Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Lihat poster kebun binatang di perpustakaan.

lihat = root form, often used for:
- Imperatives (commands): Lihat! (Look!)
- Short instructions, signs, notes, headlines
melihat = standard active verb form, used in normal sentences with a subject:
- Saya melihat poster itu. – I see that poster.

In a command, Indonesian usually uses the root form, so:

Lihat poster kebun binatang... (correct for “Look at the zoo poster…”)
Melihat poster kebun binatang... (not used as a standalone command)

Could this sentence also mean “I see the zoo poster in the library”?

Not as it is written. As written, it is read as a command:

Lihat poster kebun binatang di perpustakaan. → (You) look at the zoo poster in the library.

To say “I see the zoo poster in the library”, you would normally say:

Saya melihat poster kebun binatang di perpustakaan.

Here:

Saya = I
melihat = see (non-imperative verb)

Without a subject and with the root lihat, Indonesian speakers will interpret it as an instruction.

What does kebun binatang literally mean, and why does it mean “zoo”?

Literally:

kebun = garden
binatang = animal(s)

So kebun binatang literally means “animal garden”, which is the usual Indonesian word for zoo.

It’s a fixed compound noun. You don’t usually split it or translate it word by word in normal speech; just think of kebun binatang as zoo.

In poster kebun binatang, which word is the main noun?

The main noun is poster.

Indonesian noun phrases are usually Head + Modifier:

poster kebun binatang
= poster (head) + zoo (modifier)
= a zoo poster / a poster of the zoo

This is like English “zoo poster” or “poster of the zoo”, but the order follows Indonesian rules:

buku matematika – math book
film aksi – action movie
poster kebun binatang – zoo poster

Does di perpustakaan describe where the poster is, or where I should look?

It can be understood in both ways, and in practice they overlap:

Where the poster is:
- poster kebun binatang di perpustakaan
  → the zoo poster in the library
Where the action of looking happens:
- (In the library,) lihat poster kebun binatang.

In normal usage, both ideas are compatible: you are in the library and there is a zoo poster there that you should look at.
If you really need to be explicit, you can rephrase:

Emphasize location of the poster:
Lihat poster kebun binatang yang ada di perpustakaan.
Emphasize where the action happens:
Di perpustakaan, lihat poster kebun binatang.

What does di mean here, and how is it different from ke and dari?

di perpustakaan uses di as a location preposition:

di = at / in / on (static location)
ke = to (movement towards)
dari = from (movement away / origin)

Examples:

Saya belajar di perpustakaan. – I study in the library.
Saya pergi ke perpustakaan. – I go to the library.
Saya pulang dari perpustakaan. – I go home from the library.

In your sentence, di perpustakaan = in/at the library.

Why is there no word for “the” or “a” in the sentence?

Indonesian does not have articles like “a/an” or “the”.

So poster kebun binatang can mean:

a zoo poster
the zoo poster
zoo posters (depending on context)

The listener uses context to decide whether it’s specific or general.
If you want to make it clearer:

poster kebun binatang itu – that / the zoo poster (specific)
sebuah poster kebun binatang – a zoo poster (one poster, more formal style)

How can I make this command more polite?

You can add certain words to soften or formalize the command:

Tolong lihat poster kebun binatang di perpustakaan.
→ Please look at the zoo poster in the library.
Silakan lihat poster kebun binatang di perpustakaan.
→ Please / You may look at the zoo poster in the library. (polite, often used in service contexts)
Coba lihat poster kebun binatang di perpustakaan.
→ Try looking at the zoo poster in the library. (softer, like a suggestion)

Adding a name or pronoun can also change the tone:

Adi, lihat poster kebun binatang di perpustakaan, ya.
(calling a specific person, softened by ya)

Is lihat always “look”, or can it also mean “see”?

Lihat / melihat covers both English “look (at)” and “see”, depending on context.

As “look (at)” (intentional action, often imperative):
- Lihat poster itu. – Look at that poster.
As “see” (perception):
- Saya melihat poster baru di perpustakaan. – I see / saw a new poster in the library.

Indonesian doesn’t always distinguish look vs see as sharply as English.
Other related verbs:

menonton – to watch (movies, shows): menonton film
memandang – to gaze (more literary or formal)

How do I say “Look at the zoo posters in the library” (plural posters)?

Indonesian often leaves plural implicit, so you can simply say:

Lihat poster kebun binatang di perpustakaan.

Context will tell the listener that you mean more than one poster.

If you really want to mark plurality, you can say:

Lihat poster-poster kebun binatang di perpustakaan.
Lihat semua poster kebun binatang di perpustakaan. – Look at all the zoo posters in the library.
Lihat banyak poster kebun binatang di perpustakaan. – Look at the many zoo posters in the library.

But in everyday speech, the unmarked poster kebun binatang is usually enough.

Is perpustakaan the only word for “library”? Is it formal?

Perpustakaan is the standard word for library, used in both formal and informal contexts:

perpustakaan sekolah – school library
perpustakaan kota – city library

In casual speech, people may shorten or specify:

perpus (slang/short form, from perpustakaan)
- Aku di perpus. – I’m at the library. (informal)

But perpustakaan itself is perfectly normal in everyday conversation and in writing.