Breakdown of Anak-anak melihat kuda di kebun binatang.
di
at
anak
the child
melihat
to see
kebun binatang
the zoo
Questions & Answers about Anak-anak melihat kuda di kebun binatang.
What does each word in Anak-anak melihat kuda di kebun binatang literally mean?
Word by word:
- anak-anak = children (plural of anak = child)
- melihat = to see / see / saw (Indonesian verbs don’t change for tense)
- kuda = horse / a horse / the horse / horses (no singular/plural marking here)
- di = in / at / on (a general preposition for location)
- kebun binatang = zoo (literally: kebun = garden / plantation, binatang = animal → animal garden)
So the structure is basically: children – see – horse – at zoo.
Why is anak-anak doubled? Why not just anak?
In Indonesian, one very common way to show plural (more than one) is reduplication: repeating the noun:
- anak = child
- anak-anak = children
So anak-anak clearly means “children.”
However, Indonesian often allows context to show plural, so you could sometimes see anak used to mean “children” if the context is clear. In this sentence, though, anak-anak is the standard, explicit plural form.
How can kuda mean both “horse” and “horses”? How do I know if it’s singular or plural?