Saya membaca catatan itu berkali-kali sebelum ujian.

I read those notes many times before the exam.

Breakdown of Saya membaca catatan itu berkali-kali sebelum ujian.

• itu: that
• saya: I
• membaca: to read
• sebelum: before
• catatan: the note
• ujian: the exam
• berkali-kali: many times

Questions & Answers about Saya membaca catatan itu berkali-kali sebelum ujian.

How can this Indonesian sentence talk about the past if there is no past tense marker like did or read (past) in English?

Indonesian verbs do not change form for tense. The verb membaca can mean read / reads / is reading / was reading / has read, depending on context.

In this sentence, the time expression sebelum ujian (before the exam) makes it clear that the action happened in the past. If you want to make it extra clear it is past, you can add:

• Saya sudah membaca catatan itu berkali-kali sebelum ujian.
  → I had already read those notes many times before the exam.

But even without sudah, the sentence is naturally understood as past because of sebelum ujian.

What is the difference between baca and membaca? Why do we use membaca here?

Baca is the root verb meaning to read.
Membaca is the meN- form (specifically mem- + baca) and is the normal, standard way to say to read in a full sentence.

• As a dictionary form / root:

  • baca – used in dictionaries, commands, and some casual contexts.
    
    • Baca ini! – Read this!

• As a normal verb in a sentence:

  • Saya membaca buku. – I read a book.

Using just Saya baca catatan itu is also possible in informal speech, but Saya membaca catatan itu sounds more neutral/standard, good for writing, exams, or polite situations.

What exactly does berkali-kali mean, and is it similar to “many times” or “again and again”?

Berkali-kali literally comes from:

• kali = time(s), occasion(s)
• ber- = a prefix often meaning “have / be in the state of / repeatedly”

So berkali-kali means:

• many times
• repeatedly
• over and over again

In your sentence:

• Saya membaca catatan itu berkali-kali sebelum ujian.
  → I read those notes many times / over and over before the exam.

Near synonyms:

• berulang-ulang – repeatedly, over and over (very similar)
• lagi dan lagi – again and again (slightly more emphatic, more informal)

All would sound natural in this kind of context, with small nuance differences.

Where does berkali-kali usually go in the sentence? Could I say Saya berkali-kali membaca catatan itu?

Yes, you can move berkali-kali, but not everywhere is equally natural.

Most natural positions:

1. After the object (as in the original):

   • Saya membaca catatan itu berkali-kali sebelum ujian.

2. Before the verb:

   • Saya berkali-kali membaca catatan itu sebelum ujian.

Both are correct. The first is very common; the second puts a bit more emphasis on the frequency.

Less natural or odd:

• ✗ Saya membaca berkali-kali catatan itu sebelum ujian.
  This sounds awkward; Indonesian usually keeps object and verb together, then puts adverbs around that unit.

General rule: frequency expressions like sering, jarang, berkali-kali usually go:

• before the verb (Saya sering membaca…) or
• after the verb + object (Saya membaca buku itu sering / berkali-kali…)

What does itu in catatan itu do exactly? Is it “that notes,” “those notes,” or “the notes”?

Itu is a demonstrative that usually means that, but very often it works like the in English when you’re talking about something specific and known.

• catatan = note / notes
• catatan itu = that note, those notes, or the note(s) (the specific ones we both know about)

So in context:

• Saya membaca catatan itu berkali-kali sebelum ujian.
  → I read those notes / that set of notes many times before the exam.

Indonesian does not mark singular/plural on the noun itself, so catatan itu can be either singular or plural depending on context.

How do I know if catatan in this sentence means “note” (singular) or “notes” (plural)?

Indonesian nouns generally do not change form for singular vs plural. Catatan can mean:

• a note
• notes

You figure it out from context:

• In a study context, catatan itu most naturally means those notes (your written notes for the exam).
• If you want to be explicitly plural, you can say:
  • catatan-catatan itu – those notes (clearly plural, but can sound a bit formal or emphatic)
• If you want to be clearly singular:
  • sebuah catatan – one note / a note
  • catatan itu – that note (singular, if context makes it clear)

In everyday speech, catatan itu is normally enough, and listeners infer singular or plural from the situation.

