Want to actually learn this — with audio, spaced repetition and progress tracking?
Study in the app →Indonesian · BIPA 1 (A1) · Chapter 32
Rumah dan ruangan Home and rooms
Home vocabulary: kamar tidur, dapur, kamar mandi, ruang tamu, tempat tidur, lemari, di atas, di bawah, di dalam, di antara. Key grammar: say WHERE something is with the prepositions "di atas" (on), "di bawah" (under), "di dalam" (in): "Buku ada di atas meja" (the book is on the table), "Kucing ada di bawah tempat tidur" (the cat is under the bed), "Baju ada di dalam lemari" (the clothes are in the wardrobe). To say what is in a room, use "ada + thing + di + place": "Ada sofa di ruang tamu" (there is a sofa in the living room; "ada" reviewed from ch6). Indonesian has no opening word like "there" — just start with "ada". English speakers translate "there" as "di sana" (over there): "Di sana ada tempat tidur..." ✗ → "Ada tempat tidur..." ✓. Sound corner: "di atas", "di bawah", "di dalam".
Dialogue
Di sana ada / Ada — Di sana ada or Ada
- Budi Mike, ada apa saja di kamar tidurmu? Mike, what is in your bedroom?
- Mike Di sana ada tempat tidur dan lemari. There is a bed and a wardrobe. (slip: no "di sana" — just start with "ada")
- Budi "there is" bukan tempat, Mike. Cukup "Ada tempat tidur dan lemari". "there is" is not a place, Mike. Just "Ada tempat tidur dan lemari".
- Mike Oh, ada tempat tidur dan ada baju di dalam lemari. Oh, there is a bed and there are clothes in the wardrobe.
- Budi Tepat! "ada + benda + di + tempat". Tanpa "di sana". Exactly! "ada + thing + di + place". No "di sana".
- Mike Mengerti. Ada meja di antara tempat tidur dan lemari. Understood. There is a table between the bed and the wardrobe.
Dialogue
Rumah Sari — Sari's house
- Mike Sari, rumahmu ada berapa kamar? Sari, how many rooms does your house have?
- Sari Ada tiga: kamar tidur, dapur, dan ruang tamu. There are three: a bedroom, a kitchen and a living room.
- Mike Ada apa di ruang tamu? What is in the living room?
- Sari Ada sofa dan TV. TV-nya ada di atas meja kecil. There is a sofa and a TV. The TV is on a small table.
- Mike Rumahmu nyaman sekali. Your house is very cosy.
- Sari Terima kasih. Kapan-kapan main ke rumahku, ya. Thank you. Come over to my place sometime.
Vocabulary
| 汉字 | Pinyin | POS | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| kamar tidur | n. | bedroom | |
| dapur | n. | kitchen | |
| kamar mandi | n. | bathroom | |
| ruang tamu | n. | living room | |
| tempat tidur | n. | bed | |
| lemari | n. | cupboard, wardrobe | |
| di atas | prep. | on, on top of | |
| di bawah | prep. | under, beneath | |
| di dalam | prep. | in, inside | |
| di antara | prep. | between |
Grammar
di atas / di bawah / di dalam — di mana benda berada di atas / di bawah / di dalam — where things are
Bab 24 kita memakai "ada di" dengan kata seperti "sebelah", "depan" untuk menyebut lokasi. Sekarang tambah tiga preposisi untuk benda di rumah: "di atas" (on), "di bawah" (under), "di dalam" (in). Polanya: benda + "ada di" + preposisi + tempat: "Buku ada di atas meja", "Kucing ada di bawah tempat tidur", "Baju ada di dalam lemari". Untuk menyatakan keberadaan ("ada apa di suatu tempat"), mulai dengan "ada": "Ada sofa di ruang tamu", "Ada dua kamar di rumah ini". Bahasa Inggris membuka dengan "there is/are", tapi bahasa Indonesia tidak — "ada" saja sudah cukup. Penutur Inggris sering menerjemahkan "there" sebagai "di sana" (over there): "Di sana ada tempat tidur di kamar saya" ✗ → "Ada tempat tidur di kamar saya" ✓. Jangan tambah "di sana"; mulai langsung dengan "ada".
In ch24 we used "ada di" (is located at) with words like "sebelah" (beside), "depan" (front) to give location. Now add three prepositions for things at home: "di atas" (on), "di bawah" (under), "di dalam" (in). The pattern is thing + "ada di" + preposition + place: "Buku ada di atas meja" (the book is on the table), "Kucing ada di bawah tempat tidur" (the cat is under the bed), "Baju ada di dalam lemari" (the clothes are in the wardrobe). To state existence ("there is something somewhere"), start with "ada": "Ada sofa di ruang tamu" (there is a sofa in the living room), "Ada dua kamar di rumah ini" (there are two rooms in this house). English opens with "there is/are", but Indonesian does not — "ada" alone is enough. English speakers often translate "there" as "di sana" (over there): "Di sana ada tempat tidur di kamar saya" ✗ → "Ada tempat tidur di kamar saya" ✓. Do not add "di sana"; start straight with "ada".
- Buku ada di atas meja. The book is on the table.
- Kucing ada di bawah tempat tidur. The cat is under the bed.
- Baju ada di dalam lemari. The clothes are in the wardrobe.
- Ada sofa di ruang tamu. There is a sofa in the living room.
Culture
Rumah orang Indonesia The Indonesian home
Indonesia is vast, so homes can differ from one island to another — from stilt houses by the river to flats in Jakarta. But a few things make a home feel "Indonesian" everywhere: taking off your sandals at the door, the front porch where guests are received, and a door that is almost always open to the neighbours. Let us take a look.
From stilt houses to apartments
Every region has its own traditional house. In Sumatra there is the Minangkabau "rumah gadang" with a roof curved like buffalo horns; in Sulawesi there is the Toraja "tongkonan"; in many places near water, houses are built on posts (rumah panggung) to stay safe from floods while air flows underneath. In big cities like Jakarta or Surabaya, most people live in simple concrete houses, rows of small terraced houses, or apartments. Yet the idea is often the same: a front space for gathering, and a kitchen that is the heart of the home.
The porch and the open door
Many Indonesian houses have a porch at the front — a small veranda with chairs where the family sits in the late afternoon and greets people passing by. Guests are often received on the porch or in the living room, rather than going straight inside. The bond with neighbours matters a great deal: there is the culture of "gotong royong" (helping one another) and the "RT/RW" system (neighbourhood groups) that look after the area together. An open door and the greeting "mari, mampir" (come, drop in) is not just small talk — warmth towards neighbours and guests is an important part of the home.
Sandals off and sitting together
As in many Asian countries, Indonesians take off their footwear before entering a house, and you will see sandals lined up at the door. In many homes, people sit and eat on the floor on a mat — this is called "lesehan" — and it feels warm and relaxed. Food is usually placed in the middle and shared. If you are invited to an Indonesian home, just take off your sandals, accept the drink you are offered, and smile — you have already begun well.
In short: an Indonesian home may be a traditional house, a concrete house or an apartment, but the heart is the same — a porch for greeting, sandals at the door, a floor for gathering, and a door open to the neighbours. When you visit, notice these small things, and you will feel that a home is more than just a building.
pronunciation
Want to actually learn this — with audio, spaced repetition and progress tracking?
Study in the app →