Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Saya menyimpan catatan di lemari.

menyimpan – keep/store something in a place, often for some time, safely
- menyimpan baju di lemari – keep/store clothes in the cupboard
- can also mean “save” in a more abstract sense, like saving a file
menaruh – to put/place something somewhere (more neutral, focus on the act of putting, not on long‑term storage)
- menaruh buku di meja – put a book on the table

So menyimpan here suggests you intentionally keep those notes there as their usual place, not just put them there for a moment.

How do I know if this sentence is present, past, or future?

Indonesian verbs usually do not change form for tense. Menyimpan stays the same for past, present, or future. The tense is understood from context or from time words.

Saya menyimpan catatan di lemari can mean:

I keep notes in the cupboard. (general habit / present)
I kept notes in the cupboard. (past, if the context is past)
I will keep notes in the cupboard. (less common, but possible with future context)

If the speaker wants to be explicit, they add markers:

Dulu saya menyimpan catatan di lemari. – I used to keep / I kept notes in the cupboard.
Tadi saya sudah menyimpan catatan di lemari. – I (have) already put/kept the notes in the cupboard.
Besok saya akan menyimpan catatan di lemari. – Tomorrow I will keep/put the notes in the cupboard.

Does catatan mean “note” (singular) or “notes” (plural)?

Catatan can be either singular or plural; Indonesian normally doesn’t mark plural on the noun itself.

So Saya menyimpan catatan di lemari could be:

I keep a note in the cupboard.
I keep notes in the cupboard.

Which one is correct depends on context. To show plural more clearly, speakers might say:

banyak catatan – many notes
semua catatan – all the notes

Reduplication (catatan-catatan) is also possible, but in everyday speech people often avoid it unless they need to emphasize the variety or number.

Why is di used here? What is the difference between di and ke?

Di means “in/at/on” and shows location (where something is).
Ke means “to” and shows movement/direction (where something is going).

In Saya menyimpan catatan di lemari, you are talking about the final location of the notes: they are kept in the cupboard. There is no emphasis on movement, so di is correct.

Compare:

Saya menyimpan catatan di lemari. – I keep notes in the cupboard. (location)
Saya membawa catatan ke lemari. – I (am) taking the notes to the cupboard. (movement towards)

What exactly is a lemari? Is it a cupboard, closet, wardrobe, or cabinet?

Lemari is a general word for a piece of furniture with doors (often shelves or compartments inside) used to store things. Depending on context, it can be:

cupboard / cabinet
wardrobe / closet
bookcase with doors
storage cabinet

If you want to be more specific, Indonesian often adds a second noun:

lemari pakaian – wardrobe, clothes cupboard
lemari buku – book cupboard
lemari dapur – kitchen cupboard
lemari es – refrigerator (literally “ice cupboard”)

In your sentence, without more context, lemari can reasonably be translated as cupboard, closet, or cabinet, depending on what fits best in English.

Can I also say di dalam lemari instead of di lemari?

Yes.

di lemari – in/at the cupboard (very common and natural)
di dalam lemari – literally “inside the cupboard”, adding extra emphasis that it is inside

Often, di lemari is enough and already understood as “in the cupboard”.
You might choose di dalam lemari when you want to stress that something is inside, not just on top of or near the cupboard.

Why is saya used? Could I use aku instead, or drop the pronoun?

Saya is a neutral to formal word for “I”. It is safe in almost all situations (polite speech, writing, talking to strangers, etc.).

Saya menyimpan catatan di lemari. – neutral / polite

Aku is more informal / intimate, used with friends, family, or people of the same age in relaxed contexts.

Aku menyimpan catatan di lemari. – sounds more casual

Indonesian also often drops the pronoun when it’s clear from context:

Menyimpan catatan di lemari. – (I) keep notes in the cupboard.

In writing or in an isolated example, we usually keep saya to make the subject clear. In real conversations, speakers might omit it if they’re continuing a topic about themselves.

Is the word order fixed? Could I say Saya catatan menyimpan di lemari?

No, Saya catatan menyimpan di lemari is incorrect in standard Indonesian.

The basic word order is Subject – Verb – Object – (Location/Time), similar to English:

Saya (subject)
menyimpan (verb)
catatan (object)
di lemari (location)

→ Saya menyimpan catatan di lemari.

Other patterns exist for emphasis or style, for example:

Catatan saya simpan di lemari. – The notes, I keep (them) in the cupboard. (emphasis on catatan)

But you cannot just randomly place the words in any order. The normal, neutral form is Saya menyimpan catatan di lemari.

Can menyimpan also be used for “saving” a file on a computer or phone?

Yes. Menyimpan is commonly used for both physical and digital “saving/keeping”.

Examples:

Menyimpan catatan di lemari. – Keeping notes in the cupboard. (physical)
Menyimpan file di komputer. – Saving/storing files on the computer.
Sudah disimpan? – Has it been saved? (e.g. a document)

There are situations where another verb might be more specific:

menabung – to save money in a bank, as savings
mengarsipkan – to archive documents

But menyimpan is the default for “keep/store/save” in many contexts.

There is no word like “the” or “a” in the sentence. How do I know if it’s “the cupboard” or “a cupboard”?

Indonesian does not use articles like “a/an” or “the”. Whether lemari means “a cupboard” or “the cupboard” depends on context.

Saya menyimpan catatan di lemari could be:

I keep notes in a cupboard.
I keep the notes in the cupboard.

If you want to be more specific, Indonesian uses other strategies:

sebuah lemari – a cupboard (one cupboard; sebuah is a classifier)
lemari itu – that/the cupboard (already known or pointed out)
lemari saya – my cupboard
lemari di kamar – the cupboard in the room

But in many cases, just lemari is fine, and the article is decided when translating into English.

What is the difference between menyimpan catatan and menulis catatan?

menyimpan catatan – to keep/store notes (focus on where the notes are kept)
menulis catatan – to write notes (focus on creating or writing them)

So:

Saya menulis catatan. – I write notes.
Saya menyimpan catatan di lemari. – I keep/store the notes in the cupboard.

You might first menulis catatan (write them), then menyimpan catatan di lemari (store them there).

How is menyimpan formed from the base verb, and what does the me- prefix do?

The base (root) verb is simpan – “to keep, to store”.

Indonesian often forms active transitive verbs with the meN- prefix:

meN-
- simpan → menyimpan

For roots starting with s, the meN- prefix typically becomes meny- and the s of the root is dropped in pronunciation/spelling:

meN-
- sapu → menyapu – to sweep
meN-
- sewa → menyewa – to rent
meN-
- simpan → menyimpan – to keep/store

Functionally, meN- turns the root into a normal active verb that takes a direct object:

Saya menyimpan catatan. – I keep/store notes.

So simpan is the root, and menyimpan is the commonly used active form in sentences like this.