Common Indonesian Prepositional Phrases

Learning a new language is a challenging yet rewarding experience. One of the key elements to mastering a language is understanding its prepositional phrases. Prepositional phrases are groups of words that consist of a preposition followed by a noun or pronoun. They help to provide context and additional information in sentences. In Indonesian, prepositional phrases are essential for everyday conversation and understanding the structure of the language. This article aims to provide a comprehensive guide on common Indonesian prepositional phrases, helping you to better grasp their usage and meaning.

Introduction to Indonesian Prepositions

Prepositions in Indonesian are relatively straightforward compared to some other languages. They are used to indicate relationships between different elements within a sentence, such as location, time, direction, and more. Unlike English, where prepositions can sometimes be tricky, Indonesian prepositions are generally quite consistent in their usage.

Here are some common Indonesian prepositions:

– Di: at, in, on
– Ke: to
– Dari: from
– Dengan: with
– Untuk: for
– Tanpa: without
– Tentang: about
– Seperti: like

Now, let’s delve into some common prepositional phrases using these and other prepositions.

Prepositional Phrases Indicating Location

Di (At, In, On)

1. Di rumah (At home)
– Saya tinggal di rumah. (I stay at home.)

2. Di sekolah (At school)
– Anak-anak belajar di sekolah. (The children study at school.)

3. Di kantor (At the office)
– Bapak saya bekerja di kantor. (My father works at the office.)

4. Di pasar (At the market)
– Mereka belanja di pasar. (They shop at the market.)

5. Di jalan (On the street)
– Mobil parkir di jalan. (The car is parked on the street.)

Di dalam (Inside)

1. Di dalam mobil (Inside the car)
– Barang-barang ada di dalam mobil. (The items are inside the car.)

2. Di dalam rumah (Inside the house)
– Kami berada di dalam rumah. (We are inside the house.)

3. Di dalam kelas (Inside the classroom)
– Siswa-siswa di dalam kelas. (The students are inside the classroom.)

Di luar (Outside)

1. Di luar rumah (Outside the house)
– Mereka bermain di luar rumah. (They are playing outside the house.)

2. Di luar kota (Outside the city)
– Kami berlibur di luar kota. (We are on vacation outside the city.)

3. Di luar gedung (Outside the building)
– Teman-teman menunggu di luar gedung. (Friends are waiting outside the building.)

Prepositional Phrases Indicating Time

Pada (At, On, In)

1. Pada pagi hari (In the morning)
– Kami berjalan-jalan pada pagi hari. (We go for a walk in the morning.)

2. Pada sore hari (In the afternoon)
– Saya bekerja pada sore hari. (I work in the afternoon.)

3. Pada malam hari (At night)
– Dia tidur pada malam hari. (He sleeps at night.)

Sejak (Since)

1. Sejak pagi (Since morning)
– Dia belajar sejak pagi. (He has been studying since morning.)

2. Sejak kemarin (Since yesterday)
– Saya tidak bertemu dia sejak kemarin. (I haven’t met him since yesterday.)

3. Sejak tahun lalu (Since last year)
– Kami tinggal di sini sejak tahun lalu. (We have been living here since last year.)

Sampai (Until)

1. Sampai besok (Until tomorrow)
– Saya di sini sampai besok. (I am here until tomorrow.)

2. Sampai sore (Until afternoon)
– Kami bekerja sampai sore. (We work until afternoon.)

3. Sampai akhir bulan (Until the end of the month)
– Tugas ini harus selesai sampai akhir bulan. (This task must be completed until the end of the month.)

