Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Kantin murah di kantor saya pernah tutup karena hujan deras. - The cheap canteen at my office was once closed because of heavy rain.

Indonesian does not use articles like English. Definiteness or indefiniteness is usually inferred from context or clarified with words like ini ("this") or itu ("that"), but not with separate words for "a" or "the."

Why does murah come after kantin instead of before it, like in "cheap canteen"?

In Indonesian, adjectives typically follow the noun they modify. So kantin murah literally is "canteen cheap," equivalent to English "cheap canteen."

What is the function of pernah in this sentence? Is it a past-tense marker?

pernah is an adverb indicating past experience—"once" or "ever." Indonesian verbs are not inflected for tense; instead, time or aspect is expressed with words like pernah (ever/once), sudah (already), or specific time expressions.

Can I replace pernah with sudah? If so, how does the meaning change?

You can say sudah tutup, which means "has already closed" or "was already closed." But you lose the experiential nuance of "once/ever" that pernah gives.

Is di in di kantor saya the same as the passive verb prefix di- in ditutup?

No. Here, di is a preposition meaning "at/in." The passive prefix di- attaches directly to verbs without a space—e.g., ditutup means "was closed (by someone)."

What's the difference between tutup, menutup, and ditutup?

• tutup (root form): can be an intransitive verb ("to close" intransitively) or an adjective ("closed").
• menutup (active transitive): "to close (something)."
• ditutup (passive): "to be closed (by someone)."

What’s the difference between kantin di kantor saya and kantin kantor saya? Are both correct?

• kantin di kantor saya emphasizes location: "the canteen at my office."
• kantin kantor saya uses possession: "my office’s canteen."
Both are grammatically correct; the nuance is whether you highlight location (di) or ownership.

Why is karena used here instead of sebab or karena itu?

karena is the most common conjunction for "because." You could use sebab ("because") in its place, but sebab feels slightly more formal or literary. karena itu means "therefore," so it wouldn’t fit a "because" clause here.

How do I identify the subject and the verb in this sentence? It looks like tutup comes at the end.

Indonesian generally follows a Subject–Verb (S–V) or Subject–Time–Verb order. Here:
Subject: Kantin murah di kantor saya
Time/aspect adverb: pernah
Verb: tutup
Reason clause: karena hujan deras

What happens if I remove pernah? Does the meaning change?

Without pernah (Kantin murah di kantor saya tutup karena hujan deras), it still means "The cheap canteen in my office closed because of heavy rain," but you lose the sense of "once/ever." It becomes a straightforward past statement rather than implying an experience or occurrence at some point.