Di laboratorium itu, ilmuwan muda mengamati serangga dengan mikroskop.

In that laboratory, a young scientist observes insects with a microscope.

Breakdown of Di laboratorium itu, ilmuwan muda mengamati serangga dengan mikroskop.

• itu: that
• di: in
• dengan: with
• muda: young
• ilmuwan: the scientist
• laboratorium: the laboratory
• mengamati: to observe
• serangga: the insect
• mikroskop: the microscope

Questions & Answers about Di laboratorium itu, ilmuwan muda mengamati serangga dengan mikroskop.

What does di laboratorium itu literally mean, and why is itu at the end?

Di laboratorium itu literally means “in that laboratory”.

• di = in/at (location)
• laboratorium = laboratory
• itu = that

In Indonesian, demonstratives like ini (this) and itu (that) usually come after the noun:

• laboratorium itu = that laboratory
• laboratorium ini = this laboratory

So di laboratorium itu is the normal way to say “in that laboratory”. You would not usually say di itu laboratorium.

Could I put di laboratorium itu at the end of the sentence instead?

Yes. You can also say:

• Ilmuwan muda mengamati serangga dengan mikroskop di laboratorium itu.

Both word orders are grammatical.

• Starting with Di laboratorium itu, ... slightly emphasizes the place.
• Ending with ... di laboratorium itu sounds a bit more neutral, like standard narrative order in English.

The meaning stays the same: it’s mainly about emphasis and style.

Why is there no word for “the” or “a” before ilmuwan or serangga?

Indonesian generally does not use articles like “a/an” or “the”. Nouns are usually “bare”:

• ilmuwan muda can mean “a young scientist” or “the young scientist”, depending on context.
• serangga can mean “insects”, “an insect”, or “the insect(s)”.

If you really need to specify, you use other words:

• seorang ilmuwan muda = a young scientist (a person)
• seekor serangga = an insect (one animal)
• beberapa serangga = several/some insects

What is the structure of ilmuwan muda? Why isn’t it muda ilmuwan?

In Indonesian, adjectives usually come after nouns:

• ilmuwan muda = young scientist
  
  • ilmuwan = scientist
  • muda = young

So:

• anak kecil = small child
• rumah besar = big house

Muda ilmuwan would sound wrong; it does not follow normal noun–adjective order.

What exactly does mengamati mean, and what is its root form?

Mengamati means to observe / to watch closely.

Its root is amat (to observe, to notice carefully). The prefix meN- forms an active verb:

• amat → mengamati (to observe)

The N in meN- changes depending on the first consonant of the root, but here you just need to remember the dictionary form mengamati. It’s more deliberate than just melihat (to see), and closer to “observe carefully”.

How do I know what tense mengamati has? Does it mean “observed”, “is observing”, or “observes”?

Indonesian verbs do not change form for tense. Mengamati by itself is timeless:

• Ilmuwan muda mengamati serangga.
  Could be translated as:
  • The young scientist observes insects.
  • The young scientist is observing insects.
  • The young scientist observed insects.

Tense is decided by context or by adding time words:

• tadi (earlier), kemarin (yesterday), sekarang (now), besok (tomorrow), etc.
  Example: Tadi ilmuwan muda mengamati serangga. = Earlier, the young scientist observed insects.

Is serangga singular or plural here?

By itself, serangga is number-neutral: it can mean “insect” or “insects”. In this sentence, it’s most naturally understood as “insects” in general.

To be explicit, you can add classifiers or quantifiers:

• seekor serangga = one insect
• beberapa serangga = several insects
• banyak serangga = many insects

So the sentence can be loosely read as “observed insect(s)”, but context will normally tell you whether it’s one or many.

What does dengan mikroskop mean exactly? Is it “with a microscope” (using) or “together with a microscope”?

In this context, dengan mikroskop clearly means “with a microscope / using a microscope”.

The word dengan is flexible; it can mean:

• with (using a tool): menulis dengan pensil = write with a pencil
• with (accompanied by): pergi dengan teman = go with a friend

Here, because mikroskop is an instrument, the natural reading is “using a microscope”, not “accompanied by a microscope”.

What is the difference between di and ke? Why is it di laboratorium, not ke laboratorium?

• di is used for location (where something is):

  • di laboratorium = in/at the laboratory

• ke is used for direction / movement toward a place:

  • ke laboratorium = to the laboratory (going there)

In this sentence, the action is happening in the lab, not moving toward it, so di laboratorium is correct.

What is the function of itu here? How is laboratorium itu different from just laboratorium?

Itu makes the noun specific/identifiable, usually something known from context:

• laboratorium = a laboratory / laboratories (general)
• laboratorium itu = that laboratory (a specific one the speaker and listener know about)

Without itu, di laboratorium, ilmuwan muda... sounds more like “in a laboratory, a young scientist...”, introducing a place. With itu, it’s like “in that laboratory, the young scientist...”, a particular lab already in the story or context.

Could I leave out itu and only say Di laboratorium, ilmuwan muda mengamati serangga dengan mikroskop?

Yes, that is grammatical:

• Di laboratorium, ilmuwan muda mengamati serangga dengan mikroskop.

The difference:

• With itu: more specific, “in that (particular) lab”.
• Without itu: more general, “in a lab / in the lab (in general)”.

In many contexts, English might still translate it as “in the laboratory”, but in Indonesian the version with itu feels more clearly defined.

Are there more casual or alternative words for ilmuwan and laboratorium?

Yes, there are some common alternatives:

• ilmuwan (scientist)

  • peneliti = researcher
  • ahli = expert/specialist (e.g. ahli biologi = biology expert)

• laboratorium (laboratory)

  • lab or lab. (spoken and informal written, from English “lab”)

So a more casual sentence could be:

• Di lab itu, peneliti muda mengamati serangga dengan mikroskop.