Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Kami berlatih dialog singkat di perpustakaan. - We practice a short dialogue in the library.

kami = we (excluding the person spoken to)
→ The speaker’s group does something, but the listener is not part of that group.
kita = we (including the person spoken to)
→ The speaker’s group and the listener are all included.

In Kami berlatih dialog singkat di perpustakaan, the sentence implies that the speaker and their group are practicing, but the listener is not part of that group. That’s why kami is used. If the speaker wanted to include the listener (e.g., talking to a classmate who will also practice), they would say:

Kita berlatih dialog singkat di perpustakaan.
= We (you and I) practice a short dialogue in the library.

How is berlatih different from just latih or latihan?

The root is latih (to train).

berlatih (ber- + latih) → an intransitive verb, meaning to practice or to train (oneself).
- Kami berlatih. = We practice.
melatih (me- + latih) → a transitive verb, meaning to train (someone/something).
- Pelatih melatih kami. = The coach trains us.
latihan → a noun, meaning practice, exercise, training.
- Kami punya latihan setiap hari. = We have practice every day.

In the sentence, berlatih is correct because kami is doing the practicing. The sentence focuses on the activity done by the subject, not on someone training someone else.

Why is it dialog singkat and not singkat dialog? What is the word order for adjectives?

In Indonesian, adjectives normally come after the noun they describe.

dialog singkat = short dialogue
- dialog = dialogue
- singkat = short

So:

dialog singkat (noun + adjective) = short dialogue
buku baru = new book
pelajaran sulit = difficult lesson

Singkat dialog is not correct for short dialogue; it sounds ungrammatical because it breaks the usual noun + adjective order.

Is dialog an Indonesian word, or just English borrowed directly?

Dialog in Indonesian is a borrowed word (from European languages), but it is fully accepted and very common.

Spelling: dialog (one g at the end), not dialogue.
Meaning: a conversation or dialogue, often in exercises, scripts, or plays.

You’ll also see:

percakapan = conversation (more general, everyday word)

So you could say:

Kami berlatih dialog singkat di perpustakaan.
Kami berlatih percakapan singkat di perpustakaan.

Both are acceptable, but dialog often feels a bit more like a scripted or class dialogue.

What does di mean here, and how is it used with places like perpustakaan?

Di is a preposition that usually means at / in / on (location). It is always written separately from the noun.

di perpustakaan = at the library / in the library
- di = at / in
- perpustakaan = library

Other examples:

di rumah = at home
di sekolah = at school
di kantor = at the office

Be careful not to confuse preposition di with the prefix di- used in passive verbs (e.g. ditulis = is written). In location phrases like di perpustakaan, it’s always a separate word.

Why doesn’t the sentence say the library or a library? How do articles work in Indonesian?

Indonesian does not have articles like English a/an or the. The noun perpustakaan by itself can mean:

a library
the library

The exact meaning depends on context.

If you really want to specify:

perpustakaan itu = that library / the library (that we both know)
sebuah perpustakaan = a library (emphasizing “one library”)

But normally, Kami berlatih dialog singkat di perpustakaan is understood as We practice a short dialogue in the library without needing any article word.

How do we know the tense? Is it present, past, or future?

Indonesian verbs do not change form for tense. Berlatih can mean:

are practicing (present)
practiced (past)
will practice (future)

The time is understood from context or from additional words, for example:

Kemarin kami berlatih dialog singkat di perpustakaan.
= Yesterday we practiced a short dialogue in the library.
Besok kami akan berlatih dialog singkat di perpustakaan.
= Tomorrow we will practice a short dialogue in the library.
Setiap hari kami berlatih dialog singkat di perpustakaan.
= Every day we practice a short dialogue in the library.

Without any time word, Kami berlatih dialog singkat di perpustakaan is most naturally understood as present or a general statement.

Can the subject kami be dropped, like in some other languages?

Yes. Indonesian often drops pronouns when they are clear from context. So you could just say:

Berlatih dialog singkat di perpustakaan.

If your listener already knows who is practicing, this is fine and natural. It sounds like a short note, instruction, or description, similar to saying “(We) practice a short dialogue in the library.”

However, if you’re starting a sentence with no context, including kami makes it clearer who the subject is.

Is berlatih dialog a common collocation? Could I say berlatih percakapan instead?

Yes, berlatih dialog is a common combination, especially in:

language classes
acting/drama
role-play exercises

You can definitely say berlatih percakapan too:

Kami berlatih percakapan singkat di perpustakaan.
= We practice a short conversation in the library.

Nuance:

dialog → often sounds a bit more scripted or structured
percakapan → feels more like natural conversation

Both are correct; choice depends on the context or what your teacher/book uses.

Is the word order Subject–Verb–Object–Place fixed in Indonesian, like in this sentence?

The default, neutral order in Indonesian is S – V – O – (adverbs like place/time), similar to English:

Kami (S) berlatih (V) dialog singkat (O) di perpustakaan (place).

You can move the place phrase to the front for emphasis or style:

Di perpustakaan, kami berlatih dialog singkat.

This is still correct; it just puts more emphasis on “in the library”. The basic pieces stay the same; Indonesian is quite flexible, but Subject–Verb–Object–Place is a good default pattern to learn.