Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Saya bicara dengan dokter hewan lokal di penampungan hewan. - I talk with a local veterinarian at the animal shelter.

Saya = I (formal or neutral)
bicara = speak / talk
dengan = with
dokter hewan = veterinarian (literally: animal doctor)
- dokter = doctor
- hewan = animal
lokal = local
di = at / in
penampungan hewan = animal shelter
- penampungan = shelter / place where something is taken in or housed
- hewan = animal

So the sentence structure is: I + talk + with + veterinarian + local + at + animal shelter.

Why is it “dokter hewan” and not “dokter binatang”?

In standard Indonesian:

dokter hewan is the fixed, correct term for veterinarian.
binatang also means “animal”, but in this context it sounds informal or even slightly negative/rough.
- hewan is more neutral/formal and is used in scientific or official terms.
- binatang is common in everyday speech and also used as a swear word.

For professions and formal terms, Indonesian usually prefers hewan:

dokter hewan = veterinarian
ilmu kedokteran hewan = veterinary science

So “dokter binatang” would sound odd or nonstandard.

Why is it “dokter hewan lokal” and not “lokal dokter hewan”?

In Indonesian, most adjectives come after the noun, unlike English:

English: local vet
Indonesian: dokter hewan lokal
- dokter hewan = vet
- lokal = local (adjective placed after the noun phrase)

So:

rumah besar = big house
mobil baru = new car
dokter hewan lokal = local veterinarian

“lokal dokter hewan” is ungrammatical; adjectives like lokal, besar, kecil, baru, tua generally follow the noun they describe.

What is the difference between “bicara” and “berbicara”? Could I say “Saya berbicara…” instead?

Both bicara and berbicara can mean “to speak / to talk”, and both are common.

bicara
- Slightly more informal and very common in speech.
- Fits perfectly in this sentence.
berbicara
- Slightly more formal or careful.
- Very common in writing, news, formal speech.

You can say:

Saya berbicara dengan dokter hewan lokal di penampungan hewan.

The meaning is the same. In casual everyday conversation, “Saya bicara…” (or “Aku bicara…”) is completely natural.

How do we know this sentence is past tense if there’s no word like “did” or “spoke”?

Indonesian doesn’t usually mark tense with verb changes. The verb stays the same for past, present, and future. Context or time words show when it happened.

Saya bicara dengan dokter hewan lokal di penampungan hewan.
can mean:

I spoke with the local vet at the animal shelter. (past)
I am speaking with the local vet at the animal shelter. (present, with the right context)
I talk with the local vet at the animal shelter. (habit)

To make the past clearer, Indonesians often add a time marker:

Tadi saya bicara… = I spoke just now / earlier.
Kemarin saya bicara… = I spoke yesterday.
Saya sudah bicara… = I have already spoken…

But grammatically, bicara itself doesn’t change.

Why do we use “dengan” here? Could we use “kepada” or “sama” instead?

In this sentence:

dengan = with
- Saya bicara dengan dokter hewan… = I talk with the vet.

Alternatives:

kepada
- More like “to” in the sense of speaking to someone (as the recipient).
- Common with verbs like berbicara kepada, mengatakan kepada, memberi tahu kepada.
- You could say:
  - Saya berbicara kepada dokter hewan…
    This sounds a bit more formal and focuses on the vet as the recipient of your speech.
sama (colloquial)
- Informal, very common in spoken Indonesian.
- Roughly = “with / to”.
- In casual speech:
  - Aku bicara sama dokter hewan lokal di penampungan hewan.

In neutral standard Indonesian, “bicara dengan” is a very natural choice.

What does “penampungan hewan” literally mean, and is it the normal way to say “animal shelter”?

Literally:

penampungan comes from the verb tampung = to collect / accommodate / take in.
penampungan = a place or facility for taking things/people/animals in (a shelter, holding place).
hewan = animal.

So penampungan hewan = a shelter/holding place for animals, i.e. animal shelter.

Common variations:

penampungan hewan = animal shelter (short, common)
tempat penampungan hewan = literally “place of animal shelter”; a bit longer but also used.

In daily usage, penampungan hewan is a natural way to say “animal shelter.”

Why is “hewan” repeated? Could we just say “di penampungan”?

In “dokter hewan lokal di penampungan hewan”, hewan appears twice:

dokter hewan = vet (fixed expression)
penampungan hewan = animal shelter (noun + classifier)

You could say only:

di penampungan = at the shelter

This is fine if the context is clear that you are talking about an animal shelter. In many conversations, once it’s obvious you’re discussing animals or a shelter, people do shorten it like that.

But in a single, stand‑alone sentence, “di penampungan hewan” is clearer and more natural for a learner, because it tells you exactly what kind of “penampungan” it is.

Why do we use “di” here and not “ke”?

di = at / in / on (location, where something is)
ke = to (direction, where something is going)

In this sentence:

di penampungan hewan = at the animal shelter (location of the talking)

If you were talking about going there, you’d use ke:

Saya pergi ke penampungan hewan.
= I go / went to the animal shelter.

So:

bicara di penampungan hewan = talk at the animal shelter (location)
pergi ke penampungan hewan = go to the animal shelter (direction)

Is “Saya” formal? Could I use “Aku” instead?

Yes:

Saya
- Neutral to formal.
- Safe with strangers, older people, in polite or professional contexts.
- Works in almost any situation.
Aku
- More informal/intimate.
- Used with friends, family, people of the same age or younger.
- Not ideal in formal writing, interviews, or with people you want to be polite to.

So, alternatives:

Formal/neutral:
- Saya bicara dengan dokter hewan lokal di penampungan hewan.
Informal:
- Aku bicara sama dokter hewan lokal di penampungan hewan.

The rest of the sentence can also shift style (e.g. sama instead of dengan) to match saya vs aku.

How formal or informal is this whole sentence? How might it sound in casual spoken Indonesian?

The original:

Saya bicara dengan dokter hewan lokal di penampungan hewan.

This is:

Neutral in tone.
Suitable for everyday conversation.
Fine in semi‑formal speech.

More formal:

Saya berbicara dengan dokter hewan lokal di penampungan hewan.

More casual:

Aku ngobrol sama dokter hewan lokal di penampungan hewan.
- ngobrol = chat (informal)
- sama = with/to (informal)
- Aku = I (informal)

So the original is in a nice neutral register: not slangy, not stiff.

Can the subject “Saya” be dropped, like in some other languages?

Yes, Indonesian can drop the subject if it’s obvious from context, especially in casual spoken language.

So you might hear:

Bicara dengan dokter hewan lokal di penampungan hewan.

In a conversation where everyone knows you’re talking about what you did, this would usually be understood as:

“(I) talked with the local vet at the animal shelter.”

However:

In clear, stand‑alone sentences (like in writing or exercises), it’s better to keep “Saya” for clarity.
Dropping the subject is more natural in replies, short notes, or informal talk.

Is there a difference between “lokal” and “setempat” in this kind of sentence?

Both can translate as “local”, but there is a nuance:

lokal
- A loanword from English.
- Common and understood everywhere.
- Slightly more general, can sound a bit more modern/neutral.
setempat
- Native Indonesian.
- Literally “of this place” / “of that place”.
- Often used in news or more formal styles to mean the … of that area.

In your sentence, you could say:

dokter hewan lokal = the local vet
dokter hewan setempat = the vet of that area / from that place

Both are correct, but:

lokal feels a bit more straightforward and general.
setempat can sound slightly more formal or report‑like (e.g. in news articles).