Saya menonton konser di televisi tadi malam.

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Breakdown of Saya menonton konser di televisi tadi malam.

• saya: I
• televisi: the television
• menonton: to watch

Questions & Answers about Saya menonton konser di televisi tadi malam.

Why do we need Saya? Can it be left out like in some other languages?

Indonesian often can drop the subject when it’s clear from context, especially in casual speech or in a continuing conversation.

• Saya menonton konser di televisi tadi malam.
  = I watched a concert on TV last night. (full, neutral)

In conversation, if it’s already clear that you’re talking about yourself, people might just say:

• Menonton konser di televisi tadi malam.
  (literally: “Watched a concert on TV last night.” – subject implied)

However:

• In writing, teaching materials, or when starting a new topic, keeping Saya is more natural and clearer.
• Dropping Saya can sound very informal or fragment-like if there’s no context.

So Saya is not grammatically required, but it’s perfectly natural and safe to keep it.

What’s the difference between menonton and nonton?

Menonton is the standard / formal form.
Nonton is the colloquial / spoken shortened form.

• Saya menonton konser di televisi tadi malam.
  → standard, neutral (good for writing, formal speech)

• Aku nonton konser di TV tadi malam.
  → informal, everyday spoken Indonesian

They mean the same thing (to watch, usually for shows, films, concerts, TV). For learners, it’s good to:

• Use menonton in writing and formal situations.
• Expect to hear nonton very frequently in speech.

How is the past tense shown? There is no verb change like “watch” → “watched”.