Prepositional Phrases Indicating Direction

Ke (To)

1. Ke pasar (To the market)
– Kami pergi ke pasar. (We go to the market.)

2. Ke sekolah (To school)
– Anak-anak berangkat ke sekolah. (The children leave for school.)

3. Ke rumah sakit (To the hospital)
– Dia dibawa ke rumah sakit. (He was taken to the hospital.)

Dari (From)

1. Dari rumah (From home)
– Saya datang dari rumah. (I come from home.)

2. Dari kantor (From the office)
– Dia pulang dari kantor. (He returns from the office.)

3. Dari kampung (From the village)
– Kami berasal dari kampung. (We are from the village.)

Ke arah (Toward)

1. Ke arah utara (Toward the north)
– Kami berjalan ke arah utara. (We are walking toward the north.)

2. Ke arah kota (Toward the city)
– Mobil itu bergerak ke arah kota. (The car is moving toward the city.)

3. Ke arah pantai (Toward the beach)
– Mereka pergi ke arah pantai. (They are going toward the beach.)

Prepositional Phrases Indicating Manner

Dengan (With)

1. Dengan cepat (Quickly)
– Dia berlari dengan cepat. (He runs quickly.)

2. Dengan hati-hati (Carefully)
– Kami bekerja dengan hati-hati. (We work carefully.)

3. Dengan senang hati (Happily)
– Mereka menyambut tamu dengan senang hati. (They welcome guests happily.)

Tanpa (Without)

1. Tanpa alas kaki (Without shoes)
– Anak itu berlari tanpa alas kaki. (The child runs without shoes.)

2. Tanpa izin (Without permission)
– Anda tidak boleh masuk tanpa izin. (You cannot enter without permission.)

3. Tanpa ragu-ragu (Without hesitation)
– Dia menjawab pertanyaan tanpa ragu-ragu. (He answered the question without hesitation.)

Prepositional Phrases Indicating Purpose

Untuk (For)

1. Untuk makan siang (For lunch)
– Kami berkumpul untuk makan siang. (We gather for lunch.)

2. Untuk belajar (For studying)
– Buku ini untuk belajar bahasa Indonesia. (This book is for studying Indonesian.)

3. Untuk liburan (For vacation)
– Mereka pergi ke Bali untuk liburan. (They go to Bali for vacation.)

Prepositional Phrases Indicating Comparison

Seperti (Like)

1. Seperti bunga (Like a flower)
– Wajahnya cantik seperti bunga. (Her face is beautiful like a flower.)

2. Seperti anak kecil (Like a child)
– Dia bertingkah seperti anak kecil. (He acts like a child.)

3. Seperti ayahnya (Like his father)
– Dia pintar seperti ayahnya. (He is smart like his father.)

Prepositional Phrases Indicating Cause or Reason

Karena (Because of)

1. Karena hujan (Because of the rain)
– Kami tidak pergi keluar karena hujan. (We didn’t go out because of the rain.)

2. Karena sakit (Because of illness)
– Dia tidak masuk sekolah karena sakit. (He didn’t go to school because of illness.)

3. Karena macet (Because of traffic jam)
– Saya terlambat karena macet. (I am late because of the traffic jam.)

Common Idiomatic Prepositional Phrases

Idiomatic expressions in any language can be tricky because their meanings are not always literal. Here are some common Indonesian idiomatic prepositional phrases:

Di atas angin
1. Di atas angin (On top of the wind)
– Meaning: In a favorable position or situation.
– Dia selalu merasa di atas angin. (He always feels in a favorable position.)

Di bawah tangan
2. Di bawah tangan (Under the hand)
– Meaning: Secretly or unofficially.
– Mereka menyelesaikan masalah itu di bawah tangan. (They resolved the issue secretly.)

Di luar dugaan
3. Di luar dugaan (Outside of expectation)
– Meaning: Unexpectedly.
– Kemenangannya di luar dugaan. (His victory was unexpected.)

Conclusion

Understanding and using prepositional phrases correctly is crucial in mastering Indonesian. These phrases not only help in constructing meaningful sentences but also provide clarity and context. By familiarizing yourself with common prepositional phrases, you can significantly enhance your communication skills in Indonesian. Practice using these phrases in your daily conversations and written exercises to become more comfortable and proficient in the language.

Remember, language learning is a gradual process. Be patient, practice regularly, and immerse yourself in the language as much as possible. Happy learning!