Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Saya menutup lemari sebelum tidur.

menutup means “to close” (something). It’s formed by adding the active prefix me- to the root tutup. Because tutup starts with t, the prefix me- triggers nasal assimilation: t → n, yielding menutup.

Why can’t we just say tutup instead of menutup?

In standard Indonesian, you need the me- prefix to make tutup into an active verb (“to close”). By itself, tutup is either a noun (“cover”) or an informal command (“Close it!”). For a proper transitive verb in a neutral sentence, you use menutup.

How do we know if menutup refers to a past or present action?

Indonesian verbs are not inflected for tense. Time is inferred from context or time words. In Saya menutup lemari sebelum tidur, the phrase sebelum tidur (“before sleeping”) implies that the closing happened before you went to sleep—that is, in the past relative to bedtime. To stress past, you could add sudah: Saya sudah menutup lemari sebelum tidur.

What does lemari mean and is there a difference between “cupboard” and “wardrobe” in Indonesian?

lemari is a general term for a cabinet with doors—this can be a kitchen cupboard, a clothes wardrobe, or any storage cabinet. In English, you’d choose “cupboard,” “wardrobe,” or “cabinet” based on context, but in Indonesian they all fall under lemari.

Why is sebelum tidur not sebelum saya tidur? Is the subject being omitted?

Yes. Indonesian often drops subjects when they’re clear from context. sebelum tidur naturally implies “before I go to sleep.” You can add saya for clarity—sebelum saya tidur—but it’s not required.

Can we change this sentence into the passive voice?

Yes. The passive form of menutup is ditutup. You could say:
Lemari ditutup (oleh saya) sebelum tidur.
Here, oleh saya (“by me”) is optional if the agent is understood.

Can I replace saya with other pronouns like aku or gue, and what’s the effect?

Absolutely. Saya is formal or neutral, aku is informal/casual, and gue is Jakarta slang. For example:
Aku menutup lemari sebelum tidur (casual) or
Gue menutup lemari sebelum tidur (slang).

Is the word order always Subject–Verb–Object in Indonesian, as in this sentence?

Yes, the default word order is SVO: Saya (S) menutup (V) lemari (O). You can rearrange elements for emphasis or in questions, but SVO is the norm for simple statements.

What is the role of sebelum, and can I use other time conjunctions?

sebelum means “before” and relates two actions in time. The counterpart “after” is setelah (or sesudah). For example:
Saya menutup lemari setelah tidur would literally mean “I close the cupboard after sleeping,” though pragmatically you’d adjust if that doesn’t make sense.

Why doesn’t tidur take a me- prefix here?

tidur is an intransitive verb (“to sleep”), so it doesn’t get the me- active prefix. If you want a transitive form meaning “to put someone to sleep,” you’d use menidurkan.