Saya mau membaca lebih banyak buku di perpustakaan.

the book

Breakdown of Saya mau membaca lebih banyak buku di perpustakaan.

• saya: I
• di: in
• membaca: to read

Questions & Answers about Saya mau membaca lebih banyak buku di perpustakaan.

What does mau mean here, and is it more like “want” or “will”?

In this sentence, mau basically means “want to”:

• Saya mau membaca… = I want to read…

However, in everyday Indonesian, mau can also imply a future action, a bit like “going to / will” in English, depending on context:

• Besok saya mau ke Jakarta. = Tomorrow I’m going to Jakarta.

In your sentence, the most natural translation is “I want to read more books at the library.”
It can also be understood as something you plan to do soon, but the core meaning is “want to,” not just “will.”

Why do we say mau membaca and not just membaca?

Membaca by itself just means “to read” or “reading.”

• Saya membaca buku. = I read a book / I am reading a book.

When you add mau in front:

• Saya mau membaca buku. = I want to read a book.

So:

• membaca = the action “to read”
• mau membaca = the desire or intention “want to read”

You need mau here to show that it’s about wanting to do the action, not just doing it.

What is the difference between membaca and ? Can I say ?