Prepositions of Place
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use 'di' for location, 'ke' for destination, and 'dari' for origin to describe where things are, go, or come from.
- Use 'di' to state where something is: Saya di rumah (I am at home).
- Use 'ke' to state where you are going: Saya ke sekolah (I am going to school).
- Use 'dari' to state where you come from: Saya dari kantor (I am from the office).
Preposition Usage Matrix
| Particle | Function | English Equivalent | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
|
di
|
Location
|
at / in / on
|
di rumah
|
|
ke
|
Destination
|
to / toward
|
ke sekolah
|
|
dari
|
Origin
|
from
|
dari kantor
|
Meanings
These particles function as the primary way to indicate spatial relationships in Indonesian. They are essential for navigation, describing surroundings, and daily communication.
Static Location
Indicates a fixed position or state of being at a place.
“Dia di Jakarta.”
“Kucing itu di bawah kursi.”
Direction/Destination
Indicates movement toward a specific destination.
“Saya pergi ke pasar.”
“Dia lari ke taman.”
Origin/Source
Indicates the starting point or source of movement.
“Saya dari Bali.”
“Dia pulang dari kantor.”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
Subj + di + Place
|
Saya di rumah
|
|
Negative
|
Subj + tidak + di + Place
|
Saya tidak di rumah
|
|
Question
|
Apakah + Subj + di + Place?
|
Apakah kamu di rumah?
|
|
Movement To
|
Subj + ke + Place
|
Saya ke pasar
|
|
Movement From
|
Subj + dari + Place
|
Saya dari pasar
|
|
Short Answer
|
Ya/Tidak + di/ke/dari + Place
|
Ya, di rumah
|
طيف الرسمية
Di manakah posisi Anda? (Asking location)
Kamu di mana? (Asking location)
Lagi di mana? (Asking location)
Di mana nih? (Asking location)
The Spatial Trio
Static
- di at
Motion To
- ke to
Motion From
- dari from
Preposition Comparison
Choosing the Right Particle
Is the object moving?
Common Locations
Buildings
- • rumah
- • kantor
- • sekolah
Public Spaces
- • pasar
- • taman
- • jalan
أمثلة حسب المستوى
Saya di rumah.
I am at home.
Dia ke pasar.
He is going to the market.
Kami dari Bandung.
We are from Bandung.
Buku di meja.
The book is on the table.
Saya pergi ke sekolah setiap hari.
I go to school every day.
Dia pulang dari kantor jam lima.
He returns from the office at five.
Kucing itu tidur di bawah kursi.
The cat is sleeping under the chair.
Apakah kamu dari Jakarta?
Are you from Jakarta?
Dia sedang berada di dalam ruangan.
He is currently inside the room.
Kami berjalan ke arah utara.
We are walking toward the north.
Surat ini datang dari luar negeri.
This letter came from abroad.
Dia menaruh tasnya di atas meja.
He put his bag on the table.
Perusahaan ini berpusat di Jakarta.
This company is based in Jakarta.
Dia pindah ke kota lain untuk bekerja.
He moved to another city to work.
Bantuan itu datang dari pemerintah pusat.
The aid came from the central government.
Kami duduk di samping jendela.
We sat beside the window.
Narasi ini berlatar di pedalaman Kalimantan.
This narrative is set in the interior of Kalimantan.
Dia melangkah ke masa depan dengan optimis.
He steps into the future with optimism.
Inspirasi itu muncul dari pengalaman masa lalu.
The inspiration emerged from past experiences.
Keputusan itu diambil di balik pintu tertutup.
The decision was made behind closed doors.
Dalam konteks ini, kita berpijak di atas realitas yang berbeda.
In this context, we stand upon a different reality.
Perjalanan ini membawa kita ke titik balik sejarah.
This journey brings us to a historical turning point.
Kearifan lokal lahir dari interaksi dengan alam.
Local wisdom is born from interaction with nature.
Dia berdiri di antara dua pilihan sulit.
He stands between two difficult choices.
سهل الخلط
Learners confuse the preposition 'di' with the passive prefix 'di-'.
Learners use 'ke' for people.
Learners use 'di' for time.
