Kami bertemu di pameran seni dekat perpustakaan.

We meet at the art exhibition near the library.

Breakdown of Kami bertemu di pameran seni dekat perpustakaan.

• di: at
• kami: we
• dekat: near
• bertemu: to meet
• perpustakaan: the library
• pameran seni: the art exhibition

Questions & Answers about Kami bertemu di pameran seni dekat perpustakaan.

What is the difference between kami and kita, and why is kami used here?

Indonesian has two words for we:

• kami = we (but not including the person you’re talking to)
• kita = we (including the listener)

In Kami bertemu di pameran seni dekat perpustakaan, the speaker means:

• We met at the art exhibition near the library (and you were *not part of that “we”).*

If the speaker wanted to include the listener (for example, “You and I met at the art exhibition…”), they would say:

• Kita bertemu di pameran seni dekat perpustakaan.

How do we know this sentence is in the past (we met) if there is no past tense form?

Indonesian verbs usually do not change form for tense (past, present, future). Bertemu can mean:

• met (past)
• meet / are meeting (present)
• will meet (future)

The time is understood from:

• context, or
• additional time words such as:
  • tadi (earlier)
  • kemarin (yesterday)
  • besok (tomorrow)
  • nanti (later)

For example:

• Kami bertemu di pameran seni tadi.
  = We met at the art exhibition earlier (today).

In your sentence, English chooses met because it sounds most natural without extra context.

What does bertemu literally mean, and is it different from ketemu or berjumpa?

• bertemu = to meet (fairly neutral, standard Indonesian)
• berjumpa = to meet (a bit more formal or literary)
• ketemu = to meet / to bump into (more informal or colloquial)

You could say, with slightly different tones:

• Kami bertemu di pameran seni dekat perpustakaan.
  Neutral, standard.

• Kami berjumpa di pameran seni dekat perpustakaan.
  Slightly more formal or poetic.

• Kami ketemu di pameran seni dekat perpustakaan.
  Casual, everyday speech.

For learners, bertemu is a good default.

Why is di used before pameran seni? Does di mean “in” or “at”?

di is a preposition for location. In English it can correspond to in, on, or at, depending on context.

• di pameran seni can be understood as:
  • at the art exhibition
  • (literally) in the art exhibition area / place

More examples:

• di rumah = at home / in the house
• di sekolah = at school
• di meja = on the table

So di is used before nouns to show “in/at/on a place.”

Why is di written separately from pameran? Sometimes I see di- attached to verbs.

Indonesian has two different “di”:

1. di (separate word) = preposition for location

   • di pameran seni (at the art exhibition)
   • di perpustakaan (at the library)

2. di- (prefix attached to verbs) = passive voice marker

   • dibaca (is read / was read)
   • ditulis (is written / was written)

In your sentence, di is a preposition, so it must be separate:

• ✅ di pameran seni
• ❌ dipameran seni (wrong here)

What exactly does pameran seni mean? Is it just “art exhibition”?

Yes:

• pameran = exhibition / show (from the verb pamer = to show off, display)
• seni = art

Together, pameran seni = art exhibition or art show.

You could also have:

• pameran buku = book fair / book exhibition
• pameran mobil = car show

Why isn’t there a word like “the” or “a” in di pameran seni?

Indonesian doesn’t have separate words for a / an / the. The noun phrase pameran seni can mean:

• an art exhibition
• the art exhibition
• art exhibitions (in general), depending on context

If you really want to make it more specific, you can add other words, like:

• di pameran seni itu = at that art exhibition
• di sebuah pameran seni = at an art exhibition (one exhibition, not specified)

But usually, context alone is enough.

What does dekat perpustakaan mean, and is dekat a preposition or an adjective here?

In dekat perpustakaan, the phrase means near the library.

• dekat by itself = near / close (adjective or adverb)
  • rumah saya dekat = my house is near / close

When followed directly by a noun (dekat perpustakaan), it functions like a preposition phrase: near the library.

You may also see:

• dekat dengan perpustakaan
• di dekat perpustakaan

These are all natural, with small nuance differences:

• pameran seni dekat perpustakaan
  = an art exhibition (that is) near the library

• di pameran seni di dekat perpustakaan
  = at an art exhibition located near the library (a bit more explicit)

• dekat dengan perpustakaan is slightly more formal or explicit than dekat perpustakaan, but both are correct.

Why is the word order pameran seni dekat perpustakaan instead of putting dekat perpustakaan at the beginning?

Indonesian normally puts describing information after the noun:

• pameran (exhibition)
• pameran seni (exhibition of art)
• pameran seni dekat perpustakaan (art exhibition that is near the library)

So the structure is roughly:

• [noun] + [what kind?] + [where?]

You could say:

• Kami bertemu dekat perpustakaan, di pameran seni.

This shifts the emphasis slightly:

• First: we met near the library
• Then: more specifically, at the art exhibition

Both are grammatical; the original just flows more naturally as a single noun phrase.

Could I say Kami bertemu di pameran seni yang dekat dengan perpustakaan? Is that different?

Yes, that is also correct:

• Kami bertemu di pameran seni yang dekat dengan perpustakaan.

This uses yang to make a relative clause:

• pameran seni yang dekat dengan perpustakaan
  = the art exhibition that is near the library

Nuance:

• Without yang: pameran seni dekat perpustakaan is a simple, compact modifier.
• With yang dekat dengan perpustakaan: sounds a bit more explicit, more formal, or more written-style.

Meaning-wise, they’re almost the same in everyday use.

Is kami required? Can Indonesian drop the subject like Spanish or Italian?

Normally, Indonesian keeps the subject pronoun, especially in simple sentences like this:

• Kami bertemu di pameran seni dekat perpustakaan.

Dropping kami:

• Bertemu di pameran seni dekat perpustakaan.

This is possible in very informal spoken language or in notes, but it’s less clear who did the action. It might sound like a fragment or headline.

So:

• For learners and in normal sentences, keep the subject (Kami).
• Dropping it is more for casual speech when context is very clear.

How do you pronounce pameran seni dekat perpustakaan? Where is the stress?

Indonesian stress is usually on the second-to-last (penultimate) syllable. Rough guide (slashes show syllables, stressed syllables in bold):

• pa / me / ran
  → pa-ME-ran

• se / ni
  → SE-ni

• de / kat
  → DE-kat

• per / pus / ta / ka / an
  → per-PUS-ta-ka-an

So the whole phrase:

• pa-ME-ran SE-ni DE-kat per-PUS-ta-ka-an

Vowels are short and clear; consonants mostly like in English, except r is usually tapped or rolled lightly.

Is there any difference in meaning between di pameran seni dekat perpustakaan and di dekat perpustakaan, di pameran seni?

Both can describe the same situation, but the focus is a bit different.

1. Kami bertemu di pameran seni dekat perpustakaan.

   • Main location: the art exhibition.
   • dekat perpustakaan further describes which exhibition.

2. Kami bertemu di dekat perpustakaan, di pameran seni.

   • Main location first: near the library.
   • Then specifies: at the art exhibition.

Meaning overlap is large, but:

• Version 1 feels like one compact place description.
• Version 2 sounds like you emphasize “near the library” first, then clarify the exact spot.