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Questions & Answers about Kereta melewati stasiun lama.
Why is there no word for “the” before stasiun lama to mean “the old station”?
Indonesian does not use definite or indefinite articles like English the or a/an. Nouns stand alone, and context tells you if they’re specific. If you really want to say “that old station,” you can add itu after the noun:
Kereta melewati stasiun lama itu.
What does melewati literally mean, and how is it formed?
The root is lewat (“to pass”). To make it an active, transitive verb that takes an object, you add the prefix meN- and suffix -i, giving melewati (“to pass by,” “to go past something”).
Why is there a suffix -i on melewati?
The suffix -i marks that the verb acts directly on its object in a spatial sense. Here, it indicates the train is passing by the station (i.e., the station is the object being “passed”).
Could we use melalui instead of melewati?
They’re similar but not interchangeable. Melalui means “to go through” or “to go via” (e.g., through a tunnel), while melewati means “to pass by” or “to pass something.”
Does lama always mean “old”?
No, lama can mean “old” (age-related) or “long” (duration-related). Here, paired with stasiun, it naturally means “old station.” To talk about a long time, you’d say waktu lama (“a long time”).
Why is lama placed after stasiun, not before like in English?
In Indonesian, adjectives follow the nouns they modify. So it’s stasiun (noun) + lama (adjective), whereas English puts the adjective first.
Is kereta singular or plural? How do you express more than one train?
Indonesian nouns are not marked for number. Kereta can mean “train” or “trains” depending on context. To make it explicitly plural you can repeat it (kereta-kereta) or add a numeral (e.g., dua kereta for “two trains”).
What is the basic word order in “Kereta melewati stasiun lama”?
It follows the common Indonesian order: Subject–Verb–Object (SVO). Kereta = subject, melewati = verb, stasiun lama = object.