Kami makan keripik asin di ruang tamu sambil menonton televisi.

Both kami and kita can mean we, but they are different kinds of we:

• kami = we, but not including the person being spoken to
• kita = we, including the person being spoken to

So Kami makan keripik asin... means the speaker is talking about their group, but the listener is not part of it.

Indonesian verbs usually do not change form for tense the way English verbs do. So makan can mean:

• eat
• are eating
• ate
• were eating

The time is usually understood from:

• context
• time words such as kemarin (yesterday), sekarang (now), besok (tomorrow)

So by itself, Kami makan keripik asin di ruang tamu sambil menonton televisi could mean something like:

• We eat salty chips in the living room while watching television
• We were eating salty chips in the living room while watching television

The exact time depends on context.

In Indonesian, adjectives usually come after the noun they describe.

So:

• keripik asin = salty chips
• literally: chips salty

This is normal Indonesian word order:

• rumah besar = big house
• air dingin = cold water
• buku baru = new book

So keripik asin is the expected order.

It can mean either, depending on context. Indonesian often does not mark singular and plural as strictly as English does.

So keripik can mean:

• a chip
• chips
• some chips

If the speaker really wants to emphasize plural, they might use reduplication:

• keripik-keripik

But in normal speech, this is often unnecessary because context already makes it clear. In this sentence, English naturally translates it as chips.

Indonesian does not use articles the way English does. There is no exact equivalent of the or a/an in most ordinary sentences.

So:

• kami makan keripik asin could mean
  
  • we ate salty chips
  • we ate some salty chips
  • we ate the salty chips

Context tells you which one is most natural.

Sometimes Indonesian can use words like sebuah, seekor, itu, or ini for more specific meanings, but they are not required here.

di here is a preposition meaning in, at, or on, depending on context.

• di ruang tamu = in the living room

Breaking it down:

• di = in/at
• ruang tamu = living room, literally guest room

So the phrase tells you where the action happens.

No. This is an important distinction.

In di ruang tamu, di is written separately because it is a preposition meaning in/at/on.

But the passive prefix di- is written attached to a verb, for example:

• dimakan = eaten
• ditonton = watched

So:

• di ruang tamu = in the living room
• ditonton = watched

A good rule is:

• preposition di → written separately
• passive prefix di- → written together

sambil means something like:

• while
• while also
• at the same time as

It connects two actions happening simultaneously.

So:

• makan keripik asin ... sambil menonton televisi = eating salty chips ... while watching television

It often suggests that one action happens alongside another, usually in a natural, casual way.

Examples:

• Dia minum kopi sambil membaca. = He drinks coffee while reading.
• Mereka berbicara sambil tertawa. = They talk while laughing.

tonton is the base form related to watch.
menonton is the active verb form made with the meN- prefix.

In many sentences, especially when the verb has a direct object, Indonesian commonly uses this active meN- form.

So:

• tonton = base/root form
• menonton = to watch / watching

In this sentence:

• menonton televisi = watching television

This is the normal, natural form here.

The meN- prefix changes shape depending on the first sound of the root word. This is a common Indonesian sound pattern.

With tonton, the initial t drops after the prefix, giving:

• meN- + tonton → menonton

Other examples:

• meN- + tulis → menulis
• meN- + pukul → memukul
• meN- + kirim → mengirim

So menonton follows a regular pattern.

Literally, televisi means television. But in the phrase menonton televisi, it often works like English watch television / watch TV.

So this can mean:

• watching the television set
• watching TV programs

In everyday Indonesian, people also often say:

• nonton TV

That is a more casual version.

Yes, some parts can move, although the original sentence is very natural.

Original:

• Kami makan keripik asin di ruang tamu sambil menonton televisi.

You could also say:

• Kami makan keripik asin sambil menonton televisi di ruang tamu.

Both are understandable, but the placement of di ruang tamu can slightly affect what sounds most closely connected:

• with the original version, in the living room is heard early as the setting for the whole scene
• in the second version, it may sound a little more attached to the second part

So Indonesian word order has some flexibility, but the original sentence is clear and natural.

Usually, yes. Ruang tamu is the normal Indonesian term for living room or sitting room, especially the room used to receive guests.

Literally:

• ruang = room/space
• tamu = guest

So it literally means guest room, but in normal use it often corresponds to living room in English.