Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Saya sering membantu ayah memperbaiki barang-barang rusak di rumah. - I often help my father fix broken items at home.

"Sering" means often and is used as an adverb to describe the frequency of the action. It tells us that the speaker helps their father on many occasions.

Why is the word "barang" repeated as "barang-barang"?

In Indonesian, reduplication of a noun—repeating the word—serves to indicate plurality or to refer to various items. Here, "barang-barang" means multiple items or things, emphasizing that not just one, but several broken objects are being repaired.

How do the verbs "membantu" and "memperbaiki" function together in this sentence?

The verb membantu (to help) is the main action being described. It is immediately followed by a clause with the verb memperbaiki (to repair), which specifies what the help is for. This structure shows that the speaker is not simply helping in general but is specifically assisting in repairing the broken items.

Why is "ayah" used without a possessive pronoun like "my"?

In Indonesian, context often makes possession clear, so it is common to simply use "ayah" to mean either "father" or "dad." The speaker’s relation is understood by default. If one wishes to be explicit, one could add "saya" and say "ayah saya", but it is not necessary in most conversational contexts.

How does the sentence structure compare to English in terms of word order?

The Indonesian sentence follows a natural Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) order much like English. It begins with the subject "Saya" (I), followed by the adverb "sering", then the verb "membantu", the object "ayah" (father), and finally the complement clause "memperbaiki barang-barang rusak di rumah" which explains what the help is for. Unlike English, Indonesian verbs do not change form for different tenses, so the structure remains straightforward.