Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Saya takut pergi ke dokter gigi.

Saya is the standard, polite word for I. It’s neutral and safe in almost any situation, especially with people you don’t know well, in formal situations, or in writing.
Aku is more informal/intimate and is used with close friends, family, or children.

So Saya takut pergi ke dokter gigi sounds polite/neutral; Aku takut pergi ke dokter gigi sounds more casual or intimate.

Where is the verb am in “I am afraid”? Why is there no word for am?

Indonesian usually doesn’t use a verb like am/is/are before adjectives.
Takut is an adjective meaning afraid, and it can directly function as the predicate:

Saya takut = I am afraid
Dia lapar = He/She is hungry
Mereka sibuk = They are busy

So Saya takut already means I am afraid; you don’t add a separate “am”.

Is takut an adjective or a verb? How else can it be used?

In this sentence, takut is an adjective meaning afraid. It can also behave somewhat like a verb in some patterns, but grammatically it’s usually treated as a stative adjective.

Other related forms:

menakutkan = frightening, scary (active/causative form)
- Film itu menakutkan. = That movie is frightening.
ketakutan = (in a state of) being very afraid / panicking
- Dia lari ketakutan. = He/She ran away in fear.

But in Saya takut pergi ke dokter gigi, takut = afraid.

Why do we say takut pergi ke dokter gigi instead of takut dokter gigi?

Takut pergi ke dokter gigi means afraid to go to the dentist (afraid of the action of going there).
If you say Saya takut dokter gigi, it sounds more like I’m afraid of the dentist (as a person), and even that is a bit incomplete and less natural in Indonesian.

For afraid of the dentist (the person), a more natural phrase is:

Saya takut pada dokter gigi.

The pergi ke part makes it clear you’re afraid of going there, not just the person.

Can I drop pergi and just say Saya takut ke dokter gigi?

You might hear Saya takut ke dokter gigi in casual speech, and people will understand you, but it’s slightly less complete/standard.

Saya takut pergi ke dokter gigi is clearer and more standard.
Without pergi, takut ke dokter gigi can sound a bit like afraid (about going) to the dentist, relying on context.

For learners, it’s better to keep pergi: Saya takut pergi ke dokter gigi.

Why is it ke and not di or kepada?

ke = to (a destination / direction)
- pergi ke dokter gigi = go to the dentist (as a place/person you visit)
di = at / in / on (location)
- di dokter gigi would mean at the dentist’s (place) and sounds incomplete without more context.
kepada = to (toward a person, more like to someone)
- bercerita kepada dokter gigi = tell a story to the dentist.

In pergi ke dokter gigi, ke is used because you are going to that destination.

Why is dokter gigi two words? Isn’t there just one word for dentist?

Indonesian often forms specialist titles as dokter + field:

dokter gigi = dentist (literally: tooth doctor)
dokter kulit = dermatologist (skin doctor)
dokter mata = eye doctor

So dokter gigi is a two-word phrase meaning dentist. It’s treated as a unit, like a compound noun.

Is dokter gigi the place (clinic) or the person?

In pergi ke dokter gigi, it can mean either:

going to the dentist’s clinic (place), or
going to see the dentist (person).

Indonesian often uses the profession/title to imply both the person and their workplace.
If you need to be explicit about the place, you could say klinik dokter gigi (dental clinic) or praktek dokter gigi (dentist’s practice).

How do I add tense? How do I say “I was afraid” or “I will be afraid”?

Indonesian doesn’t change the verb/adjective for tense. You add time words instead.

Saya takut pergi ke dokter gigi kemarin.
= I was afraid to go to the dentist yesterday.
Besok saya takut pergi ke dokter gigi.
(more naturally) Besok saya tidak berani pergi ke dokter gigi.
= Tomorrow I will be afraid to go to the dentist / I won’t dare to go.

Often people express future fear with tidak berani (don’t dare) or with a future marker:

Saya akan takut pergi ke dokter gigi. (grammatically OK, but less common in everyday speech)

Can I omit Saya and just say Takut pergi ke dokter gigi?

Yes, in the right context you can drop Saya.
If it’s already clear that you are talking about yourself, Takut pergi ke dokter gigi would be understood as (I’m) afraid to go to the dentist.

Indonesian often omits pronouns when context makes them obvious. For learners, keeping Saya is safer until you’re comfortable with context-based omission.

Is the word order fixed? Could I say Saya pergi ke dokter gigi takut?

No, Saya pergi ke dokter gigi takut is not natural and sounds wrong.

The usual pattern here is:

Subject + adjective + verb phrase
→ Saya takut pergi ke dokter gigi.

Or:

Subject + verb phrase + adjective is NOT used in this case.

So keep takut right after Saya: Saya takut pergi ke dokter gigi.

How do I ask “Are you afraid to go to the dentist?” in Indonesian?

You can say:

Apakah kamu takut pergi ke dokter gigi? (neutral)
Kamu takut pergi ke dokter gigi? (more casual, common in speech)
Apakah Anda takut pergi ke dokter gigi? (polite/formal “you”)

Apakah is a question marker often used in more formal or clear learner-style sentences, but in everyday speech people often just use rising intonation.

What’s the difference between takut pada dokter gigi and takut pergi ke dokter gigi?

Saya takut pada dokter gigi.
= I’m afraid of the dentist (the person).
Saya takut pergi ke dokter gigi.
= I’m afraid to go to the dentist (the action of going).

Takut pada X usually means afraid of X (as an object/person).
Takut + verb (like takut pergi) means afraid to do (that action).