Indonesian Prepositions: di, ke, dari and more

Level: Beginner. Prepositions are the little words that place things — at, to, from, for, with. Indonesian gets a long way with just a handful, and the main thing to master is how they are spelled.

The rule

A preposition links a noun to the rest of the sentence, usually showing place, direction, time or purpose. The three you need first are:

• di — at / in / on a place: di rumah (at home), di sekolah (at school).
• ke — to / towards a place: ke pasar (to the market), ke Jakarta (to Jakarta).
• dari — from: dari kantor (from the office), dari Bali (from Bali).

Three more cover most everyday needs:

• pada — at / on, used for time and before people or abstract things: pada hari Senin (on Monday).
• untuk — for (purpose or recipient): untuk kamu (for you).
• dengan — with: dengan teman (with a friend).

The single most important point: as prepositions, di and ke are written as separate words before the place. There is also a prefix di- (and ke-) that is joined to the following word and does something completely different — more on that below.

The forms at a glance

di the preposition vs di- the prefix

This is the classic Indonesian spelling trap, worth its own section:

• di + place (separate): di meja (on the table), di sini (here), di mana? (where?).
• di- + verb root (joined): dibaca (is read), ditulis (is written), dimakan (is eaten). This di- makes a passive verb; it is not about place at all.

A quick test: if the word after di is a place or location, write a space. If it attaches to a verb and means something is being done, join it. The same logic separates ke pasar (to the market) from the prefix in kehujanan (caught in the rain).

Example sentences

1. Saya di rumah.
   I am at home.
   di + place, separate
2. Dia ada di sekolah.
   She is at school.
3. Buku ada di meja.
   The book is on the table.
4. Kami pergi ke pasar.
   We are going to the market.
   ke + place
5. Saya mau ke Jakarta.
   I want to go to Jakarta.
6. Dia datang dari kantor.
   He comes from the office.
   dari = from
7. Saya dari Indonesia.
   I am from Indonesia.
8. Kami bertemu pada hari Senin.
   We meet on Monday.
   pada for time
9. Toko buka pada pukul sembilan.
   The shop opens at nine o'clock.
10. Ini untuk kamu.
    This is for you.
    untuk = for
11. Saya membeli hadiah untuk ibu.
    I am buying a gift for mother.
12. Dia pergi dengan teman.
    He goes with a friend.
    dengan = with
13. Saya menulis dengan pena.
    I write with a pen.
    dengan = with/using
14. Di mana kamu tinggal?
    Where do you live?
    di mana = where
15. Surat itu dari nenek.
    That letter is from grandmother.
16. Buku ini dibaca oleh anak.
    This book is read by the child.
    di- prefix, joined, passive
17. Nasi sudah dimakan.
    The rice has been eaten.
    di- prefix, joined
18. Saya memberi uang kepada adik.
    I give money to my little sibling.
    kepada before a person

Common mistakes

• ❌ dirumah (meaning “at home”) → ✅ di rumah. A place after di needs a space.
• ❌ di baca (meaning “is read”) → ✅ dibaca. The passive prefix di- joins the verb.
• ❌ di hari Senin → ✅ pada hari Senin. Use pada, not di, for a point in time.
• ❌ untuk dengan kamu → ✅ untuk kamu or dengan kamu. Pick one preposition; they are not stacked.
• ❌ Saya memberi kepada… / di adik → ✅ kepada adik. Giving something to a person uses kepada, not di.

A short conversation

Di stasiun: — Permisi, kamu mau ke mana? — Saya mau ke Bandung. Kamu dari mana? — Saya dari Jakarta. Kereta berangkat pada pukul delapan.

Usage notes

• dengan can mean “by”: with a tool or means of transport it reads as “by” — dengan bus (by bus), dengan tangan (by hand).
• kepada vs untuk: kepada marks the person you give/send something to; untuk marks who or what it is for. Hadiah untuk ibu (a gift for mother) vs memberi kepada ibu (giving to mother).
• di sini / di situ / di sana: place words combine with di just like nouns — here, there (near), there (far).

Compared with…

• The passive prefix di- — written joined to the verb, it makes a passive (dibaca, ditulis), which is a different grammar point from the place preposition. See word order and basic sentences for how verbs behave.
• Question words — di mana (where), ke mana (where to) and dari mana (where from) are built from these prepositions. See Indonesian question words.

Quick recap before the quiz.

Practice

Practice

Preposition practice

Try each one, then press Check. No sign-up, nothing is sent anywhere — it all runs in your browser.

1 Saya ___ rumah. (I am at home)

ke di dari pada

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di — di marks a place: di rumah.

2 Kami pergi ____ pasar. (we go to the market)

Check

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ke — ke marks direction toward a place.

3 Dia datang ____ Bali. (he comes from Bali)

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dari — dari = from.

4 Order the words: 'We meet on Monday.'

padaKamiSeninbertemuhari

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Kami bertemu pada hari Senin — Use pada for time: pada hari Senin.

5 Match each preposition to its meaning.

• di Match for di — choose — at / in a placeforfromto a place
• ke Match for ke — choose — at / in a placeforfromto a place
• dari Match for dari — choose — at / in a placeforfromto a place
• untuk Match for untuk — choose — at / in a placeforfromto a place

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• di → at / in a place
• ke → to a place
• dari → from
• untuk → for

di = location, ke = direction, dari = source, untuk = purpose.

Quiz

Check yourself

Indonesian prepositions

11 questions · pick an answer and you'll see straight away if it's right.

0/11 0 answered

1. 1'at home' = ___ rumah

   A ke B di C dari D untuk
   Show answer

   di — di marks a place: di rumah.

2. 2'to the market' = ___ pasar

   A di B ke C dari D pada
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   ke — ke marks direction to a place.

3. 3'from Jakarta' = ___ Jakarta

   A di B ke C dari D dengan
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   dari — dari = from.

4. 4Which is the correct spelling for 'at home'?

   A dirumah B di rumah C di-rumah D dirumahkan
   Show answer

   di rumah — As a preposition, di is a separate word.

5. 5'dibaca' (is read) is spelled joined because di- here is…

   A a place preposition B a passive prefix C a typo D a noun
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   a passive prefix — The passive prefix di- attaches to the verb.

6. 6'on Monday' = ___ hari Senin

   A di B ke C pada D dari
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   pada — Use pada for time, not di.

7. 7'for you' = ___ kamu

   A dengan B untuk C di D ke
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   untuk — untuk = for.

8. 8'with a friend' = ___ teman

   A untuk B dengan C pada D dari
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   dengan — dengan = with.

9. 9Giving something 'to the teacher' uses…

   A di guru B kepada guru C ke guru D untuk guru
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   kepada guru — kepada marks the person you give to.

10. 10'Where do you live?' = ____ mana kamu tinggal?
    Check
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    Di — di mana = where (at what place).

11. 11The space in 'di meja' versus 'dimakan' shows the difference between…

    A singular and plural B a preposition and a prefix C past and present D formal and informal
    Show answer

    a preposition and a prefix — Separate di = preposition of place; joined di- = passive prefix.

Recap cheat-sheet

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