Log inSign up

Dekorasi di ruang tamu sederhana tetapi indah.

Dekorasi di ruang tamu sederhana tetapi indah.
The decorations in the living room are simple but beautiful.
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Indonesian grammar and vocabulary.

Start learning Indonesian now

Questions & Answers about Dekorasi di ruang tamu sederhana tetapi indah.

Why is there no is in this sentence?

Indonesian normally does not use a verb like is / am / are between a noun and an adjective.

  • English: The decoration in the living room is simple but beautiful.
  • Indonesian: Dekorasi di ruang tamu sederhana tetapi indah.
    (literally: Decoration in living room simple but beautiful.)

The pattern is:

  • [Noun] + [Adjective(s)]
    e.g. rumah besar = the house is big / big house (depending on context)

You only use adalah (a kind of copula) mainly before nouns or noun phrases, not ordinary adjectives:

  • Dia adalah guru. = He/She is a teacher.
  • But normally not: ✗ Dia adalah cantik. (sounds wrong / unnatural)
What is the grammatical structure of this sentence?

You can break it into:

  • Dekorasi di ruang tamu → subject (a noun phrase: the decoration in the living room)

    • Dekorasi = decoration
    • di ruang tamu = in the living room

  • sederhana tetapi indah → predicate (adjectival phrase: simple but beautiful)

    • sederhana = simple / modest
    • tetapi = but
    • indah = beautiful

So the basic pattern is:

[Subject: Noun (+ prepositional phrase)] + [Predicate: Adjective(s)]

No extra verb is needed.

What does di mean here, and how is it different from the prefix di-?

In this sentence, di is a preposition, meaning in / at / on:

  • di ruang tamu = in the living room

As a preposition, di is written separately from the following word.

There is also a prefix di- used to form the passive voice of verbs, and it is written attached:

  • dibaca = is read / was read
  • ditulis = is written / was written

So:

  • di ruang tamu (with a space) = preposition in/at
  • diruang tamu (no space) = spelling mistake
  • ditaruh = is placed / was placed (passive verb with prefix)
Is ruang tamu one word or two, and what does it literally mean?

It’s written as two words: ruang tamu.

  • ruang = room, space
  • tamu = guest

So literally, ruang tamu is guest room, but in everyday Indonesian it normally corresponds to living room (the room where you receive guests, often the front room of the house).

You might also see:

  • ruang keluarga = family room (more for the family’s private space)
Is dekorasi singular or plural? How do you say the or a?

Indonesian nouns usually do not show singular/plural by form. Dekorasi can mean:

  • decoration
  • the decoration
  • decorations
  • the decorations

Which one it is depends on context.

Similarly, Indonesian has no direct equivalents of English a / an / the. Context adds that meaning:

  • Dekorasi di ruang tamu sederhana tetapi indah.
    Could be:
    • The decoration in the living room is simple but beautiful.
    • The decorations in the living room are simple but beautiful.

If you really want to emphasize plurality, you can use things like:

  • banyak dekorasi = many decorations
  • semua dekorasi = all the decorations
Can adjectives come before nouns in Indonesian, like in English?

Normally, no. In Indonesian, adjectives almost always come after the noun:

  • rumah besar = big house
  • buku baru = new book
  • dekorasi sederhana = simple decoration

So:

  • sederhana dekorasi (simple decoration) → sounds wrong
  • You want: dekorasi sederhana

In the sentence:

  • Dekorasi di ruang tamu sederhana tetapi indah.
    The adjectives sederhana tetapi indah describe Dekorasi di ruang tamu.
What’s the difference between sederhana and indah in nuance?

They are both positive, but describe different aspects:

  • sederhana

    • basic meanings: simple, modest, not fancy, not luxurious
    • often used for lifestyle, design, food, clothing:
      • gaya hidup sederhana = a simple/modest lifestyle
      • desainnya sederhana = the design is simple (not complicated, not ornate)

  • indah

    • means beautiful, often with a slightly poetic or aesthetic nuance
    • common for scenery, music, language, decoration:
      • pemandangan indah = beautiful scenery
      • lagu yang indah = a beautiful song

So sederhana tetapi indah suggests: not luxurious or flashy, but still beautiful/elegant.

What is the difference between tetapi and tapi?

Both mean but, but they differ in formality:

  • tetapi

    • more formal / neutral
    • common in writing, speeches, news, formal conversation
    • fits well in this sentence, which sounds neutral/standard

  • tapi

    • more informal / conversational
    • common in everyday speech and casual writing (texts, chats)

You could say:

  • Dekorasi di ruang tamu sederhana tetapi indah. (neutral/formal)
  • Dekorasi di ruang tamu sederhana tapi indah. (more casual)

Both are grammatically fine.

Could I say Dekorasi di ruang tamu itu sederhana tetapi indah? What does itu add?

Yes, that’s natural. Adding itu specifies that particular living room:

  • Dekorasi di ruang tamu sederhana tetapi indah.
    = Decoration in the living room is simple but beautiful. (general / context-dependent)

  • Dekorasi di ruang tamu itu sederhana tetapi indah.
    = The decoration in that living room is simple but beautiful.
    (referring to a specific living room you both know or can see)

Similarly:

  • Dekorasi di ruang tamu saya sederhana tetapi indah.
    = The decoration in my living room is simple but beautiful.
Could I say Dekorasinya di ruang tamu sederhana tetapi indah? What does -nya do?

You can, but the nuance changes slightly.

-nya often works like the / its / his / her / their, or refers to something already known in context.

  • Dekorasi di ruang tamu sederhana tetapi indah.
    = The decoration in the living room is simple but beautiful. (more neutral)

  • Dekorasinya di ruang tamu sederhana tetapi indah.
    = The decoration (that we’re talking about) in the living room is simple but beautiful.
    – more like its/their decoration, or that decoration we both already know.

The version without -nya is the most basic/neutral one to learn first.

Is there any difference if I say Ruang tamu memiliki dekorasi yang sederhana tetapi indah?

Yes, the structure and style are a bit different.

  • Dekorasi di ruang tamu sederhana tetapi indah.

    • Subject: Dekorasi di ruang tamu
    • Predicate: sederhana tetapi indah
    • Feels natural and simple; very common pattern.

  • Ruang tamu memiliki dekorasi yang sederhana tetapi indah.

    • Subject: Ruang tamu = the living room
    • Verb: memiliki = has/possesses
    • Object: dekorasi yang sederhana tetapi indah = decoration that is simple but beautiful
    • Slightly more formal/explicit, and wordier.

Both are grammatically correct. For everyday usage and for learning, Dekorasi di ruang tamu sederhana tetapi indah is more typical.