Saya mencari informasi di internet.

I look for information on the internet.

Breakdown of Saya mencari informasi di internet.

• saya: I
• di: on
• internet: the internet
• mencari: to look for
• informasi: the information

Questions & Answers about Saya mencari informasi di internet.

Why is there no word for “for” in “mencari informasi”, even though English says “look for information”?

In Indonesian, the verb mencari already includes the idea of “looking for” something.

• mencari informasi = to look for information / to search for information
  You don’t say ✗ mencari untuk informasi; adding untuk here is ungrammatical. The object of the search (what you’re looking for) just comes directly after mencari.

What is the base form of mencari, and what does the prefix meN- do?

The base verb is cari (to look for, to search).
The prefix meN- makes it into an active verb: mencari. Roughly:

• cari – root, often used in casual speech
• mencari – standard/neutral active form
  So:
• Saya mencari informasi – standard, neutral
• Saya cari informasi – more casual, common in everyday conversation

Can I say “Saya cari informasi di internet” instead of “Saya mencari …”?

Yes. Saya cari informasi di internet is very natural in spoken Indonesian and informal writing (chats, texts).
Difference in feel:

• Saya mencari informasi di internet. – neutral, a bit more complete/formal.
• Saya cari informasi di internet. – informal, conversational.
  Both mean the same thing.

How do I show tense in this sentence (past, present, future)?

Indonesian doesn’t change the verb for tense. Saya mencari informasi di internet can mean:

• I look for information on the internet (habit)
• I am looking for information on the internet (now)
• I looked for information on the internet (past, from context)

To be explicit, you add time words:

• Tadi saya mencari informasi di internet. – I looked for information earlier.
• Sekarang saya sedang mencari informasi di internet. – I am (currently) looking for information.
• Besok saya akan mencari informasi di internet. – I will look for information tomorrow.

What does sedang do if I say “Saya sedang mencari informasi di internet”?

Sedang marks an action that is in progress (like English “am/is/are _-ing”).

• Saya mencari informasi di internet. – could be general or present, depending on context.
• Saya sedang mencari informasi di internet. – clearly “I am currently looking for information on the internet.”
  Sedang is optional; it’s used when you want to emphasize that the action is happening right now.

What’s the difference between Saya and Aku? Could I say Aku mencari informasi di internet?

Yes, Aku mencari informasi di internet is grammatically correct. The difference is formality and context:

• Saya – polite, neutral; used with strangers, in formal situations, in writing.
• Aku – informal, intimate; used with close friends, family, in very casual contexts.
  In doubt, use saya; it’s safe almost everywhere.

Can I drop “Saya” and just say “Mencari informasi di internet”?

Yes, in context you often drop the subject:

• (Saya) mencari informasi di internet. – if it’s already clear you’re talking about yourself.

Indonesian frequently omits pronouns when the subject is obvious. However, in a stand-alone sentence (no context), Saya mencari… is clearer.

Is “informasi” singular or plural? How do I say “informations”?

Informasi is like “information” in English: it’s uncountable and doesn’t change form for plural.

• informasi – information / pieces of information

If you want to emphasize plurality, you add another word:

• banyak informasi – a lot of information
• berbagai informasi – various information
  There is no ✗ informasis or ✗ informasi-informasi in normal usage.

Why do we use di with internet? In English it’s “on the internet,” not “in the internet.”

Indonesian di covers English “in, on, at” depending on context. So:

• di internet – on the internet / online
• di rumah – at home
• di meja – on the table

You simply memorize common combinations. For internet, you say di internet, even though English uses on.

Should “internet” be capitalized in Indonesian? And is “di internet” the only way to say “online”?

In current Indonesian, internet is usually written with a small i: internet.
Common ways to express “online”:

• di internet – on the internet
• secara online – online (adverbial)
• di situs ini / di website ini – on this site / website

Di internet is widely used and perfectly natural.

Can the word order change, like “Saya mencari di internet informasi”?

No, that word order is unnatural. The normal pattern is:
Subject – Verb – Object – Place/Time

• Saya (subject) mencari (verb) informasi (object) di internet (place)

If you move informasi, it sounds wrong or very marked. You can front the place expression for emphasis:

• Di internet, saya mencari informasi. – “On the internet, I look for information.” (emphasis on di internet)

Is this sentence formal, informal, or neutral?

Saya mencari informasi di internet. is neutral. It fits:

• spoken Indonesian (normal politeness)
• formal writing (emails, reports)
• semi-formal situations

A more informal version could be:

• Saya cari info di internet.
  
  • info instead of informasi
  • cari instead of mencari

How would I make this sentence passive, like “The information is being looked for on the internet (by me)”?

You can make it passive by promoting informasi to the subject:

• Informasi itu saya cari di internet. – That information I look for on the internet.
• Informasi itu dicari di internet (oleh saya). – The information is looked for on the internet (by me).

Notes:

• oleh saya is usually omitted unless you need to stress the agent.
• Informasi saya cari di internet is a common, natural passive-like structure (no prefix on cari, subject informasi in front).

How do I pronounce “mencari informasi di internet” naturally?

Rough guide (stress usually near the end of each word):

• mencari – /mən-CHA-ree/ (the e is like the a in about)
• informasi – /in-for-MA-see/
• internet – /in-ter-NET/

The phrase flows as:
sa-ya mən-CHA-ree in-for-MA-see di in-ter-NET
Consonants are pronounced clearly; vowels are short and pure (no diphthongs like in English).