Breakdown of Kami berhati-hati di jalan tol.
kami
we
di
on
berhati-hati
to be careful
jalan tol
the toll road
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Questions & Answers about Kami berhati-hati di jalan tol.
What does kami mean and how is it different from kita?
Kami means we, referring to the speaker plus others but excluding the listener. Kita also means we, but includes the listener in the group.
What is the structure and meaning of berhati-hati?
- berhati-hati is formed by the prefix ber- plus the reduplicated noun hati (meaning heart).
- Reduplication adds intensity or continuity, so together it means to be very cautious or to take care.
How does di function in di jalan tol?
- di is a locative preposition marking a static location: in, on, or at.
- di jalan tol literally translates to on the toll road. Indonesian has no definite articles; di plus context covers that role.
Why is there no word for drive in the Indonesian sentence?
If the context is clear, Indonesian often omits verbs that are understood. Kami berhati-hati di jalan tol emphasizes being cautious; the action of driving is implied and doesn’t need to be stated explicitly.
Can the location phrase di jalan tol be moved elsewhere in the sentence?
Yes. Word order in Indonesian is flexible. For example:
- Di jalan tol, kami berhati-hati.
Putting the location first emphasizes where the caution takes place.
How would you explicitly say “We drive carefully on the toll road” in Indonesian?
You can include mengemudi (to drive) and use dengan (with):
- Kami mengemudi dengan hati-hati di jalan tol.
Can you drop the prefix ber- and just say hati-hati here?
- hati-hati by itself often functions as an adverb or interjection (“Be careful!”).
- For a full predicate in a sentence, berhati-hati is more idiomatic. Kami hati-hati di jalan tol sounds less natural.
How do you pronounce berhati-hati?
Split it into syllables: ber‧ha‧ti‧ha‧ti. Indonesian stress is light and fairly even; any slight emphasis usually falls on the penultimate syllable.