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Ayah mengingatkan saya untuk mematikan notifikasi sebelum belajar di perpustakaan.

Ayah mengingatkan saya untuk mematikan notifikasi sebelum belajar di perpustakaan.
Father reminds me to turn off notifications before studying at the library.
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Questions & Answers about Ayah mengingatkan saya untuk mematikan notifikasi sebelum belajar di perpustakaan.

What does mengingatkan mean here, and why does it have meN- ... -kan?

Mengingatkan means to remind (someone).
It comes from the root ingat (remember) plus:

  • meN- → makes it an active verb (doing the action)
  • -kan → often makes the verb causative / transitive, i.e., cause someone to remember → remind someone

So Ayah mengingatkan saya = Dad reminded me (literally: Dad caused me to remember).

Is mengingatkan always followed by a person (an object), like saya?

Most commonly, yes: mengingatkan + person is very typical because remind usually takes someone who receives the reminder.

  • Ayah mengingatkan saya ... = Dad reminded me ... You can also remind someone about something:
  • Ayah mengingatkan saya tentang tugas. = Dad reminded me about the assignment.

In your sentence, what follows is an instruction using untuk + verb.

Why is it Ayah, not Bapak? Are they interchangeable?

Both can mean father, but the tone differs:

  • Ayah = common, neutral-to-warm, often used within the family
  • Bapak = more formal/respectful; also used to address adult men (like sir) or “father” in formal contexts

So Ayah mengingatkan saya... sounds like a normal family context.

Why does Indonesian use saya here instead of aku?

Both mean I/me, but:

  • saya = more neutral/polite and broadly usable
  • aku = more casual/intimate

In a sentence about a father reminding you, either could appear depending on the relationship and style:

  • Ayah mengingatkan aku... (more casual)
  • Ayah mengingatkan saya... (more neutral/polite)
What is the function of untuk in untuk mematikan?

Untuk introduces a purpose or intended action: to / in order to.
So mengingatkan saya untuk mematikan notifikasi = reminded me to turn off notifications.

Pattern:

  • [verb like remind/ask/tell] + [person] + untuk + [verb]
Why is it mematikan and not just mati or mematikan diri?
  • mati = to die / be off (state), not an action you do to something
  • mematikan = to turn off (something); transitive action

Here you’re doing an action to notifikasi, so mematikan is correct:

  • mematikan lampu = turn off the light
  • mematikan notifikasi = turn off notifications

(mematikan diri would mean something like “to kill oneself,” so it’s not used here.)

Is notifikasi a native Indonesian word? Could I say something else?

Notifikasi is a very common loanword (from notification) and is standard in tech contexts.

Other options depending on context:

  • pemberitahuan = notifications/announcements (more “Indonesian,” but still common) In phone settings, you’ll see both:
  • Notifikasi
  • Pemberitahuan
What does sebelum belajar mean grammatically? Is belajar a noun or verb here?

Sebelum means before and it can be followed by a verb phrase.
So sebelum belajar = before studying.

Here belajar is a verb (“to study”), but the whole phrase functions like a time clause:

  • sebelum + verb = before doing (something)
Why is it di perpustakaan and not ke perpustakaan?

Because the meaning is location, not movement.

  • di = in/at (where something happens)
  • ke = to (direction / going somewhere)

So:

  • belajar di perpustakaan = study at the library
  • pergi ke perpustakaan = go to the library
Could the sentence also mean “before studying while in the library,” or is it “before going to study at the library”?

The most natural reading is: turn off notifications before studying at the library (i.e., once you’re about to study there).

If you want to clearly mean before going to the library, you’d typically say something like:

  • Ayah mengingatkan saya untuk mematikan notifikasi sebelum pergi ke perpustakaan untuk belajar.
    = Dad reminded me to turn off notifications before going to the library to study.

Your original sentence focuses on the studying event in the library.

Can I drop untuk and still be correct?

Often, yes, in casual usage, especially when the meaning is clear:

  • Ayah mengingatkan saya mematikan notifikasi... (less formal, still commonly understood)

But untuk is very standard and makes the structure clearer, especially for learners:

  • mengingatkan [someone] untuk [do something]
What’s the role of -kan vs -i in verbs like this? Could it be mengingati?

For this meaning, mengingatkan is the correct common verb for remind.

Very roughly:

  • ingat = remember (state/action of remembering)
  • mengingatkan (someone) = remind (cause someone to remember)

Mengingati exists but is much less common and has different, context-dependent meanings (often “to remember someone/something repeatedly/with attention”), and it’s not the normal verb for “remind someone to do X.”

How would I negate this sentence?

To negate the reminder:

  • Ayah tidak mengingatkan saya untuk mematikan notifikasi sebelum belajar di perpustakaan.
    = Dad didn’t remind me to turn off notifications before studying at the library.

To negate the action (turning off notifications):

  • Ayah mengingatkan saya untuk tidak mematikan notifikasi sebelum belajar di perpustakaan.
    = Dad reminded me not to turn off notifications before studying at the library.