Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Kami menguji sensor baru itu dalam simulasi di komputer sebelum memasangnya di robot. - We test the new sensor in a simulation on the computer before installing it on the robot.

Kami menguji sensor baru itu dalam simulasi di komputer sebelum memasangnya di robot.

We test the new sensor in a simulation on the computer before installing it on the robot.

Breakdown of Kami menguji sensor baru itu dalam simulasi di komputer sebelum memasangnya di robot.

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Questions & Answers about Kami menguji sensor baru itu dalam simulasi di komputer sebelum memasangnya di robot.

What is the difference between kami and kita, and why is kami used in this sentence?

Both kami and kita mean we / us, but:

kami = we (excluding the listener)
kita = we (including the listener)

So kami menguji… implies:

We (some group that does not include you, the person I’m talking to) tested the new sensor…

If the speaker wanted to include the listener as part of the team doing the testing, they would say kita menguji sensor baru itu… instead.

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

Menguji means to test.

The base word is uji (test).
The prefix meN- (here realized as meng-) turns it into an active verb: menguji (to test, testing).

So:

uji = (noun/verb root) test
menguji = to test / to run a test on something

You could also hear people informally say ngetes (from English test), but menguji is more standard and formal.

Why is it sensor baru itu, and not itu sensor baru? What is the word order here?

Indonesian noun phrases usually go:

noun + adjective + determiner/demonstrative

So:

sensor = sensor (noun)
baru = new (adjective)
itu = that / the (demonstrative, used here like “that specific one”)

sensor baru itu literally is “sensor new that”, but in natural English it’s:

“that new sensor”
or
“the new sensor” (when context is clear which one)

Itu sensor baru is more like a full sentence:

Itu sensor baru. = That is a new sensor.

So:

sensor baru itu = that particular new sensor (within a noun phrase)
Itu sensor baru. = That is a new sensor. (full clause)

What is the function of itu here? Is it like “the” or “that”?

Itu primarily means that, but it’s also often used to mark something as specific/definite, similar to the in English when context is known.

In sensor baru itu:

It signals a specific sensor already known in the conversation or situation.
Roughly: that new sensor / the new sensor (we talked about / know about)

Without itu:

sensor baru = “a new sensor” / “new sensors” (more general, not clearly one specific known sensor)

So itu here is both “that” and a marker of definiteness.

Why do we say dalam simulasi di komputer and not just di komputer or dengan simulasi komputer?

The phrase is layered:

dalam simulasi = in a simulation / in simulation
di komputer = on the computer (location / platform)

So dalam simulasi di komputer = in a simulation on the computer.

Notes:

dalam literally means inside, but also in (the form of), like:
- dalam percobaan = in an experiment
- dalam teori = in theory
di is for locations:
- di meja = on the table
- di komputer = on the computer

You could say:

dalam simulasi komputer (a computer simulation) – more compact
dengan simulasi komputer (with a computer simulation) – emphasizes the tool/method

The original dalam simulasi di komputer is very clear that:

The activity happens in simulation,
And the simulation runs on a computer.

How does tense work here? How do we know if it means “tested”, “are testing”, or “will test”?

Indonesian verbs usually do not change form for tense. Menguji can mean:

tested (past),
are testing (present),
will test (future),

depending on context.

To be explicit, speakers can add time words:

tadi = earlier
kemarin = yesterday
sekarang = now
nanti = later
akan = will

For example:

Tadi kami menguji sensor baru itu… = We tested that new sensor earlier…
Sekarang kami menguji sensor baru itu… = We are testing that new sensor now…
Nanti kami akan menguji sensor baru itu… = Later we will test that new sensor…

Your sentence by itself is time-neutral; context decides.

What does memasangnya mean, and what is the -nya doing there?

Memasangnya breaks down as:

Base word: pasang = to install / to attach / to fix in place
Prefix: meN- → memasang = to install (actively)
Suffix/pronoun: -nya = it / its / him / her (third-person pronoun attached to the verb)

So memasangnya = to install it.

Here, -nya refers back to sensor baru itu (that new sensor).

Roughly:

sebelum memasangnya di robot = before installing it on the robot

Can I say sebelum memasang itu di robot instead of sebelum memasangnya di robot?

Indonesian almost never uses itu as a direct object pronoun the way English uses it.

itu works best as that / the (one) in a noun phrase: sensor itu, buku itu.
When the object is already known and you want a pronoun, you normally use -nya attached to the verb.

So:

sebelum memasangnya di robot = natural
sebelum memasang sensor baru itu di robot = also natural (repeat the noun)
sebelum memasang itu di robot = grammatically possible but sounds odd / unclear, as itu is just “that” without a noun.

Native speakers strongly prefer memasangnya or repeating sensor baru itu.

What is the difference between memasang and something like menginstal? Both seem to mean “install”.

Both can overlap, but there is a nuance:

memasang:
- basic meaning: to attach, fix, mount, set up
- used for physical things: sensors, wheels, lamps, shelves, etc.
- can also be used for some non-physical setups (e.g. memasang iklan = place an advertisement)
menginstal / meng-install:
- a loan from English install, usually for software / digital installation:
- menginstal aplikasi, menginstal program

For a physical sensor on a robot, memasang is the natural choice:

memasang sensor di robot = to mount/install a sensor on the robot

Why is it di robot and not pada robot? What is the difference between di and pada here?

Both can be possible, but:

di = basic preposition for location, very common and neutral:
- di rumah = at home
- di robot = on the robot
pada = more formal, often abstract or used in written language:
- pada saat itu = at that time
- pada manusia = in humans / on humans

In this sentence, di robot sounds more natural and straightforward:

memasangnya di robot = installing it on the robot

pada robot would sound a bit more formal or technical, but still acceptable in some scientific/technical writing:

memasang sensor pada robot (more written / formal flavor)

Why is there no word for “the” in front of sensor? How does definiteness work in Indonesian?

Indonesian does not have separate words for “a/an” or “the” like English does.

Definiteness is usually shown by:

context (shared knowledge)
demonstratives like itu (that) / ini (this)
sometimes by word order or additional phrases

In your sentence:

sensor baru itu is definite because of itu = “that new sensor / the new sensor (we know about)”.
If you said only sensor baru, it could be a new sensor (non-specific).

So you don’t put a separate word for the; you use itu / ini or just rely on context.

Can sensor, robot, and komputer be plural here, like “sensors”, “robots”, “computers”?

Yes. Indonesian nouns usually do not change form for plural. Plurality is determined by:

context,
numbers,
or repetition (like sensor-sensor).

In this sentence, likely readings are:

sensor baru itu = one specific new sensor (because of itu)
robot could be one robot or multiple robots, but context (and the verb) often implies one main robot.
di komputer usually suggests on a computer / on the computer, but could be more general if context allows.

To be explicitly plural, you could say:

sensor-sensor baru itu = those new sensors
beberapa robot = several robots
di beberapa komputer = on several computers

Why does sebelum come directly before memasangnya? Could I say sebelum kami memasangnya di robot?

Both are possible, but slightly different in structure:

sebelum memasangnya di robot:
- literally: before installing it on the robot
- sebelum is followed by a verb phrase, like English “before installing…”
sebelum kami memasangnya di robot:
- literally: before we install it on the robot
- sebelum is followed by a full clause (subject + verb).

Your original sentence:

Kami menguji … sebelum memasangnya di robot.
- This is very natural and parallels English:
  - “We tested … before installing it on the robot.”

Adding kami after sebelum is allowed, but makes the structure a bit heavier and emphasizes the subject again, which usually isn’t needed because kami is already mentioned at the start.