Saya menulis rencana skripsi di perpustakaan.

I write my thesis plan in the library.

Breakdown of Saya menulis rencana skripsi di perpustakaan.

• saya: I
• di: in
• menulis: to write
• perpustakaan: the library
• rencana skripsi: the thesis plan

Questions & Answers about Saya menulis rencana skripsi di perpustakaan.

In this sentence, does menulis mean am writing, write, or wrote?

Indonesian verbs do not change form for tense, so menulis can mean:

• am writing – present continuous
  
  • Saya menulis rencana skripsi di perpustakaan sekarang.
    I am writing my thesis plan at the library now.
• write – general habit
  
  • Setiap hari saya menulis rencana skripsi di perpustakaan.
    Every day I write my thesis plan at the library.
• wrote – past
  
  • Kemarin saya menulis rencana skripsi di perpustakaan.
    Yesterday I wrote my thesis plan at the library.

The time is shown by context or time words (like kemarin, sekarang, nanti), not by changing menulis.

Do I need to add sedang to say I am writing right now?

You don’t need sedang, but it makes the “right now / in progress” meaning very clear:

• Saya menulis rencana skripsi di perpustakaan.
  → Could be am writing / write / wrote (context decides).
• Saya sedang menulis rencana skripsi di perpustakaan.
  → Clearly I am (currently) writing my thesis plan at the library.

Sedang is optional, but very common when you want to emphasize that the action is in progress.

What is the role of di in di perpustakaan?

Here di is a preposition meaning at / in:

• di perpustakaan = at the library / in the library

Important:

• As a preposition, di is written separately: di perpustakaan, di rumah, di kampus.
• There is also a prefix di- used in passive verbs (like ditulis = is written). That one is written together with the verb.

So:
di perpustakaan (preposition + noun) = correct here.
diperpustakaan = wrong in this sentence.

Why isn’t there a word for the before perpustakaan?

Indonesian has no articles like a/an/the. A bare noun can mean a, the, or just library in general, depending on context:

• Saya di perpustakaan.
  → I’m at the library (usually a specific, known library).
• Ada perpustakaan baru di kota ini.
  → There is a new library in this city.

If you really need to emphasize that specific library, you use context or add something like itu (that):

• Saya menulis rencana skripsi di perpustakaan itu.
  I am writing my thesis plan at that library.

What is the difference between Saya and Aku? Could I say Aku menulis rencana skripsi di perpustakaan?

Both Saya and Aku mean I, but they differ in formality and tone:

• Saya
  
  • Neutral / polite
  • Safe for talking to strangers, teachers, in class, or in writing
• Aku
  
  • More informal / intimate
  • Used with close friends, family, or in songs/poems

So yes, you can say:

• Aku menulis rencana skripsi di perpustakaan.

It just sounds more casual and depends on your relationship with the listener.

What exactly does skripsi mean? Is it the same as thesis?

Skripsi is an Indonesian academic term. Roughly:

• skripsi = undergraduate thesis (bachelor’s level final paper)
• tesis = master’s thesis
• disertasi = PhD dissertation

So rencana skripsi means plan/proposal for (my) undergraduate thesis.
In English, people often just translate skripsi as thesis, even though it’s specifically undergrad in Indonesia.

Why is it rencana skripsi and not skripsi rencana? What is the usual word order?

The usual pattern is:

Head noun + modifier

Here:

• rencana = plan (head noun)
• skripsi = thesis (here it works as a modifier: thesis-related)

So rencana skripsi literally feels like thesis plan or plan (of) thesis.

Skripsi rencana would sound wrong/unnatural here.
If you want to be more explicit, you can also say:

• rencana untuk skripsi
  plan for (my) thesis

Do I need to say rencana skripsi saya to mean my thesis plan?

You can add saya, but it’s not always necessary.

• Saya menulis rencana skripsi di perpustakaan.
  → Usually understood as I’m writing my thesis plan (because it’s natural that you write your own plan).
• Saya menulis rencana skripsi saya di perpustakaan.
  → Explicitly my thesis plan; useful if you want to contrast it with someone else’s, or just be very clear.

So saya for possession is optional when the owner is obvious from context, but it’s never wrong to include it.

Can Saya menulis skripsi di perpustakaan mean the same thing?

Not exactly. There’s a nuance:

• Saya menulis rencana skripsi di perpustakaan.
  → I’m writing the plan/proposal for my thesis.
• Saya menulis skripsi di perpustakaan.
  → I’m writing the thesis itself, not just the plan.

Both sentences are correct, but they refer to different stages of the thesis work.

Can I drop Saya and just say Menulis rencana skripsi di perpustakaan?

Yes, you can drop the subject Saya if it’s clear from context, especially:

• In notes, diaries, messages:
  Menulis rencana skripsi di perpustakaan.
  (I’m) writing my thesis plan at the library.
• In responses where I is already obvious.

However, in full, clear sentences, especially for learners or formal writing, it’s better to keep Saya:

• Saya menulis rencana skripsi di perpustakaan.

When should I use di perpustakaan and when ke perpustakaan?

• di = at / in (location, where something is)
  
  • Saya menulis rencana skripsi di perpustakaan.
    I’m writing my thesis plan at the library.
• ke = to (direction, where you are going)
  
  • Saya pergi ke perpustakaan.
    I’m going to the library.

So use:

• di perpustakaan when the action happens there.
• ke perpustakaan when you’re moving toward the library.

What are the word parts in menulis and perpustakaan, and what do they tell me?

Both are built from roots plus affixes:

1. menulis

   • Root: tulis = write
   • Prefix: meN- → becomes men- before t
   • meN- + tulis → menulis = to write (active verb)

   The meN- prefix often turns a root into an active verb:
   makan → memakan, baca → membaca, etc.

2. perpustakaan

   • Root: pustaka = book / literary work
   • Prefix: per-
   • Suffix: -an
   • per- + pustaka + -an → perpustakaan = library (a place related to books)

Recognizing these patterns helps you guess meanings of new words and see how words are related.