Entah kontraktor entah mandor, salah satunya harus memeriksa denah.

Whether it is the contractor or the foreman, one of them must check the floor plan.

Breakdown of Entah kontraktor entah mandor, salah satunya harus memeriksa denah.

• harus: must
• memeriksa: to check
• entah ... entah: whether ... or
• salah satu: one of them

Questions & Answers about Entah kontraktor entah mandor, salah satunya harus memeriksa denah.

What does the pattern entah ... entah ... do in this sentence?

Entah ... entah ... sets up two alternatives, similar to whether ... or ..., either ... or ..., or sometimes be it ... or ... in English.

So:

• Entah kontraktor entah mandor
  = Whether the contractor or the foreman
  = Either the contractor or the foreman

It presents two possible people, and the next clause explains what is true about them.

Why is entah repeated twice?

It is normally repeated to mark both options clearly:

• entah A entah B

This is a fixed and very common pattern in Indonesian. Repeating entah makes the pairing sound complete and natural.

So:

• entah kontraktor entah mandor = either the contractor or the foreman

Using only one entah here would sound incomplete or less standard.

Is entah ... entah ... exactly the same as either ... or ... in English?