.

• jalan kaki

  • Fixed phrase: to walk on foot
  • Very common in everyday speech.
  • Kami jalan kaki ke perpustakaan. is perfectly natural.

• berjalan kaki

  • More “complete” verb with prefix ber-, a bit more formal or careful.
  • Kami berjalan kaki ke perpustakaan. is also correct, sounds slightly more formal or written.

In casual conversation, jalan kaki is more common than berjalan kaki.

Could the sentence be just Kami jalan ke perpustakaan without kaki? Would it mean the same?

Kami jalan ke perpustakaan is understandable, but:

• It might be heard as simply “We go to the library” (with less focus on the fact that it’s on foot).
• In many contexts, people will still interpret jalan as walking, but it’s less explicit.

If you want to clearly say “on foot”, it’s better to keep kaki:

• Kami jalan kaki ke perpustakaan. = We go to the library on foot.

What does perpustakaan mean exactly, and is it always “library”?

Perpustakaan means library, a place where books (and sometimes other media) are kept, borrowed, or read.

Word formation:

• pustaka = book / literature (a bit formal/old-fashioned as a standalone word)
• per- … -an = a common prefix–suffix pattern that often means “place related to X”
• So: per + pustaka + an = perpustakaan = “place of books” → library.

It is used for both:

• school library (perpustakaan sekolah)
• public library (perpustakaan umum)

There isn’t a shorter everyday word for “library”; perpustakaan is the standard term.

Does perpustakaan mean “a library” or “the library”? How do you say a/the in Indonesian?

Indonesian usually does not use articles like a or the. The noun perpustakaan by itself can mean:

• a library
• the library

Which one it is depends on context. If earlier in the conversation you were already talking about a specific library, then the listener will understand it as “the library”.

If you really need to specify:

• sebuah perpustakaan = a library (one library; “a certain library”)
• perpustakaan itu = that/the library (the one already known or pointed at)

Why is the preposition ke used, and what’s the difference between ke, di, and dari?

In this sentence:

• ke means to, indicating direction or destination.

Basic contrasts:

• ke = to (movement toward something)
  
  • Kami jalan kaki ke perpustakaan. = We walk to the library.
• di = at / in / on (location, no movement)
  
  • Kami di perpustakaan. = We are at the library.
• dari = from (origin)
  
  • Kami datang dari perpustakaan. = We came from the library.

So ke is correct because the sentence is about going to a place.

Can I change the word order, like Kami ke perpustakaan jalan kaki? Is that correct?

Kami ke perpustakaan jalan kaki is understandable and can occur in speech, but it sounds a bit less standard and can feel slightly “reordered” for emphasis.

Most natural and neutral:

• Kami jalan kaki ke perpustakaan.

Other acceptable variations (especially in spoken Indonesian):

• Kami ke perpustakaan dengan jalan kaki. (more explicit, a bit more formal: “We go to the library by walking.”)

For learners, it’s best to stick with:

• Subject – Verb/Verb phrase – ke + place
  → Kami jalan kaki ke perpustakaan.

Can I drop the pronoun kami and just say Jalan kaki ke perpustakaan?

Yes. Indonesian often drops the subject pronoun when it is clear from context.

• Jalan kaki ke perpustakaan. could mean “(We/They/I) walk to the library,” depending on context.

However, if you want to be clear in an isolated sentence (like in exercises or when the listener may not know who the subject is), it’s better to keep kami:

• Kami jalan kaki ke perpustakaan.

How do I make this sentence clearly past, present, or future, since there is no tense?

Indonesian verbs do not change form for past, present, or future. You add time words instead.

Base sentence:

• Kami jalan kaki ke perpustakaan.
  Context decides the time.

To mark time explicitly:

• Past:

  • Tadi kami jalan kaki ke perpustakaan. = We walked to the library earlier.
  • Kemarin kami jalan kaki ke perpustakaan. = Yesterday we walked to the library.

• Present (right now):

  • Sekarang kami jalan kaki ke perpustakaan. = Right now we are walking to the library.
    (Often context alone is enough.)

• Future:

  • Nanti kami akan jalan kaki ke perpustakaan. = Later we will walk to the library.
  • Besok kami akan jalan kaki ke perpustakaan. = Tomorrow we will walk to the library.

akan is a marker for future, but is often optional if the time word is clear.

Is this sentence formal or informal? Would I say it to a teacher or in writing?

Kami jalan kaki ke perpustakaan. is neutral and conversational. It’s fine:

• In everyday speech, with friends or family.
• In polite conversation, even with a teacher, especially if the rest of your tone is polite.

For very formal writing (e.g., reports, official letters), you might use more “complete” forms:

• Kami berjalan kaki ke perpustakaan.

But in spoken Indonesian, your original sentence is completely acceptable.

What is the difference between jalan kaki and jalan-jalan?

These are quite different:

• jalan kaki = to walk on foot (as a means of going somewhere)

  • Kami jalan kaki ke perpustakaan. = We walk to the library.

• jalan-jalan = to stroll / go out for a walk / go out (for leisure, sightseeing, hanging out)

  • Kami jalan-jalan di mal. = We hang out / stroll around at the mall.
  • Ayo kita jalan-jalan. = Let’s go out for a walk / go out somewhere.

So jalan kaki focuses on how you travel (on foot), while jalan-jalan focuses on leisure activity (going out / strolling around).

Could I say Kita jalan kaki ke perpustakaan instead? How would that change the meaning?

Yes, grammatically it’s correct, but the meaning changes regarding who is included:

• Kami jalan kaki ke perpustakaan.
  = We walk to the library (but you are not included).

• Kita jalan kaki ke perpustakaan.
  = We walk to the library (you and I / you and we together).

Use:

• kami when you exclude the listener.
• kita when you include the listener.