Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Saya belajar di depan komputer setiap malam. - I study in front of the computer every night.

Literally it means “at the front (of)” or “in front of”.
It behaves like a phrase, not a single word, and you usually keep di and depan together.

Why is di used here? How is it different from other words like ke or pada?

In this sentence, di marks a location: you are at a place.

di = at / in / on (static location)
- di depan komputer = at/in front of the computer
ke = to (movement/direction)
- ke depan komputer = (going) to the front of the computer
pada = more abstract “at / on” (often with time, people, or more formal contexts)
- pada malam hari (on/at night), pada beliau (to him/her, formal)

Here you’re not moving anywhere; you’re just located in front of the computer, so di is correct.

Can setiap malam go at the beginning of the sentence instead of the end?

Yes. Both are natural:

Saya belajar di depan komputer setiap malam.
Setiap malam, saya belajar di depan komputer.

Putting setiap malam at the beginning can slightly emphasize the time (every night), but grammatically both positions are fine and common.

Is saya necessary here, or can it be left out?

You can leave saya out if context makes it clear who the subject is:

Saya belajar di depan komputer setiap malam.
Belajar di depan komputer setiap malam. (subject understood as “I” or “we”, depending on context)

Indonesian often drops pronouns when they’re obvious, but for learners it’s safe and clear to keep saya.

Does belajar mean “study” or “learn”? How is it used?

Belajar covers both “to study” and “to learn”, depending on context:

Saya belajar di depan komputer. = I study / I am studying in front of the computer.
Dia belajar bahasa Indonesia. = He/She is learning/studying Indonesian.

If you want to say you study a subject, you can say:

Saya belajar matematika. = I study mathematics.
Saya belajar komputer. = I study computer (as a subject), context needed for “computer science”.

Why isn’t there a word for “the” before komputer?

Indonesian has no articles like “the” or “a/an”.
So komputer can mean “a computer” or “the computer”, depending on context.

If you want to be more specific, you can add extra words:

komputer itu = that/the computer (already known/resumed)
satu komputer = one computer But usually context is enough, like in this sentence.

Is komputer singular or plural here? How would I say “computers”?

On its own, komputer is number-neutral: it can mean “computer” or “computers”.

To make it clearly plural, you can:

para komputer – not used; for people, not objects
use a number or quantity: dua komputer (two computers), banyak komputer (many computers)
or repeat the noun: komputer-komputer (computers), though for everyday things numbers/quantifiers are more common.

In di depan komputer, we normally understand it as “in front of the computer” (a specific one you’re using).

Is there any difference between setiap malam and tiap malam?

They mean the same: “every night”.

setiap malam – slightly more formal/neutral
tiap malam – a bit more casual/colloquial

Both are correct and widely used in speech and writing.

How does this sentence show tense? How do I know it’s present and not past or future?

Indonesian doesn’t change the verb for tense. Belajar stays the same.

Time is indicated by context and time words:

setiap malam (every night) suggests a habitual present action: I study every night.
If you wanted past, you could add dulu or tadi; for future, nanti or besok, etc.

So the combination of belajar + setiap malam gives the meaning of a regular present habit.

Is malam here “night” or “evening”, and can it also mean “tonight”?

Malam literally means “night”, but in everyday use it often covers what English calls “evening” too.

setiap malam = every night/every evening
malam ini = tonight / this evening

In this sentence, setiap malam is best understood as “every night (or every evening)” as a regular time period.