Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Kami mampir ke toko musik dekat kampus setelah kuliah. - We stop by the music store near campus after class.

kami = we (the speaker and others, but not the person being spoken to)
kita = we (the speaker and others, including the person being spoken to)

So Kami mampir… means “we (not including you) stopped by…”.
If the listener also went to the music store, you would say:

Kita mampir ke toko musik dekat kampus setelah kuliah.

What exactly does mampir mean? Is it just “go”?

Mampir is more specific than just “go”:

Basic idea: to stop by / drop by / pop in somewhere, usually:
- for a short time
- often on the way to or from another place
- not necessarily a big, planned visit

Compare:

Kami pergi ke toko musik… = We went to the music store. (neutral)
Kami mampir ke toko musik… = We stopped by the music store. (suggests a quick or side visit)

So mampir adds the nuance of a brief stop, not the main destination.

Why do we say mampir ke toko musik, not just mampir toko musik?

In this pattern, mampir normally takes a preposition:

mampir ke [place] = stop by (to) [place]
sometimes mampir di [place] is also used

So you say:

Kami mampir ke toko musik… ✔️
not
Kami mampir toko musik… ✖️ (ungrammatical)

Think of ke as similar to “to” in English in this context.

Can I say mampir di toko musik instead of mampir ke toko musik?

Yes, you can:

Kami mampir ke toko musik…
Kami mampir di toko musik…

Both are acceptable and common. Subtle nuance:

ke focuses a bit more on the movement toward the place
di focuses a bit more on being at the place

In everyday speech, both are widely used and usually interchangeable here.

Why is it toko musik without “a” or “the”? How do I say “a music store” vs “the music store”?

Indonesian has no articles like “a” or “the”.
Toko musik on its own can mean:

“a music store”
“the music store”
“music stores” (in general, depending on context)

To be more specific:

sebuah toko musik = a/one music store (emphasizing “one” store)
toko musik itu = that/the music store (the one already known in context)

In the sentence, toko musik dekat kampus is naturally understood as “the music store near campus” or “a music store near campus”, depending on context.

Why is it toko musik dekat kampus and not toko musik yang dekat kampus?

Both are possible:

toko musik dekat kampus
toko musik yang dekat kampus

Differences:

toko musik dekat kampus
- Simple, common in speech
- “the music store near campus” (the whole phrase describes the store)
toko musik yang dekat kampus
- Adds a slight feeling of specifically identifying or contrasting:
  - “the music store that is near campus (not some other one)”
- Feels a bit more explicit or formal

In everyday conversation, toko musik dekat kampus is totally natural and often preferred for simplicity.

Why is it dekat kampus and not di dekat kampus?

Both are used:

dekat kampus = near the campus
di dekat kampus = at/located near the campus

In many everyday sentences, Indonesians drop di and just say dekat [place], especially in speech:

toko musik dekat kampus (very common)
toko musik di dekat kampus (slightly more explicit; also correct)

So the sentence as given is natural and idiomatic.

How do we know this sentence is in the past? There is no past tense marker.

Indonesian usually does not mark tense on the verb. Instead, it uses:

time words (e.g., tadi, kemarin, besok, nanti)
context

Your sentence could be:

past: “We stopped by the music store near campus after class (earlier today).”
habitual: “We (usually) stop by the music store near campus after class.”
planned/future (in the right context): “We’ll stop by the music store near campus after class.”

To make it clearly past, you can add a time word:

Tadi kami mampir ke toko musik dekat kampus setelah kuliah.
“Earlier we stopped by the music store near campus after class.”

What is kuliah here? Is it a noun (“lecture”) or a verb (“to attend class”)?

Kuliah can function as both noun and verb, depending on context.

In setelah kuliah, it’s easiest to understand it as a noun:

setelah kuliah ≈ “after (the) lecture / after class(es)”

You could also make it more explicit:

setelah selesai kuliah = after (we) finish class
setelah perkuliahan = after the lecture(s) (more formal)

In everyday speech, setelah kuliah is very natural for “after class”.

Can I use sesudah instead of setelah? What about habis/abis?

Yes:

setelah and sesudah are near-synonyms and usually interchangeable:
- setelah kuliah
- sesudah kuliah

Both mean “after class”. Many speakers feel a very slight stylistic difference (in some regions sesudah sounds a bit more formal or older), but in practice both are common.

More casual:

habis kuliah or abis kuliah (informal/slang)
Also “after class”, but more colloquial.

Can I drop kami and just say Mampir ke toko musik dekat kampus setelah kuliah?

Yes, Indonesian often drops the subject when it’s clear from context. So:

Kami mampir ke toko musik dekat kampus setelah kuliah.
(Kami) mampir ke toko musik dekat kampus setelah kuliah.

Both are grammatical.

In:

careful/written language → the subject (kami) is often kept
casual conversation → people often drop it if context makes the subject obvious

Is the word order fixed? Can I say Setelah kuliah, kami mampir ke toko musik dekat kampus?

Yes, that is perfectly correct and very natural:

Kami mampir ke toko musik dekat kampus setelah kuliah.
Setelah kuliah, kami mampir ke toko musik dekat kampus.

Indonesian is quite flexible with placing time expressions.
Common patterns:

Time first:
Setelah kuliah, kami mampir ke toko musik dekat kampus.
Time last:
Kami mampir ke toko musik dekat kampus setelah kuliah.

Both are fine; putting the time phrase first slightly emphasizes “after class” as the setting.