di dalam
The Indonesian word for 'in' is di dalam.
di dalam is used to express that something is contained by something else. It indicates that an object or person is within the physical boundaries of an enclosed space, such as a room, a box or a vehicle.
Meaning: contained by (prep)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the preposition di (at/in) and dalam (inside/depth).
Which one should you use?
While di dalam emphasizes being physically inside a container or an enclosed space, the simpler di is used for general location or position.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Javanese-influenced regions of Indonesia, the expression Nang is commonly used instead of di.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase di dalam is used to indicate that an object or person is contained within the boundaries of something else.
Did you know?
- The word dalam has a semantic connection to the Chinese character 內, which also means 'inside' or 'inner'.
- In formal Indonesian, di dalam is often used in the phrase di dalam hati, which means 'in one's heart' or 'secretly'.
- While di dalam means 'in', the word dalam can also mean 'deep' when describing physical dimensions or emotions.
Examples in context
- Kami di dalam sumur.We're in the well.This sentence is useful for showing a person's location in a well using di dalam.Tatoeba #12348625 by HAGNi, translation #779442 by CK
- Ada di dalam bagasi.It's in the trunk.This sentence is useful for describing the location of an object in a trunk using di dalam.Tatoeba #13504510 by Pacific, translation #6589282 by Eccles17
- Aku ada di dalam mobil.I'll be in my car.This sentence is useful for stating a person's presence in a car using di dalam.Tatoeba #3956534 by Bilmanda, translation #2549120 by CK
- Di sekolahIn school
- Di rumahIn the house
- Di JakartaIn Jakarta
- Di bulan AprilIn the month of April
- Dalam tasIn the bag
- Dalam ruanganIn the room
- Dalam kotakIn the box
- Dalam kelompokIn the group
- 83 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Budi is looking for his keys in the living room.
- MayaApakah kunci saya ada di dalam tas?Are my keys inside the bag?
- BudiTidak ada di dalam sana, Budi.They are not in there, Budi.
- MayaCoba lihat di dalam laci meja ini.Try looking inside this table drawer.
- BudiYa, kuncinya ada di dalam laci!Yes, the keys are in the drawer!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “in” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries dalam, di, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
