Breakdown of Murid-murid memasuki ruang olahraga secara pelan-pelan.
Questions & Answers about Murid-murid memasuki ruang olahraga secara pelan-pelan.
Memasuki is a transitive verb formed from the root masuk (“to enter”) plus the active prefix me- and the suffix -i. It literally means “to enter (something),” so it requires an object (in this case, ruang olahraga).
By contrast, masuk can be intransitive (“to go in/enter”) or transitive depending on context, but memasuki makes it clear that the students are entering a specific place.
Ruang means “room” or “space,” and olahraga means “sports” or “exercise.” Together, ruang olahraga literally means “sports room” or “gymnasium.”
The modifier comes second, so ruang (the head noun) is followed by olahraga (the specific type of room).
Secara is a prefix used to turn adjectives or adverbs into adverbial phrases. Here it turns pelan-pelan (“slowly”) into an adverbial phrase secara pelan-pelan meaning “in a slow manner.”
Without secara, pelan-pelan can still function adverbially, but secara makes the adverbial relationship explicit and more formal.
They are similar but have subtle differences:
- Pelan-pelan is very common and neutral for “slowly.”
- Perlahan-lahan also means “slowly,” often conveying a gentle or gradual action.
- Lambat-lambat literally “slow-slow,” but it can imply “with difficulty” or “lagging,” and is less common as a straightforward adverb.
In Indonesian, adverbial phrases of manner (how something is done) typically follow the verb and its object. The order is: Subject – Verb – Object – Manner.
Here:
Subject: Murid-murid
Verb: memasuki
Object: ruang olahraga
Manner: secara pelan-pelan
This order is natural and mirrors how you’d say “The students entered the gym slowly” in English.