Mereka berpura-pura sibuk.

Mereka means they / them, but it is mainly used for people.

A few useful notes:

• It is not marked for gender, so it can mean they for men, women, or a mixed group.
• It does not usually mean they for things or animals in the same way English can. For non-human subjects, Indonesian often just repeats the noun or uses a different structure.
• It does not show singular vs. polite plural the way some languages do. It simply means they.

So in Mereka berpura-pura sibuk, mereka means they referring to a group of people.

The standard verb form is berpura-pura, which means to pretend.

Here is the breakdown:

• pura-pura is the core expression connected with pretending / acting as if
• ber- is a common Indonesian prefix that often forms an intransitive verb

So:

• berpura-pura = to pretend
• pura-pura by itself is also very common in everyday speech, especially informally

That means both of these are heard:

• Mereka berpura-pura sibuk → more standard/formal
• Mereka pura-pura sibuk → very common colloquial Indonesian

No, pura-pura is not plural here.

In Indonesian, reduplication can do several different jobs, and it does not always mean plurality. In this word, pura-pura is basically a fixed expression meaning to pretend / fake. You should learn it as a unit.

So:

• pura-pura here does not mean multiple pretenses
• it is just the normal form of the word

This is a good example of why reduplication in Indonesian should not always be translated mechanically.

Because Indonesian usually does not need a verb like to be in this kind of sentence.

In English, you say:

• They are busy
• They are pretending to be busy

In Indonesian, adjectives can often work directly as predicates or complements without is / are / am.

So:

• sibuk = busy
• berpura-pura sibuk = pretend to be busy

There is no missing word. The sentence is complete and natural as it is.

Sibuk is an adjective, meaning busy.

In this sentence, it describes the state they are pretending to have:

• berpura-pura = pretend
• sibuk = busy

So the whole phrase means:

• pretend to be busy

This is very common in Indonesian: a verb can be followed directly by an adjective that gives the state or role being acted out.

The basic order is:

• Mereka = subject
• berpura-pura = verb
• sibuk = complement

So it follows a simple pattern like:

Subject + Verb + Complement

Literal structure:

• They + pretend + busy

Natural English:

• They pretend to be busy
• They are pretending to be busy

It can mean either one, depending on context.

Indonesian verbs do not automatically show tense the way English verbs do. So berpura-pura by itself does not tell you whether the action is:

• habitual
• happening now
• happened before

Because of that, this sentence could mean:

• They pretend to be busy
• They are pretending to be busy

If you want to make the time clearer, Indonesian often adds time words such as:

• sedang for an action in progress
• kemarin for yesterday
• besok for tomorrow
• sering for often

For example:

• Mereka sedang berpura-pura sibuk = They are pretending to be busy

Yes. That is completely normal.

Berpura-pura can be followed by:

• an adjective
• a noun
• sometimes a fuller clause, depending on context

Examples:

• berpura-pura sakit = pretend to be sick
• berpura-pura marah = pretend to be angry
• berpura-pura bodoh = pretend to be stupid
• berpura-pura teman = pretend to be a friend in some contexts, though often Indonesian would phrase this a bit differently

So berpura-pura sibuk is a very natural pattern.

Yes, absolutely. That is very common in conversation.

The difference is roughly:

• berpura-pura = more standard, careful, or formal
• pura-pura = more casual and conversational

Both are widely understood and natural. If you are learning textbook Indonesian, it is good to know berpura-pura. If you are listening to everyday speech, you will often hear pura-pura.

Usually, yes. Berpura-pura sibuk often suggests that someone is not really busy, but is acting that way for some reason.

Depending on context, it can imply:

• avoiding work
• avoiding conversation
• trying to look important
• hiding something
• not wanting to help

So the sentence often carries a mildly negative or suspicious feeling, though the exact tone depends on the situation.

A simple English-friendly approximation is:

muh-REH-kah ber-POO-rah POO-rah see-BOOK

A few pronunciation tips:

• r in Indonesian is usually tapped or rolled lightly
• u sounds like oo in food
• e in mereka is closer to a soft uh / eh sound depending on speaker and region
• stress in Indonesian is generally not as strong or dramatic as in English, so keep it fairly even

If you say it smoothly, it will sound something like:

mereka berpura-pura sibuk

Add sedang before the verb.

So:

• Mereka sedang berpura-pura sibuk = They are pretending to be busy right now

Without sedang, the original sentence is more general and depends on context. With sedang, it clearly sounds like an ongoing action.