Indonesian syntax (word order)

The basic word order of Indonesian is very similar to English, for example:

Saya perlu taksi. = I need (a) taxi.
Saya datang kemarin. = I arrived yesterday.

There is one basic difference with Indonesian sentence structure. In Indonesian, the most important noun or subject is normally placed at the first of the sentence. If the subject of the sentence is also the object of the verb, then it is placed first and the passive form verb will often be used, ( a verb becomes passive when preceeded with "di-"). For example:

Buku itu ditaruh di sana. = Put the book over there.
(lit: book-that-put-at-there)

Bapak mau ke mana? = Where is father going?
(lit: father-want-to-where?)

Saya mau ayam goreng Kentucky. = I want Kentucky Fried Chicken.
(lit: I-want-chicken-fried-Kentucky)

(You will see Colonel Sanders in Indonesia. His restaurant name provides a memorable grammar lesson.)

Additionally, the subject within a sentence is often implied and not verbally communicated. For instance:

Mau pergi? = Do you want to go?
(lit: want-go)

Ada kamar? = Do you have any rooms?
(lit: have-room)

Boleh lihat? = May I see?
(lit: may-see?)

Taken from ISABU