Kucing saya melompat ke atas meja.

the cat

Breakdown of Kucing saya melompat ke atas meja.

• saya: my
• meja: the table
• melompat: to jump

Questions & Answers about Kucing saya melompat ke atas meja.

Why does saya come after kucing instead of before it?

In Indonesian, possessors usually come after the noun.

• kucing saya = my cat
• literally: cat my

This is the normal pattern:

• rumah saya = my house
• buku saya = my book

So kucing saya is the natural Indonesian way to say my cat.

What does melompat mean, and why isn’t it just lompat?

Melompat means to jump.

It comes from the base word lompat, which is related to the idea of jumping. The prefix me- often turns a base into an active verb.

So:

• lompat = jump / to jump as a base form
• melompat = to jump, to be jumping

In a full sentence, melompat sounds more natural and complete as the verb:

• Kucing saya melompat. = My cat jumped / is jumping.

You may also hear lompat in commands or more casual contexts:

• Lompat! = Jump!

Does melompat mean jumped, jumps, or is jumping?