Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Pegawai kantor pos menjelaskan aturan pengiriman paket kepada saya. - The post-office employee explains the package-shipping rules to me.

Pegawai is a noun meaning employee. It’s derived from the root kerja (“to work”) with the prefix pe- and suffix -i, literally “one who works.”

Why are there no articles like the or a before pegawai kantor pos?

Indonesian does not use articles. Definiteness or indefiniteness is inferred from context rather than marked by words like the or a.

What is the structure and meaning of kantor pos?

Kantor pos is a compound noun meaning post office. It’s formed by placing kantor (“office”) before pos (“post”).

How does the verb menjelaskan work, and what do the affixes me-...-kan do?

Menjelaskan means to explain and is an active transitive verb. It’s formed by adding the prefix me- and suffix -kan to the root jelas (“clear”), giving a causative sense: “to make something clear.”

What does aturan pengiriman paket break down into, and what does it mean word-for-word?

Aturan = “rule(s)”
Pengiriman = “the act of sending” (from kirim
- peng-…-an nominalizer)
Paket = “package”
Together, aturan pengiriman paket literally means “rules of the sending of packages,” i.e. “package shipping rules.”

Why is kepada used before saya, and can we omit it?

Kepada means “to” or “for” when marking the recipient of an action. Verbs like menjelaskan require kepada before a person recipient. Omitting it (e.g. menjelaskan saya) is ungrammatical or confusing.

Can the phrase kepada saya come earlier in the sentence, and how would that affect emphasis?

Yes. You can say Pegawai kantor pos menjelaskan kepada saya aturan pengiriman paket. Placing kepada saya earlier slightly emphasizes the recipient, but both orders are correct.

How would you turn the sentence into passive voice?

Aturan pengiriman paket dijelaskan kepada saya oleh pegawai kantor pos.
Here dijelaskan is the passive form of menjelaskan, and oleh introduces the agent.