Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Saya menekan tombol volume di remot. - I press the volume button on the remote.

Saya means I and is the standard, polite, neutral word for I in Indonesian. It’s safe in almost all situations (talking to strangers, in class, at work, etc.).

Aku also means I, but it is more informal and intimate. It’s used:

with close friends
with family
sometimes in songs, social media, etc.

You could say:

Aku menekan tombol volume di remot.

Grammatically it’s fine, but it sounds more casual. The choice between Saya and Aku depends on how formal or close the situation is, not on grammar.

Why is there no word for the in this sentence? How do we know it’s “the volume button” and not “a volume button”?

Indonesian normally does not use articles like the or a/an. The noun tombol volume can mean:

the volume button
a volume button
volume buttons (depending on context)

Context tells you which one is meant. In this sentence, because we talk about a specific, known button on the remote, we naturally translate it as:

I pressed the volume button on the remote.

If you really need to emphasize a specific one, you can use itu (that) or -nya:

Saya menekan tombol volume itu. = I pressed that volume button.
Saya menekan tombol volumenya. = I pressed the volume button / its volume button.

How do we know the tense? Can this sentence mean past, present, or future?

Indonesian verbs do not change form for tense. Saya menekan tombol volume di remot is tense-neutral.

It can mean:

I pressed the volume button on the remote. (past)
I am pressing the volume button on the remote. (present)
I press the volume button on the remote. (habitual)

We figure out the time from context or from extra time words:

Tadi saya menekan tombol volume di remot. = I just now pressed…
Sekarang saya menekan tombol volume di remot. = I am now pressing…
Nanti saya menekan tombol volume di remot. (more natural: Nanti saya akan menekan…) = I will press…

What exactly does menekan mean, and how is it formed?

Menekan means to press (physically) or to put pressure on (physically or emotionally).

It comes from the base verb tekan (press) plus the prefix meN-:

tekan (base) → menekan (to press)

The prefix meN- generally turns a base word into an active verb:

baca → membaca (to read)
tulis → menulis (to write)
tekan → menekan (to press)

Some related uses:

Physical: menekan tombol = to press a button
Figurative: menekan harga = to press / suppress prices
Emotional: menekan perasaan = to suppress feelings

Is the word order fixed? Could I say Saya menekan di remot tombol volume?

The natural word order in this sentence is:

Subject – Verb – Object – Location

Saya (subject)
menekan (verb)
tombol volume (object)
di remot (location phrase)

So:

Saya menekan tombol volume di remot. ✅

Saying Saya menekan di remot tombol volume is ungrammatical/very unnatural, because di remot (location) is splitting the verb from its object.

In general, keep:

Verb + its object together: menekan tombol
Then add place/time: di remot, kemarin, etc.

Example patterns:

Saya membaca buku di kamar. = I read a book in the room.
Dia membeli mobil kemarin. = He/She bought a car yesterday.

What does tombol volume literally mean, and why does volume come after tombol?

Literally:

tombol = button
volume = volume

Indonesian noun phrases usually go Head + Modifier:

tombol volume = button (of) volume → volume button
tombol power = power button
tombol lampu = light button / light switch

So:

English: volume button (modifier → head)
Indonesian: tombol volume (head → modifier)

Why is the preposition di used with remot? Does di remot mean “on the remote” or “at the remote”?

Di is a general preposition for location, often translated as in, at, or on depending on context.

Di remot here means on the remote (control), because we’re talking about a button located on that object.

Similar examples:

di meja = on/at the table
di dinding = on the wall
di layar = on the screen
di pintu = at the door / on the door

So di remot is naturally translated as on the remote in English, even though the Indonesian word di is very general.

Is remot the standard word? I’ve also seen remote and remote control.

Remot is a common colloquial Indonesian spelling and pronunciation for remote control. You will hear it all the time in everyday speech:

Tolong ambil remot TV. = Please get the TV remote.

More formal / explicit forms:

remote (often pronounced like remot anyway)
remote control
remot TV, remot AC, etc. for clarity

All are understood, but:

In speech: remot is very frequent.
In writing, especially formal: you might see remote or remote control.

Could I add -nya and say tombol volumenya? Would that change the meaning?

Yes, you can say:

Saya menekan tombol volumenya.

Adding -nya often makes the noun definite (like the / its):

Possible nuances:

tombol volume = a/the volume button (neutral)
tombol volumenya = the volume button / its volume button (more specific, known to both speaker and listener)

In context, Saya menekan tombol volumenya di remot might sound like:

I pressed the volume button on it (on that device/remote we both know).

Without context, tombol volume is already fine and natural; -nya is optional and adds a slight sense of that particular one.

Can I omit Saya and just say Menekan tombol volume di remot?

Yes, you can drop the subject when it is clear from context. Spoken Indonesian often omits pronouns when obvious:

(Saya) menekan tombol volume di remot.
(Dia) menekan tombol volume di remot.

However, if you’re writing a standalone sentence or it’s not clear who did the action, keeping Saya is safer and clearer. In a conversation where you’re already talking about your actions, the shorter version is natural:

Terus kamu ngapain? – So what did you do then?
Menekan tombol volume di remot. – (I) pressed the volume button on the remote.

Are there more casual ways to say menekan tombol in everyday speech?

Yes. In informal / colloquial Indonesian, people often use:

mencet tombol or pencet tombol = press a button
nekan tombol (shortening of menekan) = press a button

Examples:

Aku pencet tombol volume di remot. (very casual)
Aku nekan tombol volume di remot.

Menekan is neutral and appropriate in both spoken and written Indonesian. Pencet and nekan are more casual, used with friends and family.

Is tombol only for physical buttons, or can it be used metaphorically like “button” in English?

Tombol is primarily for physical buttons:

tombol volume = volume button
tombol power = power button
tombol keyboard = keyboard key

It is occasionally used metaphorically, but much less than in English. For example:

menekan tombol yang salah can be literal, or in some contexts used figuratively (hitting the wrong button, i.e., doing the wrong thing), but this is less common/more playful than in English.

If you want metaphorical uses like “He pushes my buttons,” Indonesians would usually express it differently, e.g.:

Dia bikin saya kesal. = He makes me annoyed. Not literally with tombol.

How do you pronounce the words in Saya menekan tombol volume di remot?

Approximate pronunciation (Indonesian has very regular spelling):

Saya = SAH-yah
- sa as in salsa, ya like yard (short)
menekan = muh-NEH-kahn
- me like met (but shorter), ne as in net, kan like KAHN
tombol = TOM-bol
- tom like Tom, bol like bowl but with a short o
volume (Indonesian style) = VOH-loo-meh
- all vowels short; not like English volume
di = dee (like the letter D)
remot = REH-mot
- re like red (short), mot like moth without th

Word stress is fairly even; if anything, light stress is usually on the second-to-last syllable: me-NE-kan, VO-lu-me, RE-mot.