Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Karena lapangan basah, bola bergerak lambat dan semua pemain bermain lebih hati-hati. - Because the field is wet, the ball moves slowly and all players play more carefully.

In Indonesian you can place the cause (“because” clause) before the main clause for emphasis or style. Karena introduces a subordinate clause, but the main clause bola bergerak lambat… still follows. You could also write it as: • Bola bergerak lambat dan semua pemain bermain lebih hati-hati karena lapangan basah.

Both orders are correct; this one simply foregrounds the reason.

What part of speech is basah, and why is there no verb like “is”?

Basah is an adjective meaning “wet.” Indonesian doesn’t require a copula (a “to be” verb) in simple adjectival or nominal sentences. So: • Lapangan basah = “The field is wet.”
You might see adalah in very formal contexts, but it’s usually omitted.

What is the function of bergerak and why the prefix ber-?

Bergerak is a verb meaning “to move.” The prefix ber- attaches to the root gerak to form an intransitive verb.
• gerak = “movement” (noun)
• bergerak = “to move” (verb)
It tells us the ball itself is doing the moving.

Is lambat an adjective or an adverb? Why doesn’t it change form?

In Indonesian most adjectives double as adverbs without change. Here lambat (“slow/slowly”) modifies the verb bergerak, describing how the ball moves. There’s no separate adverbial ending—context tells you it’s adverbial.

Why does semua pemain bermain repeat the root main? Aren’t we saying “play players play”?

It looks like repetition, but it isn’t redundant: • pemain = “player” (noun, from main)
• bermain = “to play” (verb)
So semua pemain bermain literally means “all the players play.” The noun and verb share the same root, which is common in Indonesian.

What does lebih hati-hati mean, and why is lebih placed before hati-hati?

Lebih means “more.” It goes before an adjective or adverb to form a comparative: • hati-hati = “careful/carefully”
• lebih hati-hati = “more careful/more carefully”
Thus semua pemain bermain lebih hati-hati = “all the players play more carefully.”

Could we replace lambat with pelan or pelan-pelan? Are they interchangeable?

Yes. Pelan and pelan-pelan also mean “slowly.”
• bola bergerak pelan = “the ball moves slowly.”
• bola bergerak pelan-pelan adds a nuance of “very gently/gradually.”
So you can swap in pelan or pelan-pelan depending on the shade of meaning.

Could we use maka or makanya instead of karena? What’s the difference?

• Karena introduces the cause (“because”).
• Maka marks the result (“so/therefore”) in formal writing:
Karena lapangan basah, maka bola bergerak lambat.
• Makanya is colloquial and combines result and conversational tone:
Lapangan basah, makanya bola bergerak lambat.
You cannot simply replace karena with makanya at the start without reordering the clauses.

Could I say Karena lapangan yang basah, adding yang?

Yes, you can:
• Karena lapangan yang basah = “Because the field that is wet…”
But since basah directly describes lapangan, the relative pronoun yang is usually dropped for brevity: karena lapangan basah is more natural.

Why is there no article like the before lapangan, bola, or pemain?

Indonesian does not have definite or indefinite articles (no “a/the”). Nouns stand alone, and context tells you whether they’re specific or general. If you need to specify, you can use words like itu (“that”) or ini (“this”), but no direct equivalent of English “the.”