Learn Hardcore Malay: Kami menyeberang jalan ke kafe kecil itu.

In Kami menyeberang jalan ke kafe kecil itu, kami tells you that the speaker and some other people crossed the road, but the listener was not part of that group.

If the speaker wanted to include the listener (for example, “We (you and I) crossed the road to that small café”), they would say:

Kita menyeberang jalan ke kafe kecil itu.

What does menyeberang mean exactly, and how is it formed?

Menyeberang means to cross (go from one side to the other), especially for roads, rivers, etc.

It comes from:

base word: seberang (the opposite side / across)
prefix: meN- (a common verb-forming prefix)

The meN- prefix changes shape depending on the first letter of the root. For roots starting with s, meN- often becomes meny-, and the s disappears:

meN- + seberang → menyeberang

So menyeberang literally has the sense of “to go to the opposite side” → to cross.

Can I also say menyeberangi jalan instead of menyeberang jalan?

Yes, both are possible, but there is a nuance:

menyeberang jalan
Very common, everyday speech. Jalan is just the thing you are crossing.
menyeberangi jalan
Feels slightly more formal or “complete”; the suffix -i makes jalan clearly the direct object of the action.

In everyday conversation, Kami menyeberang jalan ke kafe kecil itu is perfectly natural.
Kami menyeberangi jalan ke kafe kecil itu is correct too, just a bit more formal or “bookish”.

What does jalan mean here? Does it mean “road” or “to walk”?

Jalan can be both a noun and a verb in Malay:

As a noun: jalan = road, street
As a verb: jalan = to walk, to go (on foot)

In Kami menyeberang jalan ke kafe kecil itu, jalan is a noun:
they are crossing a road/street, not “crossing a walk”.

So the structure is:

menyeberang (to cross) + jalan (road)

Why do we use ke before kafe kecil itu? What does ke mean?

Ke is a preposition meaning to / towards (movement to a place).

In this sentence:

ke kafe kecil itu = to that small café

So the pattern is:

menyeberang jalan ke X = to cross the road to X

Compare with:

di = at / in / on (no movement)
- di kafe kecil itu = at that small café
ke arah = towards (in the direction of, not necessarily arriving)
- ke arah kafe kecil itu = towards that small café

Why is the word order kafe kecil itu and not itu kafe kecil?

Malay noun phrases usually follow this order:

Noun
Adjective(s)
Demonstrative (ini / itu)

So:

kafe = café (noun)
kecil = small (adjective)
itu = that (demonstrative)

Put together:

kafe kecil itu = that small café

If you say itu kafe kecil, it sounds unusual and is not the normal way to say that small café.
It might be used only in very specific, marked structures (e.g. certain emphatic or poetic contexts), but as a basic phrase, you should stick to:

kafe kecil itu (that small café)
kafe kecil ini (this small café)

What is the difference between itu and ini in this kind of phrase?

Ini and itu are demonstratives:

ini = this (near the speaker / just mentioned / “current”)
itu = that (farther away / previously mentioned / “that one there”)

They come after the noun phrase:

kafe kecil ini = this small café
kafe kecil itu = that small café

Itu can also be used for something already known in context, even if it’s not physically far, similar to English that when you refer back to something specific:

Kami menyeberang jalan ke kafe kecil itu.
= We crossed the road to that small café (the one both speaker and listener already know about).

How do I know the tense? Does Kami menyeberang jalan ke kafe kecil itu mean past, present, or future?

The verb menyeberang itself does not show tense. Malay usually leaves tense to context or adds time words.

Kami menyeberang jalan ke kafe kecil itu by itself can mean:

We crossed the road to that small café. (past)
We are crossing the road to that small café. (present, with suitable context)
We will cross the road to that small café. (future, but this is less likely without a time marker)

To make the time explicit, you add adverbs:

Tadi kami menyeberang jalan ke kafe kecil itu.
Earlier we crossed the road to that small café.
Sekarang kami menyeberang jalan ke kafe kecil itu.
Now we are crossing the road to that small café.
Nanti kami akan menyeberang jalan ke kafe kecil itu.
Later we will cross the road to that small café.

Can I drop kami and just say Menyeberang jalan ke kafe kecil itu?

Yes, it’s possible to drop the subject pronoun when it’s clear from context, especially in casual speech.

Kami menyeberang jalan ke kafe kecil itu.
Explicitly says we crossed the road.
Menyeberang jalan ke kafe kecil itu.
Could mean (We/they/I) crossed the road to that small café, depending on context.

In writing or when first introducing the action, it’s more natural and clearer to keep kami.

Is kafe the usual word, or would people say something else like kedai kopi?

Kafe is a common, modern loanword (from café) and is widely understood, especially for Western-style cafés.

Other options:

kedai kopi = coffee shop (often more local / traditional)
warung = small stall / simple eatery
restoran = restaurant

So, depending on the type of place:

kafe kecil itu = that small café
kedai kopi kecil itu = that small coffee shop

Could I say Kami melintas jalan ke kafe kecil itu instead of menyeberang? Is there a difference?

Melintas and menyeberang are close in meaning, but not identical:

menyeberang
Focuses on going from one side to the other side (crossing).
melintas
More general: to pass by, to go across/in front of something, to cross (in some contexts).

In the context of crossing a road:

Kami menyeberang jalan ke kafe kecil itu.
Very natural: We crossed the road to that small café.
Kami melintas jalan ke kafe kecil itu.
Understandable, but less common. Melintas jalan can sound more like “passed across the road” or “went across the road”, not as specific as menyeberang.

For learners, menyeberang jalan is the safer and more natural choice for “cross the road.”