Teman saya berasal dari Inggris.

My friend comes from England.

Breakdown of Teman saya berasal dari Inggris.

• teman: the friend
• berasal dari: to come from
• Inggris: English

Questions & Answers about Teman saya berasal dari Inggris.

What does each word in Teman saya berasal dari Inggris literally mean?

Word by word:

• teman = friend
• saya = I / me / my
• teman saya = my friend (literally: friend I)
• berasal = to originate, to come from (talking about origin)
• dari = from
• Inggris = England / English / (often) the UK, depending on context

So the literal structure is: Friend my originates from England → My friend is from England.

Why is it teman saya and not saya teman for “my friend”?

In Indonesian, possession is usually shown by putting the thing owned first, followed by the owner (as a pronoun or noun).

• teman saya = friend + I → my friend
• rumah saya = house + I → my house
• mobil dia = car + s/he → his/her car

So teman saya is correct for “my friend”.
Saya teman would be understood more like “I am a friend” (and even that sounds incomplete and unnatural without more context).

Why is there no word for “is” in the sentence?

Indonesian usually does not use a verb like “to be” (is/am/are) when linking:

• a noun to another noun
• a noun to an adjective
• a noun to a prepositional phrase (like “from England”)

So instead of:

• My friend *is from England*,

Indonesian just says:

• Teman saya berasal dari Inggris.

The linking function of “is” is understood from the structure and from the verb berasal (“originate / come from”), so no separate word like “is” is needed.

What exactly does berasal mean?

Berasal comes from the root asal, which means origin or source.

• asal = origin
• berasal (dari …) = to originate (from …), to have one’s origin (in …)

So berasal dari Inggris literally means “to originate from England”.
It’s often used to talk about where a person, group, or thing originally comes from, not just where they happen to be right now.

Is berasal dari different from just dari? Can I say Teman saya dari Inggris?

Yes, you can say:

• Teman saya berasal dari Inggris.
• Teman saya dari Inggris.

Both are correct and both mean “My friend is from England.”

Nuance:

• berasal dari:
  
  • slightly more formal and explicit about origin
  • common in written Indonesian and slightly more careful speech
• dari alone:
  
  • shorter and more casual
  • very common in everyday conversation

In most everyday contexts, Teman saya dari Inggris is perfectly natural.

Could the sentence mean “My friend is in England” instead of “from England”?

No. Indonesian clearly distinguishes:

• dari = from (origin or starting point)
• di = in / at (location)

So:

• Teman saya berasal dari Inggris. = My friend is from England.
• Teman saya dari Inggris. = My friend is from England.
• Teman saya di Inggris. = My friend is in England.

To talk about current location, you need di, not dari or berasal dari.

Does Inggris mean England, English, or Britain?

In Indonesian, Inggris is used in a few related ways:

• Inggris (country) = England
• bahasa Inggris = English (the language)
• orang Inggris = English person / someone from England

In everyday conversation, Inggris is often used more loosely to refer to the UK / Britain, especially if people aren’t being very precise politically.

If you need to be specific:

• Inggris = England
• Britania Raya or Kerajaan Inggris / Kerajaan Britania Raya = the United Kingdom (more formal terms)

Why is there no word like “a” or “the” (articles) before “friend” or “England”?

Indonesian does not have articles like a, an, the.
Whether you mean “a friend”, “the friend”, or just “friend” is understood from context.

• teman saya can mean:
  • “my friend” (a specific one you both know)
  • “a friend of mine” (not previously specified)

Similarly, Inggris doesn’t need “the”:

• dari Inggris = from England / from the UK (depending on context)

You simply omit “a/the” when speaking Indonesian.

How would I say “My friends are from England” (plural)?

Several options are natural:

1. Explicit plural with repetition:

   • Teman-teman saya berasal dari Inggris.
     
     • teman-teman = friends (plural of teman)

2. Contextual plural (very common in speech):

   • Teman saya berasal dari Inggris.
     Depending on context and intonation, this can mean:
     • “My friend is from England” or
     • “My friends are from England”

If you want to be very clear it’s plural, use teman-teman saya.

Can I replace saya with aku here? Is there any difference?

Yes, grammatically you can say:

• Teman saya berasal dari Inggris.
• Teman aku berasal dari Inggris.

Both can mean “My friend is from England.”
Differences:

• saya

  • more formal / neutral
  • safe in almost any situation (talking to strangers, at work, in class)

• aku

  • more informal / intimate
  • used with close friends, family, or in casual situations

In standard textbooks and formal writing, saya is preferred.

What is the difference between teman, kawan, and sahabat?

All can translate as friend, but with different nuances:

• teman

  • the most common, neutral word for “friend”
  • can range from casual acquaintances to good friends

• kawan

  • similar to teman, but can sound a bit more old-fashioned, regional, or literary depending on context
  • also used in some political or organizational contexts (“comrade”)

• sahabat

  • usually means a very close friend, a best friend or a deep, long-term friendship

In your sentence, Teman saya berasal dari Inggris is the most natural. If you say Sahabat saya berasal dari Inggris, it suggests a very close or best friend from England.

Can I say Saya punya teman dari Inggris instead, and does it mean the same thing?

You can say:

• Saya punya teman dari Inggris.

This means “I have a friend from England.”

Difference in focus:

• Teman saya berasal dari Inggris.

  • Focus on a particular friend you’ve already identified as “my friend”
  • Tells you that this friend’s origin is England

• Saya punya teman dari Inggris.

  • Introduces the existence of such a friend: “I have a friend who is from England.”
  • Sounds more like you’re mentioning this fact for the first time

Both are correct, but they answer slightly different questions:

• “Where is your friend from?” → Teman saya berasal dari Inggris.
• “Do you have any friends from England?” → Saya punya teman dari Inggris.