Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Langit cerah membuat lukisan alam di taman nasional terlihat indah. - The clear sky makes the landscape painting in the national park look beautiful.

Membuat is a causative verb meaning “to make” or “to cause.” It takes a subject (here langit cerah) and an object plus predicate (here lukisan alam … terlihat indah). The structure conveys “The clear sky causes the landscape in the national park to look beautiful.”

Why is terlihat used here? Is this passive voice?

Terlihat is derived from the root lihat (“to see”) with the prefix ter-, giving it a stative sense “to appear,” “to seem,” or “to look (visibly).” It’s not passive in the sense “is seen by someone,” but rather describes how something appears. So terlihat indah means “looks beautiful.”

What does lukisan alam mean? Does it literally refer to a painting?

Literally, lukisan alam means “nature painting.” Idiomatically, it refers to a natural scene or landscape so picturesque it resembles a painting. In this sentence it describes the scenic view in the national park, not an actual canvas.

Why is the adjective cerah placed after the noun langit? Could we put it before?

In Indonesian, adjectives typically follow the nouns they modify, so langit cerah (“sky clear”) is the normal order. Placing cerah before langit (cerah langit) sounds unnatural except in poetic or highly stylized language.

What is the function of di in di taman nasional?

Di is the preposition marking location, equivalent to English “in” or “at.” Di taman nasional tells us where the landscape is: in the national park.

Could we replace indah with cantik here?

While both mean “beautiful,” indah is used for landscapes, art, nature, and abstract beauty, whereas cantik tends to describe people or small attractive things (“pretty”). Saying terlihat cantik for a vast scenic view would sound odd—terlihat indah is the idiomatic choice.

Can we use menjadikan instead of membuat?

Yes. Menjadikan also means “to make into” or “to render.” You could say Langit cerah menjadikan lukisan alam di taman nasional terlihat indah. The meaning remains essentially the same, though menjadikan feels slightly more formal or literary than membuat.