Can I drop itu and just say Saya membaca catatan berkali-kali sebelum ujian?

Yes, you can, but the meaning changes slightly.

• Saya membaca catatan itu…
  → I read those specific notes (ones we both know about).

• Saya membaca catatan berkali-kali sebelum ujian.
  → I read notes many times before the exam (notes in general, not clearly the specific set).

So:

• With itu: more definite / specific.
• Without itu: more general / indefinite.

Both are grammatical; choose based on whether the notes are specifically identified.

What does sebelum mean, and can sebelum ujian be placed at the beginning of the sentence?

Sebelum means before (in time).

• sebelum ujian = before the exam

Yes, you can move this phrase:

• Sebelum ujian, saya membaca catatan itu berkali-kali.

This is fully natural and sometimes even preferred if you want to emphasize the time:

• Sebelum ujian (before the exam), saya membaca… (I read…)

So both are correct:

• Saya membaca catatan itu berkali-kali sebelum ujian.
• Sebelum ujian, saya membaca catatan itu berkali-kali.

Does ujian need a word like “a / an / the”? Why is it just ujian, not sebuah ujian or ujian itu?

Indonesian usually doesn’t need an equivalent of a/an/the. The bare noun is fine:

• ujian = exam / an exam / the exam (depending on context)

You add extra words only when needed:

• sebuah ujian – an exam / one exam (emphasizing “one”)
• ujian itu – that exam / the exam (a specific one)
• ujian akhir – final exam
• ujian matematika – math exam

In your sentence, sebelum ujian is naturally understood as before the exam (the upcoming / relevant exam), so just ujian is normal and idiomatic.

What’s the difference between saya and aku? Could I say Aku membaca catatan itu berkali-kali sebelum ujian?

Yes, you can say:

• Aku membaca catatan itu berkali-kali sebelum ujian.

The difference:

• saya

  • Polite, neutral
  • Used in formal situations, with people you don’t know well, at work, in writing, etc.

• aku

  • Informal, intimate
  • Used with friends, family, close people, in casual speech, songs, etc.

Grammatically both work the same. In a textbook or exam, saya is usually preferred. In conversation with friends, aku is very common.

Can Indonesian drop the subject pronoun here, like just saying Membaca catatan itu berkali-kali sebelum ujian?

Yes, Indonesian can omit the subject when it is clear from context, but you need to be careful.

• Saya membaca catatan itu berkali-kali sebelum ujian.
  – Explicitly “I read…”

• Membaca catatan itu berkali-kali sebelum ujian.
  – Literally just “(someone) read those notes many times before the exam.”
  The subject is implied, but not stated.

This kind of subject drop is common:

• In instructions, diaries, informal stories, or when it’s obvious you’re talking about yourself.
• It can sound like note-taking style or a caption:
  
  • “Before the exam, (I) read those notes many times.”

For learners, it’s safer to keep the pronoun (Saya) until you’re comfortable with when omission sounds natural.

If I want to say “I kept reading those notes again and again before the exam,” is the original sentence strong enough, or should I add something?

The original sentence already expresses the idea of repeated effort quite well:

• Saya membaca catatan itu berkali-kali sebelum ujian.
  → I read those notes many times / again and again before the exam.

If you want to emphasize the persistence even more, you can add words like:

• terus (continuously, kept)

  • Saya terus membaca catatan itu berkali-kali sebelum ujian.
    → I kept on reading those notes many times before the exam.

• sampai hafal (until I memorized them)

  • Saya membaca catatan itu berkali-kali sampai hafal sebelum ujian.

But for most purposes, berkali-kali already gives a strong sense of “again and again” or “over and over.”

Is membaca here more like “read” (simple past) or “was reading” (past continuous)?

Indonesian does not grammatically distinguish between simple past and past continuous the way English does. Membaca here can correspond to:

• I read those notes many times… (simple past)
• I was reading those notes over and over… (continuous / repeated action)

The phrase berkali-kali naturally suggests repeated actions over a period of time, so in English you might choose:

• I read those notes many times before the exam.
• I kept reading those notes again and again before the exam.

Both can match the Indonesian sentence, depending on which sounds better in your context.