Breakdown of Saya belajar dengan teman sekelas saya di perpustakaan.
Questions & Answers about Saya belajar dengan teman sekelas saya di perpustakaan.
In teman sekelas saya, the second saya shows possession: my classmate(s).
- Saya belajar dengan teman sekelas saya di perpustakaan.
= I study with my classmate(s) in the library.
Ways to avoid repeating saya:
Drop the possessive if context is clear:
Saya belajar dengan teman sekelas di perpustakaan.
→ sounds like “I study with classmates in the library” (understood as my classmates in most contexts).Use the -ku suffix (more informal):
Saya belajar dengan teman sekelasku di perpustakaan.
or
Aku belajar dengan teman sekelasku di perpustakaan. (all informal)
So repetition is not wrong; it’s just one of several options.
- teman = friend
- kelas = class
- se- (in sekelas) = one / same
So sekelas means “of the same class,” and:
- teman sekelas = “friend (who is) in the same class” → classmate
- teman sekelas saya = my classmate(s)
Compared to just teman:
- teman = friend (any friend)
- teman sekelas = specifically a friend who is in the same class as you.
The prefix se- often means “one” or “the same” in Indonesian:
- sekelas = in the same class
- sekolah (different word; not se- + kolah) = school
- seumur = of the same age
- sekota = from the same city
In sekelas, you can think of it as se- (same) + kelas (class) → same class.
They are similar in meaning but differ in naturalness and style:
- teman sekelas saya – most natural, standard, and common for my classmate(s).
- teman kelas saya – understandable, but sounds less standard; people will usually prefer teman sekelas.
- teman dari kelas saya – literally “friends from my class”; correct but a bit longer and more explicit. It can sound more formal or explanatory.
For everyday speech and writing, teman sekelas saya is the best choice.
Yes. Indonesian often doesn’t mark singular vs plural explicitly.
- teman sekelas saya can mean:
- my classmate (one person)
- my classmates (more than one)
If you want to be clear that it’s plural, you can say:
- teman-teman sekelas saya = my classmates (definitely plural)
- beberapa teman sekelas saya = some of my classmates
- dua teman sekelas saya = two of my classmates
In this sentence, dengan means with (indicating a companion):
- Saya belajar dengan teman sekelas saya …
= I study with my classmate(s) …
You can replace it with bersama:
- Saya belajar bersama teman sekelas saya di perpustakaan.
Differences in feel:
- dengan – very common, neutral “with,” used for people, tools, manner, etc.
- bersama – also “together with,” often a bit more “togetherness-focused” or slightly more formal/poetic.
Both are correct here; dengan is more general and very common in speech.
- di = in / at (location)
- ke = to / towards (direction, movement)
In your sentence, the action (belajar, to study) happens at the library, not towards the library:
- Saya belajar di perpustakaan.
= I study in/at the library.
If you wanted to express going to the library, you’d use ke:
- Saya pergi ke perpustakaan.
= I go to the library.
So belajar di perpustakaan, but pergi ke perpustakaan.
Yes, Indonesian word order is flexible as long as the core verb phrase stays clear.
All of these are grammatical:
- Saya belajar dengan teman sekelas saya di perpustakaan.
- Saya belajar di perpustakaan dengan teman sekelas saya.
- Di perpustakaan, saya belajar dengan teman sekelas saya.
Differences are about emphasis:
- Starting with Di perpustakaan puts emphasis on the location.
- Keeping di perpustakaan at the end is very natural and neutral.
The original version is perfectly standard.
Grammatically, you can drop the subject in Indonesian when it’s clear from context, and people often do in conversation or notes:
- (Saya) belajar dengan teman sekelas saya di perpustakaan.
However:
- In a full, standalone sentence (especially for learners or in formal writing), it’s better to keep Saya.
- Dropping it sounds more like a note, a caption, or a short response, e.g., in a chat:
– “Lagi apa?” (What are you doing?)
– “Belajar dengan teman sekelas di perpustakaan.”
So yes, it’s possible, but keep Saya for clear, full sentences.
Both mean I / me, but differ in formality and relationship:
- saya – neutral, polite, and safe in almost all situations (formal and informal).
- aku – informal/intimate; used with friends, family, or people your age if the relationship is close.
So:
- Saya belajar dengan teman sekelas saya di perpustakaan. – neutral/polite.
- Aku belajar dengan teman sekelasku di perpustakaan. – informal, friendly.
Don’t mix them in the same sentence (avoid Aku belajar dengan teman sekelas saya).
Indonesian doesn’t use articles like a/an or the. perpustakaan by itself can mean:
- a library or
- the library
Context tells you which:
- If it’s a new, unspecified place in the conversation, you’d usually translate it as a library.
- If speaker and listener both know which library is meant (e.g., the school library), you’d translate it as the library.
If you really want to be explicit:
- perpustakaan itu = that/the library (specific)
- sebuah perpustakaan = a library (indefinite; used mostly in writing, not everyday speech).
Yes, a small nuance:
- di perpustakaan = at / in the library (general location)
- di dalam perpustakaan = inside the library (more explicitly inside the building)
In most everyday contexts, di perpustakaan is enough and more natural. Use di dalam perpustakaan if you really want to stress “inside,” for example, contrasting with being outside the building.