Saya menyimpan uang tunai di dompet kecil.

I keep cash in a small wallet.

Breakdown of Saya menyimpan uang tunai di dompet kecil.

• sebuah: a
• saya: I
• di: in
• kecil: small
• dompet: the wallet
• uang: the money
• tunai: cash
• menyimpan: to save

Questions & Answers about Saya menyimpan uang tunai di dompet kecil.

Why do we need saya? Can the subject I be dropped?

In Indonesian, subject pronouns like saya are often optional when the context is clear.

• Saya menyimpan uang tunai di dompet kecil.
  = I keep cash in a small wallet.

If it’s already clear that you are talking about yourself (from previous sentences or context), you could simply say:

• Menyimpan uang tunai di dompet kecil.

This would usually be understood as I keep / am keeping cash in a small wallet, not you or he/she, unless the context says otherwise.

Using saya is:

• more explicit and clear
• neutral and polite
• common in writing and formal speech

Dropping saya is:

• more conversational
• natural in spoken Indonesian if the subject is understood

What is the difference between menyimpan, menaruh, and menabung?

All three involve putting/keeping something, but the nuance is different:

• menyimpan (root: simpan): to keep/store/save (for some time), often with an idea of safekeeping

  • Saya menyimpan uang tunai di dompet kecil.
    I keep cash in a small wallet (where it stays).

• menaruh: to put/place (a one‑time action, more neutral)

  • Saya menaruh uang di meja.
    I put the money on the table (no idea of long‑term storage).

• meletakkan: to put down / lay down (similar to menaruh, often more formal/literal)

  • Dia meletakkan dompet di kursi.
    He/She put the wallet on the chair.

• menabung: to save money in a bank or as savings (not physical storage in a wallet)

  • Saya menabung di bank.
    I save money in the bank.

So in your sentence, menyimpan is appropriate because you are keeping the cash in the wallet for safekeeping, not just quickly putting it somewhere.

What is the difference between uang and uang tunai?

• uang = money (general: can be cash, bank balance, digital money, etc.)
• uang tunai = cash (physical money: coins and banknotes)

Examples:

• Saya tidak punya banyak uang.
  I don’t have much money. (general)
• Saya tidak punya uang tunai.
  I don’t have cash. (maybe I still have money in my bank account)

Colloquial alternatives:

• duit = slang/casual word for money
  
  • Saya nggak bawa duit. (very informal)

Why is it di dompet kecil and not ke dompet kecil?

The difference is:

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

Your sentence:

• Saya menyimpan uang tunai di dompet kecil.
  Focus: where the cash is kept → in a small wallet (location)

If you focus on the movement into the wallet, you’d usually say:

• Saya memasukkan uang tunai ke dalam dompet kecil.
  I put the cash into the small wallet.

So:

• di dompet kecil → in the small wallet (location)
• ke dalam dompet kecil → into the small wallet (direction + entering)

Why is it dompet kecil and not kecil dompet?

In Indonesian, the normal order is:

noun + adjective

So:

• dompet kecil = small wallet
• mobil merah = red car
• rumah besar = big house

Putting the adjective first (like kecil dompet) is incorrect in standard Indonesian.
So you should always say dompet kecil, not kecil dompet.

Could I say dompet yang kecil instead of dompet kecil? What’s the difference?

Both are grammatically correct, but they feel slightly different:

• dompet kecil
  = a small wallet (simple description)

• dompet yang kecil
  = the wallet that is small / the small wallet (with a bit more emphasis or contrast)

You would use dompet yang kecil when you are distinguishing it from other wallets:

• Saya punya dua dompet. Saya menyimpan uang tunai di dompet yang kecil.
  I have two wallets. I keep the cash in the one that’s small.

In your original sentence, if there is no contrast or choice, dompet kecil is more natural and neutral.

Why is there no a or the in front of dompet kecil?

Indonesian does not use articles like a/an or the.

So dompet kecil can mean:

• a small wallet
• the small wallet depending on context.

If you really want to emphasize “one small wallet”, you can add a classifier:

• di sebuah dompet kecil = in a small wallet (one specific wallet)

But sebuah is optional. In everyday speech, people normally just say di dompet kecil and let context show whether it’s a or the.

How do I know the tense? Does Saya menyimpan mean I keep, I am keeping, or I kept?

Indonesian verbs do not change form for tense.
Saya menyimpan can mean:

• I keep
• I am keeping
• I kept
• I have kept
• I will keep (in some contexts)

The tense comes from:

• context, and/or
• time words added to the sentence.

Examples:

• Tadi saya menyimpan uang tunai di dompet kecil.
  Earlier I kept/put the cash in the small wallet. (past)
• Sekarang saya menyimpan uang tunai di dompet kecil.
  Now I keep/am keeping cash in a small wallet. (present)
• Besok saya akan menyimpan uang tunai di dompet kecil.
  Tomorrow I will keep/put cash in a small wallet. (future)
• Saya sedang menyimpan uang tunai…
  I am in the process of keeping/putting cash… (progressive, with sedang)

So the base form menyimpan itself does not mark tense.

Is saya the only way to say I? What about aku or gue?

Indonesian has several words for I / me, with different levels of formality and regional flavor:

• saya

  • neutral, polite, standard
  • used in most formal and semi‑formal situations, writing, talking to strangers

• aku

  • informal/neutral, more intimate
  • used with friends, family, in songs, in many parts of Indonesia

• gue / gua / gw

  • very informal, Jakarta slang
  • used among close friends in certain urban areas

Your sentence could become:

• Aku menyimpan uang tunai di dompet kecil. (friendlier, more intimate)
• Gue nyimpen uang cash di dompet kecil. (very informal, slangy)

For learners, saya is the safest default in most situations.

Can I say Saya simpan uang tunai di dompet kecil instead of Saya menyimpan …?

Yes, Saya simpan uang tunai di dompet kecil. is grammatical, but the nuance shifts slightly.

• menyimpan is the standard verb form with the meN- prefix.
• simpan is the root; using it directly like this is more:
  • terse
  • sometimes more written/literary
  • in some contexts, sounds like a plan or decision: “I’ll keep…”

Compare:

• Saya menyimpan uang tunai di dompet kecil.
  Neutral statement: I keep cash in a small wallet.
• Saya simpan uang tunai di dompet kecil.
  Can sound like: This is what I will do with it / This is how I handle it.

You’ll most often hear and see menyimpan in neutral statements.

What exactly does dompet mean? Is it wallet or purse or bag?

dompet is usually:

• a wallet (for money, cards, small items)
• a small purse or clutch (again, for money/cards)

It is not a large handbag or backpack. For those, you’d say:

• tas = bag (general; handbag, school bag, etc.)
• tas tangan = handbag (literally: hand bag)
• ransel = backpack
• kantong = pocket / bag (plastic bag, etc.)

So dompet kecil is a small wallet or small purse, not a big bag.

Is there any difference between di dompet kecil and di dalam dompet kecil?

Both are correct and often interchangeable:

• di dompet kecil
  = in the small wallet (very common and natural)

• di dalam dompet kecil
  = inside the small wallet (adds a bit of emphasis on “inside”)

Use di dalam if you want to stress inside as opposed to on or at something. In everyday speech, di dompet kecil is usually enough.