Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Saya belajar tata bahasa Indonesia di perpustakaan. - I study Indonesian grammar in the library.

Saya = I / me (formal or neutral)
belajar = to study / to learn
tata bahasa = grammar (literally: tata = order/system, bahasa = language)
Indonesia = Indonesian (the language / relating to Indonesia, here: Indonesian language)
di = at / in / on (location preposition)
perpustakaan = library

So the sentence literally is: I study Indonesian grammar at the library.

Why is there no word for am in Saya belajar? In English we say “I am studying”.

Indonesian verbs do not change for tense or person, and there is no verb to be used here.

Saya belajar can mean:
- I study
- I am studying
- I studied (if the context is past)
- I will study (if the context is future)

Time is usually shown by context or by adding time words like kemarin (yesterday), sekarang (now), besok (tomorrow), etc., not by changing the verb form.

What’s the difference between saya and aku? Could I say Aku belajar tata bahasa Indonesia di perpustakaan?

Both saya and aku mean I, but they differ in formality:

saya: neutral, polite, safe in almost all situations (with strangers, at work, etc.)
aku: informal, used with close friends, family, or in casual speech/songs

Yes, Aku belajar tata bahasa Indonesia di perpustakaan is grammatically correct, but it sounds more casual and is best used with people you are close to.

Does belajar mean to learn or to study, or both?

Belajar covers both English ideas:

to study: focusing on material in a book/class
- Saya belajar tata bahasa Indonesia. = I study / I’m studying Indonesian grammar.
to learn: the process of acquiring a skill or knowledge
- Dia belajar bahasa Jepang. = He/She is learning Japanese.

If you want to emphasize “studying (something) in depth”, you can also use mempelajari + object:

Saya mempelajari tata bahasa Indonesia.
This sounds a bit more formal or academic than plain belajar.

Why is tata bahasa written as two words? Is it always used for “grammar”?

Yes, tata bahasa (two words) is the standard way to say grammar.

tata = arrangement, order, system
bahasa = language

Some related examples:

tata krama = etiquette, manners
tata kota = city planning

In everyday use, tata bahasa simply means grammar. You don’t combine it into one word (tatabahasa is not the standard spelling).

Why do we say tata bahasa Indonesia and not something like “Indonesia grammar”? How do we know “Indonesia” belongs to “bahasa”?

The basic structure is:

tata bahasa (grammar) + Indonesia (Indonesian)

In Indonesian, modifiers usually come after the noun, and multi-word noun phrases stack:

tata bahasa Indonesia
= grammar (of) Indonesian (language)
≈ Indonesian grammar

We understand that Indonesia modifies bahasa (language), not tata, because tata bahasa is a fixed expression that means grammar. So the phrase is “grammar of the Indonesian language”.

Is the word order fixed? Can I move di perpustakaan to another position?

The given order is the most natural:

Saya belajar tata bahasa Indonesia di perpustakaan.
Subject – Verb – Object – Location

You can move the location phrase for emphasis or style, for example:

Di perpustakaan, saya belajar tata bahasa Indonesia.
“At the library, I study Indonesian grammar.”

This is still correct, but sounds more like you’re emphasizing at the library (like a contrast: at home maybe you do something else). In neutral sentences, location usually comes at the end.

What is the difference between di and ke? They both look like location words.

di and ke are both prepositions, but they show different things:

di = at / in / on (location, where something is)
- Saya di perpustakaan. = I am at the library.
- Saya belajar di perpustakaan. = I study at the library.
ke = to (direction, where you are going)
- Saya pergi ke perpustakaan. = I go to the library.
- Dia berjalan ke sekolah. = He/She walks to school.

In your sentence, you’re describing where the studying happens, so di is correct.

I’ve seen di- used as a prefix in passive verbs. How is that different from the di in di perpustakaan?

Good observation: they are written the same but function differently.

di (separate word) = preposition for location
- Always written separately: di perpustakaan, di rumah, di Jakarta.
di- (attached, no space) = passive verb prefix
- Written attached to the verb: ditulis (is written), dibaca (is read), dibeli (is bought).

In di perpustakaan, di is a preposition, so it must be written separately from perpustakaan.

Why is there no word for the or a before perpustakaan or tata bahasa?

Indonesian has no articles like the, a, or an. Nouns by themselves are neutral:

perpustakaan = library / the library / a library (context decides)
tata bahasa = grammar / the grammar

If you need to be more specific, you use other words, for example:

perpustakaan itu = that library / the library (already known in context)
sebuah perpustakaan = a library (one library; sebuah is a classifier)

But in most everyday sentences, you simply say perpustakaan without any article.

Can I drop saya and just say Belajar tata bahasa Indonesia di perpustakaan?

Yes, in natural Indonesian conversation, the subject pronoun is often omitted when it’s clear from context.

(Saya) belajar tata bahasa Indonesia di perpustakaan.

This is very common in speech, messages, and informal writing. However:

In a stand‑alone sentence in a textbook or exam, it’s safer and clearer to keep Saya.
In very formal writing, subjects are usually kept, unless the context is extremely clear.

How would I say “I am studying Indonesian grammar in the libraries” (plural)?

Plural is usually shown by context, not by changing the noun form. To make it explicit, you can:

Reduplicate the noun:
- Saya belajar tata bahasa Indonesia di perpustakaan-perpustakaan.
  (I study … in libraries.)
Add a quantifier:
- Saya belajar … di beberapa perpustakaan. = in several libraries
- … di banyak perpustakaan. = in many libraries

Reduplication (perpustakaan-perpustakaan) marks plural, but in real-life speech people more often use quantifiers (like beberapa, banyak) or just rely on context.

Is perpustakaan a basic word, or does it come from something?

Perpustakaan is a derived word:

Root: pustaka = book / writing (a bit literary)
per- … -an: a common pair of affixes forming nouns for places or abstract things

So:

pustaka → per-pustaka-an = perpustakaan
literally “place of books” → library

You’ll see this pattern a lot, e.g.:

sekolah (school) → persekolahan (schooling, school system)
ikan (fish) → perikanan (fishery, fishing industry)

Could I say Saya mempelajari tata bahasa Indonesia di perpustakaan instead of Saya belajar …? What’s the nuance?

Yes, both are correct, but they feel a bit different:

Saya belajar tata bahasa Indonesia di perpustakaan.
Neutral, everyday statement: “I study / am studying Indonesian grammar at the library.”
Saya mempelajari tata bahasa Indonesia di perpustakaan.
More formal, suggests a more systematic or in‑depth study, like in a research or academic context.

In normal conversation, belajar is more natural. Mempelajari appears more in formal writing, academic texts, or when you want to stress detailed study of that subject.