Breakdown of Adik saya menulis observasi singkat tentang setiap rasi di buku catatan.
Questions & Answers about Adik saya menulis observasi singkat tentang setiap rasi di buku catatan.
In Indonesian, the normal order is:
- Noun + possessor
So you say:
- adik saya = my younger sibling
- rumah saya = my house
- teman saya = my friend
Putting saya before the noun (saya adik) is not how possession is normally expressed and sounds wrong in this context.
You can think of adik saya literally as younger sibling of mine. The possessor (saya) usually comes after the thing possessed.
Adik means younger sibling, without specifying gender. It just tells you the person is younger than the speaker.
- If you want to be clear it’s a brother: adik laki-laki (younger brother)
- If you want to be clear it’s a sister: adik perempuan (younger sister)
So adik saya could mean:
- my younger brother
- my younger sister
You only know the gender from context or by adding laki-laki / perempuan.
All three can express possession, but with different forms and nuances:
adik saya – neutral, common, works in almost any situation.
- Used a lot in both spoken and written Indonesian.
adikku – also means my younger sibling, but:
- The suffix -ku is more personal, often slightly more intimate/informal.
- Common in speech, texting, and in narratives (stories, novels).
saya punya adik – literally I have a younger sibling:
- This focuses on having a younger sibling, not on what the sibling is doing.
- You wouldn’t normally use this structure in your sentence; you’re talking about what the sibling does, so you refer to them as adik saya (subject), not saya punya adik.
In your sentence, Adik saya menulis … is the natural choice because it puts adik saya as the subject doing the action.
Yes, menulis is a transitive verb here. The structure is:
- Adik saya – subject
- menulis – verb
- observasi singkat tentang setiap rasi – direct object (what is written)
- di buku catatan – adverbial phrase of location (where it’s written)
So we can label it like this:
- Adik saya (S)
- menulis (V)
- observasi singkat tentang setiap rasi (O)
- di buku catatan (Adv)
Indonesian word order here is similar to English: Subject – Verb – Object – (Adverbial).
In Indonesian, adjectives almost always come after the noun:
- observasi singkat = short observation
- buku tebal = thick book
- langit gelap = dark sky
Putting the adjective before the noun (singkat observasi) is incorrect in standard Indonesian.
So the pattern is:
- noun + adjective
That’s why you say observasi singkat, not singkat observasi.
By default, Indonesian nouns are number-neutral: they don’t show singular or plural unless you add something.
- observasi can mean an observation or observations, depending on context.
To make plurality clear, you can add words like:
- beberapa observasi = several observations
- banyak observasi = many observations
- dua observasi = two observations
In your sentence, observasi singkat could be understood as:
- one short observation per constellation (probably intended) or
- short observations in general
If you wanted to stress multiple observations in Indonesian, you could say:
- Adik saya menulis beberapa observasi singkat tentang setiap rasi di buku catatan.
= My younger sibling wrote several short observations about each constellation in the notebook.
Both are correct; the difference is nuance and style:
observasi
- Borrowed from English observation.
- Sounds a bit more technical/academic or “scientific” in some contexts.
pengamatan
- Native/derivational Indonesian from amat (to observe).
- Very common in both everyday and academic language.
So you could also say:
- Adik saya menulis pengamatan singkat tentang setiap rasi di buku catatan.
Both sentences are fine. Choice depends on context and the tone you want (loanword vs native word).
tentang means about / regarding:
- observasi singkat tentang setiap rasi = short observations about each constellation
You can often replace tentang with mengenai:
- observasi singkat mengenai setiap rasi
Differences:
- tentang – very common, neutral, a bit more colloquial in everyday speech.
- mengenai – slightly more formal/“written” in feel, but still common in speech.
In most cases they’re interchangeable, and both are okay in your sentence.
- setiap = each / every (emphasizes individuals one by one)
- semua = all (emphasizes the group as a whole)
So:
- tentang setiap rasi = about each constellation (one by one, individually)
- tentang semua rasi = about all the constellations (as a whole set)
Your sentence tentang setiap rasi suggests:
- there is one short observation per constellation, or at least that each individual constellation is discussed.
rasi is short for rasi bintang, which literally means star constellation.
- rasi bintang = constellation (more explicit)
- rasi = constellation (shortened, but understood in context)
In many contexts, rasi alone is enough if it's clear you’re talking about constellations. Saying:
- tentang setiap rasi is natural.
- tentang setiap rasi bintang is also correct and slightly more explicit.
di is a preposition that usually means in / at / on and indicates a location, not movement.
- di buku catatan = in the notebook / in a notebook
Key points:
- di = location (where something is)
- ke = direction / movement to (to / toward)
- dalam = in / inside (often a bit more “inside-ness” or more formal)
You’re describing where the observations are written, not the action of moving something into the notebook. So di buku catatan is normal.
You could say di dalam buku catatan, but that sounds a bit heavier and is rarely needed for something like writing in a notebook. Everyday Indonesian just uses di buku catatan.
buku catatan is a compound noun:
- buku = book
- catatan = notes / a record
Together:
- buku catatan = notebook (literally “book of notes”)
Some similar patterns:
- buku pelajaran = textbook (book of lessons)
- kartu kredit = credit card (card of credit)
- rumah sakit = hospital (house of sickness)
You could say buku alone (book) or catatan alone (notes), but buku catatan specifically suggests an item used for writing and keeping notes — a notebook.
The most natural word order is:
- Adik saya menulis observasi singkat tentang setiap rasi di buku catatan.
Typical pattern: Subject – Verb – Object – (place/time)
You technically can move di buku catatan earlier, but many other positions sound awkward or can be misread:
- Adik saya di buku catatan menulis observasi singkat …
→ sounds like my younger sibling in the notebook (wrong interpretation).
To emphasize location, you might front it with a pause in speech or extra context:
- Di buku catatan, adik saya menulis observasi singkat tentang setiap rasi.
But in normal, unmarked sentences, the original order (location phrase last) is the smoothest and most common.
Indonesian verbs generally don’t change form for tense. menulis can mean:
- writes
- is writing
- wrote
- will write
You get tense from context or time words. For example:
Tadi malam adik saya menulis observasi singkat …
= Last night my younger sibling wrote short observations … (past)Sekarang adik saya menulis observasi singkat …
= Now my younger sibling is writing short observations … (present, in progress)Besok adik saya akan menulis observasi singkat …
= Tomorrow my younger sibling will write short observations … (future)
Without extra words, Adik saya menulis observasi singkat … can be interpreted as a general statement or as past, depending on surrounding context.
The sentence is neutral and standard, suitable for:
- spoken Indonesian in a relatively careful/standard style
- school assignments, essays
- explanations, narratives
It’s not very slangy, and not extremely formal either. A bit more casual speech might use slightly different vocabulary or shortenings, but your sentence is perfectly natural for most everyday and written contexts.