Dia menunggu di kamar itu sambil mendengar musik pelan.

that

Breakdown of Dia menunggu di kamar itu sambil mendengar musik pelan.

• dia: he/she
• di: in
• sambil: while
• menunggu: to wait
• kamar: the room
• mendengar: to listen
• musik: the music

Questions & Answers about Dia menunggu di kamar itu sambil mendengar musik pelan.

What does dia mean in this sentence?

Dia is a pronoun that translates to "he" or "she." Indonesian does not mark gender in its pronouns, so context is needed to know which one is intended.

How is the location expressed in di kamar itu?

The phrase di kamar itu shows where the action takes place. Di means "in" or "at," kamar means "room," and itu acts as a demonstrative meaning "that." Together, they indicate "in that room."

What does the verb menunggu mean and why is it used in its basic form?

Menunggu means "to wait." In Indonesian, verbs do not change based on tense or subject; they are used in their root form. Context or additional time expressions tell you when the action is happening.

What function does sambil serve in this sentence?

Sambil functions like the conjunction "while" in English. It shows that the two actions—waiting and listening—are occurring at the same time.

How should I interpret mendengar musik pelan?

Mendengar means "to listen" or "to hear," and musik means "music." The word pelan follows musik as an adjective, which is typical in Indonesian; it means "soft." Thus, the phrase translates to "listening to soft music."

Why aren’t the verbs menunggu and mendengar conjugated for tense or subject?

In Indonesian, verbs do not change form depending on tense, person, or number. Instead, context and sometimes additional words indicate time, so the base forms menunggu and mendengar are used regardless of who is doing the action or when.

Is the placement of the adjective pelan after musik typical in Indonesian, and why?

Yes, it is typical. Unlike English, where adjectives usually come before the noun (for example, "soft music"), Indonesian commonly places adjectives after the nouns they modify. That’s why "musik pelan" is used to mean "soft music."