Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Kami duduk di pinggir lapangan sambil minum kopi hangat. - We sit at the edge of the field while drinking warm coffee.

kami = we (not including the person you are talking to)
- Kami duduk di pinggir lapangan. = We (but not you) are sitting at the edge of the field.
kita = we (including the person you are talking to)
- Kita duduk di pinggir lapangan. = We (you and I) are sitting at the edge of the field.

So, in the original sentence, kami tells you that the listener is not part of the group that is sitting and drinking coffee.

In English I’d say “We were sitting…”. Where is the word for “were” in Indonesian?

Indonesian verbs do not change for tense (past, present, future). There is no separate word for “am / is / are / was / were” here.

Kami duduk di pinggir lapangan sambil minum kopi hangat.
can mean:
- We are sitting at the edge of the field while drinking warm coffee.
- We were sitting at the edge of the field while drinking warm coffee.
- even We will sit at the edge of the field while drinking warm coffee. (with the right context)

Tense is shown by:

time words (tadi, kemarin, besok, nanti, sekarang, etc.)
or context.

If you add a time word, the tense becomes clear, e.g.

Tadi kami duduk… = Earlier we were sitting…
Sekarang kami duduk… = Right now we are sitting…

Is duduk a verb (“to sit”) or an adjective (“sitting”) here?

In Indonesian, duduk is a verb meaning “to sit”, but it doesn’t need an extra “to be” verb.

English: We *are sitting …*
Indonesian: Kami duduk …

So:

duduk = “to sit / sit / sitting” depending on context.
There is no separate “are / were”. The basic verb form duduk covers it.

You also see duduk used as:

a command: Duduk! = Sit!
a description: Dia duduk di kursi. = He/She is sitting on the chair.

What does di pinggir lapangan literally mean? What is pinggir?

Breakdown:

di = at / in / on (location preposition)
pinggir = edge / side / border / margin
lapangan = field, open area

So di pinggir lapangan literally = “at the edge of the field” or “by the side of the field”.

Structure:

pinggir is the main noun (“edge”),
lapangan modifies it (“edge of the field”):
- pinggir lapangan = the field’s edge / the edge of the field
- di pinggir lapangan = at the edge of the field

No extra word for “of” is needed.

Why is it di pinggir lapangan, not ke pinggir lapangan or pada pinggir lapangan?

Because the sentence describes a location, not movement or something more abstract.

di = at / in / on (static location)
- Kami duduk di pinggir lapangan. = We sit / are sitting at the edge of the field.
ke = to / toward (movement)
- Kami berjalan ke pinggir lapangan. = We walk to the edge of the field.
pada is more formal and is usually used with:
- abstract things / people / time, e.g.
  - pada hari Senin (on Monday)
  - pada kalian semua (to all of you)
    It would sound unnatural in everyday speech to say pada pinggir lapangan.

So di is the normal, correct choice for where you are.

What exactly is a lapangan? Is it always a sports field?

Lapangan generally means a flat, open space, often outdoors. Common uses:

lapangan sepak bola = soccer field
lapangan basket = outdoor basketball court
lapangan upacara = open square for ceremonies
lapangan parkir (casual) = parking lot (open parking area)

It’s usually:

open, flat,
used for activities (sports, ceremonies, gatherings),
not a farm field (that would be sawah, ladang)
not a house yard (that’s often halaman).

In this sentence, imagine a kind of field / court / open ground, likely used for sports or gatherings.

What does sambil mean, and how is it used?

sambil roughly means “while (at the same time as)” and links two actions done by the same subject.

Structure here:

main action: Kami duduk di pinggir lapangan (We sit / are sitting…)
simultaneous action: minum kopi hangat (drinking warm coffee)
connector: sambil

So:

Kami duduk di pinggir lapangan sambil minum kopi hangat.
= We sit at the edge of the field *while drinking warm coffee.*

Patterns with sambil:

Subj + Verb1 + sambil + Verb2
- Dia makan sambil menonton TV. = He/She eats while watching TV.

Both actions share the same subject (Dia). You don’t repeat the subject after sambil.

Can I use sementara or ketika instead of sambil?

They are related, but not interchangeable in all contexts.

sambil = “while (doing)” – same subject, two actions at once
- Saya membaca sambil minum teh.
  = I read while drinking tea. (I do both)
sementara = “while / whereas / meanwhile” – often used with two different subjects or contrasting situations
- Saya membaca, sementara dia memasak.
  = I read, while she cooks.
ketika = “when” – introduces a time clause, not a “while doing X” activity phrase
- Ketika saya membaca, dia datang.
  = When I was reading, he came.

So in your sentence, sambil is the natural choice because the same people (kami) are:

sitting
drinking coffee

If you used sementara or ketika, the sentence would usually need a second, different subject to sound normal.

Why is it minum kopi hangat and not minum hangat kopi? Where do adjectives go?

In Indonesian, adjectives normally come after the noun they describe.

kopi hangat = warm coffee
- noun + adjective
minum kopi hangat = drink warm coffee

Putting the adjective before the noun (hangat kopi) is not normal in standard Indonesian and would sound wrong or at best poetic/marked.

Common pattern:

rumah besar = big house
baju merah = red shirt
orang tua = old person / parents (set phrase)

Some special words come before the noun (numbers, mantan “former”, para “group of”), but regular adjectives like hangat come after the noun.

Is there a difference between kopi hangat and kopi panas?

Yes:

kopi hangat = warm coffee
- comfortably warm, not too hot.
kopi panas = hot coffee
- quite hot, maybe straight from boiling water.

Nuance:

In everyday speech, people sometimes say panas even when they just mean “hot drink” in general.
But if you want to be precise:
- hangat for pleasantly warm
- panas for really hot

Your sentence suggests a pleasant, warm coffee, fitting a relaxed scene.

Could I add sedang, like Kami sedang duduk di pinggir lapangan…? What changes?

Yes, you can:

Kami duduk di pinggir lapangan sambil minum kopi hangat.
= neutral; could be past, present, or future depending on context.
Kami sedang duduk di pinggir lapangan sambil minum kopi hangat.
= emphasizes “We are (right now) in the middle of sitting at the edge of the field while drinking warm coffee.”

sedang marks an ongoing / progressive action (similar to English -ing or “be + -ing”):

Dia makan. = He/She eats / ate / will eat.
Dia sedang makan. = He/She is eating (now).

So adding sedang makes it feel more clearly present and in progress, but both sentences are grammatically correct.

Can I drop kami and just say Duduk di pinggir lapangan sambil minum kopi hangat?

Yes, native speakers often drop the subject when it’s clear from context.

Duduk di pinggir lapangan sambil minum kopi hangat.
could mean:
- [We / I / they] are sitting at the edge of the field while drinking warm coffee.

This kind of subjectless sentence is common:

in casual speech and writing,
in answers to questions:
- Q: Lagi apa? (What are you doing?)
- A: Duduk di pinggir lapangan sambil minum kopi hangat.

However:

If the subject is not clear from context, it’s better for a learner to keep the pronoun (Kami) so listeners know who you mean.