أخطاء شائعة
Saya pergi di sekolah.
Saya pergi ke sekolah.
Saya dari sekolah.
Saya pulang dari sekolah.
Di mana kamu pergi?
Ke mana kamu pergi?
Saya di Jakarta dari Bali.
Saya dari Bali ke Jakarta.
Dia tinggal ke Jakarta.
Dia tinggal di Jakarta.
Saya datang di kantor.
Saya datang ke kantor.
Buku itu di atas meja.
Buku itu ada di atas meja.
Dia bekerja ke bank.
Dia bekerja di bank.
Saya dari rumah ke kantor.
Saya pergi dari rumah ke kantor.
Dia berada ke sana.
Dia berada di sana.
Dia melangkah di masa depan.
Dia melangkah ke masa depan.
Inspirasi itu dari pikiran.
Inspirasi itu muncul dari pikiran.
Keputusan itu di balik pintu.
Keputusan itu diambil di balik pintu.
أنماط الجُمل
Saya ada di ___.
Saya pergi ke ___.
Saya pulang dari ___.
Buku itu di atas ___.
Real World Usage
Aku di jalan.
Ke mana kita besok?
Saya dari perusahaan X.
Pesanan dari restoran A.
Belok ke kanan.
Lagi di Bali!
Don't overthink it
Watch the verb
Combine with nouns
Casual speech
Smart Tips
Always check if you are moving or staying.
Ensure 'di' is a separate word.
Switch from 'ke' to 'kepada'.
Add a noun after the preposition.
النطق
Stress
Indonesian is syllable-timed. Keep the particles short.
Question
Kamu di mana? ↗
Rising intonation at the end for questions.
احفظها
وسيلة تذكّر
Di is for staying, Ke is for going, Dari is for coming.
ربط بصري
Imagine a person standing still (di), then walking forward (ke), then walking backward (dari).
Rhyme
Di di diam, Ke ke ke sana, Dari dari datang.
Story
Budi is at home (di rumah). He decides to go to the market (ke pasar). After buying fruit, he returns from the market (dari pasar).
Word Web
تحدٍّ
Write 3 sentences about your day using di, ke, and dari in 5 minutes.
ملاحظات ثقافية
Indonesians often use 'di mana' to mean 'where' but also as a filler in casual speech.
In Jakarta, 'ke' is often shortened to 'k' in rapid speech.
In formal writing, 'di' is always written as a separate word, never attached to the noun.
These particles are derived from Proto-Austronesian roots indicating location and direction.
بدايات محادثة
Kamu dari mana?
Apakah kamu di kantor sekarang?
Ke mana rencana liburanmu?
Dari mana asal inspirasimu?
مواضيع للكتابة اليومية
أخطاء شائعة
Test Yourself
Saya pergi ___ sekolah.
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
Saya pergi di pasar.
Arrange the words in the correct order:
All words placed
Click words above to build the sentence
I am from Jakarta.
Answer starts with: c...
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
Use 'di' and 'meja'.
Dia datang ___ kantor.
Score: /8
تمارين تطبيقية
8 exercisesSaya pergi ___ sekolah.
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
Saya pergi di pasar.
sekolah / ke / saya / pergi
I am from Jakarta.
di = ?
Use 'di' and 'meja'.
Dia datang ___ kantor.
Score: /8
الأسئلة الشائعة (8)
No, use 'pada' for time. 'Di' is only for space.
No, use 'kepada' for people.
No, Indonesian particles are invariant.
Use 'dari' to indicate the origin or source of movement.
Sometimes, but it's better to keep it for clarity.
No, always write it as a separate word.
Use 'di depan'.
No, 'ke' is for places, 'kepada' is for people.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
en / a / de
Spanish prepositions contract with articles (al, del), whereas Indonesian particles never do.
à / à / de
Indonesian has distinct particles for location and destination.
in / zu / von
Indonesian has no case system.
ni / e / kara
Japanese particles are postpositions (placed after the noun), while Indonesian particles are prepositions (placed before).
fi / ila / min
Arabic has complex grammatical gender and number agreement.
zài / dào / cóng
Chinese requires specific verbs of motion to be used with these particles.
