Kami menyeberang di penyeberangan dekat kampus.

Both mean we, but they are not interchangeable.

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

So Kami menyeberang... means the speaker and some other people crossed, but the listener was not part of that group.

If the listener also crossed with them, Indonesian would usually use kita instead.

Menyeberang comes from the base word seberang, which relates to the other side or across.

With the prefix meN-, it becomes a verb:

• seberang = across / the other side
• menyeberang = to cross / to go across

So menyeberang means to move from one side to another, such as crossing a road, river, or street.

This is because of how the meN- prefix changes shape depending on the first sound of the root word.

For roots beginning with s, the s often disappears and the prefix becomes meny-.

So:

• seberang
• meN- + seberang
• menyeberang

This sound change is very common in Indonesian. A few similar patterns are:

• sapu → menyapu
• suruh → menyuruh

Yes. Penyeberangan is built from the same root, seberang.

The pattern peN- ... -an often creates a noun related to an action, place, or facility.

So:

• menyeberang = to cross
• penyeberangan = crossing / crossing place / crosswalk / crossing area

In this sentence, di penyeberangan most naturally means at the crossing or at the crosswalk.

Depending on context, penyeberangan can also refer more generally to a crossing point, not only a painted pedestrian crossing.

These are related but not identical.

• menyeberang = to cross

  • Focus on the subject moving across
  • Example idea: We crossed

• menyebrangi = to cross something

  • Focus on the thing being crossed as the object
  • Example idea: We crossed the street

• menyeberangkan = to take/bring something or someone across

  • Often means helping or causing someone/something to cross
  • Example idea: He helped the child cross

So in Kami menyeberang di penyeberangan dekat kampus, the sentence just says we crossed, without directly naming what was crossed.

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

• di penyeberangan = at the crossing

In Indonesian, preposition di is written separately from the following word.

This is different from the prefix di-, which forms passive verbs and is written together:

• di kampus = on campus / at campus
• ditulis = written
• dibuka = opened

A very common learner mistake is mixing these up.

Indonesian does not use articles the way English does.

So kampus can mean:

• campus
• the campus
• a campus

The exact meaning depends on context.

So dekat kampus simply means near campus or near the campus. In natural English translation, you would usually say near the campus or near campus, depending on context.

If you want to make it more specifically that campus, you could say:

• dekat kampus itu = near that campus

Because it is describing which crossing is meant.

• penyeberangan = crossing
• dekat kampus = near the campus

Together:

• penyeberangan dekat kampus = the crossing near the campus

This follows a common Indonesian pattern where a noun is followed by words or phrases that describe it.

So the location phrase comes after the noun it modifies.

It behaves a lot like a preposition here.

• dekat kampus = near the campus

In Indonesian, dekat can describe closeness, but in sentences like this it works very naturally as a location word followed directly by a noun.

Other examples:

• dekat rumah = near the house
• dekat sekolah = near the school

So in this sentence, dekat kampus tells us the location of the crossing.

By itself, it does not mark tense explicitly.

Kami menyeberang di penyeberangan dekat kampus could mean:

• we cross at the crossing near campus
• we crossed at the crossing near campus
• we are crossing at the crossing near campus

The actual time comes from context, or from time words such as:

• kemarin = yesterday
• tadi = earlier
• sekarang = now
• besok = tomorrow

For example:

• Kemarin kami menyeberang di penyeberangan dekat kampus.
  = Yesterday we crossed at the crossing near campus.

Usually, kampus refers to a university or college campus.

So most learners will naturally understand dekat kampus as near the university campus or near campus.

In everyday Indonesian, kampus strongly suggests higher education, not just any school grounds.

Sometimes yes, if the subject is already clear from context.

Indonesian often leaves out subjects when they are understood. So in conversation, someone might simply say:

• Menyeberang di penyeberangan dekat kampus.

But in a full standalone sentence, keeping kami makes it clear who crossed.

So:

• Kami menyeberang... = clear and complete
• Menyeberang... = possible in context, but less explicit

A helpful approximation is:

• men-ye-be-rang

A few pronunciation notes:

• ny sounds like the ny in canyon
• e in me- is often a weak uh sound
• ng at the end is like the sound in sing

So menyeberang is roughly muhn-yeh-buh-rang, though exact pronunciation depends on accent and speaking speed.

Not always.

It often means a place for crossing, and in many contexts that can be a crosswalk or pedestrian crossing. But depending on the situation, it can also refer more generally to a crossing point, such as:

• a road crossing
• a river crossing
• a ferry crossing area

In this sentence, because there is no extra context, many learners would understand it as the crossing or the crosswalk near campus.