Terkadang dokter kalah, tetapi semangatnya tetap tinggi.

Sometimes the doctor loses, but his/her spirit remains high.

Breakdown of Terkadang dokter kalah, tetapi semangatnya tetap tinggi.

• adalah: to be
• tetap: still
• tetapi: but
• nya: his/her
• dokter: the doctor
• terkadang: sometimes
• kalah: to lose
• semangat: the spirit
• tinggi: high

Questions & Answers about Terkadang dokter kalah, tetapi semangatnya tetap tinggi.

What does terkadang mean, and how is it different from kadang or kadang-kadang?

Terkadang is an adverb meaning “sometimes.” The three forms are interchangeable in meaning but differ slightly in style and register:

• kadang: more informal, common in everyday speech
• kadang-kadang: neutral, emphatic repetition often heard in conversation
• terkadang: slightly more formal or literary, often used in writing

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Why is there no article before dokter? How do you say “a doctor” or “the doctor” in Indonesian?

Indonesian has no direct equivalents of “a,” “an,” or “the.” You simply say dokter for both “a doctor” and “the doctor.” To add clarity you can use:

• seorang dokter (“a doctor,” literally “one doctor”)
• dokter itu (“that doctor”)
• dokter ini (“this doctor”)

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Could we place terkadang somewhere else, like Dokter terkadang kalah? Would the meaning change?

Yes. Indonesian word order is flexible. Both sentences mean “sometimes the doctor loses”:

• Terkadang dokter kalah… (emphasis on frequency)
• Dokter terkadang kalah… (emphasis on the subject)

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What is the function of -nya in semangatnya?

Here -nya is a 3rd person singular possessive suffix, meaning “his” or “her.” So semangatnya = semangat + -nya = “his/her spirit” or “his/her enthusiasm.”

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Why is the subject omitted in the second clause tetapi semangatnya tetap tinggi? Who is being talked about?

Once the subject is clear (here dokter), Indonesian often omits it in subsequent clauses. The -nya on semangatnya refers back to dokter, so repeating dokter isn’t necessary.

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What role does tetap play in tetap tinggi?

Tetap is an adverb meaning “remains” or “still.” When placed before the adjective tinggi (“high”), it forms “remains high” or “is still high.”

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Why is there a comma before tetapi? Is it mandatory?

In formal Indonesian, when linking two independent clauses with tetapi (“but”), you normally place a comma before it—just as in English. In casual writing or speech, people sometimes drop the comma, but it’s recommended in formal texts.

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What’s the difference between tetapi, tapi, and namun?

All three are conjunctions meaning “but” or “however”:

• tetapi: neutral to formal, common in writing
• tapi: informal, very common in speech
• namun: formal or literary, often appears at the start of a clause or sentence