Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Tolong tunggu sebentar di depan rumah. - Please wait a moment in front of the house.

Tolong literally means “help”, but in sentences like this it functions as a polite way of saying “please …” before asking someone to do something.

Tolong tunggu sebentar… ≈ Please wait a moment…
If you say Tolong saya!, that’s more like Help me!

So:

tolong + verb → polite request (please do X)
tolong + object (no verb) → asking for help with that thing/person (help me / help this person, etc.)

Why is there no word for “you”? Who is supposed to wait?

In Indonesian, the subject “you” is often left out in commands or requests because it’s understood from context.

Tolong tunggu sebentar di depan rumah.
→ Literally: Please wait a moment in front of the house.
The “you” is implied: (You) please wait a moment…

If you want to be explicit, you can add a pronoun:

Tolong kamu tunggu sebentar di depan rumah. (informal, sounds a bit scolding)
Tolong Anda tunggu sebentar di depan rumah. (more formal/polite)

But in everyday speech, leaving it out is the most natural.

Why is it tunggu and not menunggu? What’s the difference?

Tunggu is the base verb, and base verbs are normally used for commands/imperatives.

Tunggu! = Wait!
Jangan tunggu saya. = Don’t wait for me.

Menunggu is the active verb form, used in normal statements:

Saya menunggu di depan rumah. = I am waiting in front of the house.

So in a request/command:

Tolong tunggu sebentar… ✅ (natural)
Tolong menunggu sebentar… → grammatical, but sounds more formal or like written instructions (e.g., signs, announcements).

What does sebentar literally mean, and how strong is “a moment”?

Sebentar literally means “a short time”, so it’s like “a moment / a little while”.

Strength / nuance:

sebentar → a short while; vague but usually not long
sebentar saja → just a short while (adds emphasis: “only a moment”)
sebentar lagi → in a moment / shortly (about the future)
bentar → very informal/slang version of sebentar

Examples:

Tolong tunggu sebentar. = Please wait a moment.
Tolong tunggu sebentar saja. = Please wait just a moment.
Dia akan datang sebentar lagi. = He/She will come in a moment.

Can I move sebentar to another place in the sentence?

Yes. Sebentar is an adverb of time, so it’s quite flexible. All of these are possible:

Tolong tunggu sebentar di depan rumah. (very natural)
Tolong tunggu di depan rumah sebentar. (also natural)
Sebentar, tolong tunggu di depan rumah. (more like: “Wait a moment — please wait in front of the house.”)

The meaning is basically the same; the difference is just rhythm and emphasis. The first version is the most common.

Why is it di depan rumah and not ke depan rumah? What’s the difference between di and ke?

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

In your sentence, you’re talking about where the person should wait (location), not where they should go:

Tolong tunggu sebentar di depan rumah.
→ Please wait a moment in front of the house. (location)

If you wanted to talk about movement, you might say:

Tolong pergi ke depan rumah. = Please go to the front of the house.
Pindah ke depan rumah. = Move to the front of the house.

What is depan exactly? Is it a preposition like “in front of”?

Depan is originally a noun meaning “front”.

depan rumah = the front (side) of the house
With di, it becomes a prepositional phrase:
- di depan rumah = in front of the house

So structurally it’s like:

di (at) + depan (front) + rumah (house)
→ “at the front (of) the house” → “in front of the house”

Does rumah here mean “the house”, “my house”, or “your house”?

Rumah by itself just means “house” (or in many contexts, “home”), without specifying whose.
The possessor is understood from context.

In an actual conversation, this can mean:

in front of my house,
in front of your house,
or in front of the house we both know about,
depending on what you were just talking about.

If you want to be explicit:

di depan rumah saya = in front of my house
di depan rumahmu = in front of your house (informal)
di depan rumah Anda = in front of your house (polite/formal)
di depan rumah mereka = in front of their house

Is this sentence polite enough to use with strangers or older people?

Yes, Tolong tunggu sebentar di depan rumah. is polite enough in many situations, especially if said with a friendly tone.

To make it more formal/polite, you can:

Add sebentar ya (very common, softer):
- Tolong tunggu sebentar ya di depan rumah.
Add dulu (sounds softer / “for now”):
- Tolong tunggu dulu sebentar di depan rumah.
Use harap in written or very formal contexts:
- Harap menunggu sebentar di depan rumah. (like an announcement or notice)

To sound more respectful to strangers/clients:

Tolong tunggu sebentar di depan rumah, ya Pak/Bu.
(Pak = sir / Mr., Bu = ma’am / Mrs.)

Could I say Silakan tunggu sebentar di depan rumah instead of Tolong?

Yes, but the nuance changes slightly:

Tolong tunggu sebentar…
→ “Please (I’m asking you to) wait a moment…”
(emphasizes asking for help/cooperation)
Silakan tunggu sebentar…
→ “Please wait a moment…” / “You may wait a moment…”
(more like giving polite permission/invitation)

Both are polite; tolong feels more like a request, silakan more like a polite instruction or invitation (often from staff to customers, someone in charge speaking to guests, etc.).

Can I drop di and just say depan rumah in speech?

In casual spoken Indonesian, people sometimes say:

Tunggu sebentar depan rumah.

This is commonly understood and used informally.
However, in standard / careful Indonesian, especially in writing or formal speech, you should keep di:

Tunggu sebentar di depan rumah. ✅ (correct and standard)

So:

With friends/chats: depan rumah is often fine.
For clear, correct Indonesian: use di depan rumah.

Does rumah mean “house” or “home” here?

Rumah is usually translated as “house”, but in practice it often also carries the meaning of “home”, depending on context.

In di depan rumah, it’s basically “in front of the house/home”.
Indonesian doesn’t always strongly separate “house” vs “home” the way English does, so rumah covers both ideas in many everyday sentences.

Could I change the word order to Di depan rumah, tolong tunggu sebentar?

Yes, that’s grammatical and natural. It just changes the focus a little:

Tolong tunggu sebentar di depan rumah.
→ Neutral order, very common.
Di depan rumah, tolong tunggu sebentar.
→ Puts a bit more emphasis on the location first (like: “At the front of the house, please wait a moment.”)

Both are fine; use whichever fits the rhythm or emphasis you want.