Breakdown of Pergi sedikit lebih awal membuat perjalanan ini paling lancar.
ini
this
pergi
to go
lebih awal
earlier
paling
most
membuat
to make
sedikit
a bit
perjalanan
the trip
lancar
smooth
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Questions & Answers about Pergi sedikit lebih awal membuat perjalanan ini paling lancar.
What is the literal translation of "Pergi sedikit lebih awal membuat perjalanan ini paling lancar"?
It translates roughly to "Going a little earlier makes this journey the smoothest." The sentence shows that leaving slightly ahead of schedule is what leads to the smoothest journey.
Why is the phrase "Pergi sedikit lebih awal" placed at the beginning of the sentence?
In Indonesian, an action expressed by the verb phrase (in this case, "pergi sedikit lebih awal" or “going a little earlier”) can serve as the subject of the sentence. It is placed at the beginning because it is the cause that leads to the effect described in the predicate.
What role does the word "membuat" play in this sentence?
"Membuat" means “makes” or “causes” and connects the action of going earlier to its result. It shows that by going a little earlier, one causes the journey to be the smoothest.
How is the superlative form expressed in the sentence?
The superlative is formed using "paling" before the adjective "lancar". "Paling" functions like the English word “most” so that "paling lancar" translates to “the smoothest.”
Why is the adverb "sedikit" included in "sedikit lebih awal"?
"Sedikit" means “a little” or “slightly.” It modifies "lebih awal" (earlier) to indicate that leaving just a bit earlier—rather than significantly earlier—is enough to make the journey the smoothest.
How does the sentence structure differ from English, and what does it tell us about Indonesian grammar?
Unlike English, Indonesian does not change the verb forms to express tense, and action phrases (like "pergi sedikit lebih awal") can function as the subject of a sentence without additional grammatical markers. This construction means that context and extra time indicators are used to convey tense or timing, rather than altering the verb form.