Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Lantai rusak itu diperbaiki secara pelan-pelan, agar tidak mengganggu orang lain. - That damaged floor was repaired slowly, so it does not disturb other people.

“Diperbaiki” means “was repaired” or “was fixed.” It is formed using the passive prefix di- attached to the root form of the verb. In Indonesian, passive constructions often place the object or topic first—here, the damaged floor—and then use the passive form of the action to indicate that it is receiving the repair.

How do “secara” and “pelan-pelan” work together in the phrase “secara pelan-pelan”?

“Secara” is used to form an adverbial phrase that describes the manner of an action—in this case, “pelan-pelan,” which means “slowly” or “gently.” The reduplication in “pelan-pelan” emphasizes that the repair was done in a careful, gradual manner. Together, they tell us that the repair was carried out slowly, with caution.

What is the function of the clause “agar tidak mengganggu orang lain” in the sentence?

The clause “agar tidak mengganggu orang lain” explains the purpose behind repairing the floor slowly. The word “agar” means “so that” or “in order to,” and in this sentence, it indicates that the careful repair was done to ensure that others were not disturbed.

Why is the demonstrative “itu” included after “lantai rusak,” and what does it signify?

The word “itu” functions as a demonstrative pronoun, similar to “that” in English. It specifies which “lantai rusak” (damaged floor) is being discussed, highlighting that the sentence refers to a particular damaged floor that was the subject of the repair.

Why is the word “pelan” repeated as “pelan-pelan” in this context instead of just using “pelan”?

In Indonesian, repeating an adjective or adverb (a process called reduplication) intensifies or refines its meaning. “Pelan-pelan” stresses the idea of doing something very slowly and carefully, adding a nuance of deliberate and cautious action that might be lost if only “pelan” were used.

How does the sentence structure in Indonesian compare to that of English, particularly in forming passive sentences?

Indonesian often places the topic or object at the beginning of the sentence followed by the passive verb. In this sentence, “Lantai rusak itu” is introduced as the topic, and “diperbaiki” is the passive action applied to it. While English also uses passive constructions (e.g., “The damaged floor was repaired”), Indonesian tends to rely more on topic-prominent structures and inflection by using prefixes like di- to indicate the passive voice.