Saya menutup jendela ketika angin terlalu kencang.

I close the window when the wind is too strong.

Breakdown of Saya menutup jendela ketika angin terlalu kencang.

• saya: I
• ketika: when
• terlalu: too
• menutup: to close
• angin: the wind
• jendela: the window
• kencang: strong

Questions & Answers about Saya menutup jendela ketika angin terlalu kencang.

What does the prefix meN- in menutup indicate?

The prefix meN- turns the root tutup (“to close”) into an active, transitive verb menutup, meaning “to close (something).” In Indonesian, many verbs use this prefix to show the subject is performing the action on an object. Phonological rules apply (here tutup stays intact), but you’ll see meN- adapt (e.g. membaca from baca, mengambil from ambil).

Why is there no marker between menutup and jendela?

Indonesian doesn’t require a preposition like “the” or “a” before direct objects. You simply place the object right after the verb. Thus menutup jendela literally means “close window.” Definiteness comes from context, or you could add itu (“that”) or the suffix -nya on jendela if you wanted to say “close that window.”

What’s the difference between ketika and saat as “when”?

Both ketika and saat mean “when” in a temporal sense.

• Ketika is slightly more formal and common in written or formal speech.
• Saat feels more conversational.
  You can usually swap them without changing the meaning: Saya menutup jendela saat angin terlalu kencang.

Can the ketika clause appear before the main clause?

Yes. Indonesian word order is flexible for time clauses. You can say:
Ketika angin terlalu kencang, saya menutup jendela.
Placing the subordinate clause first just shifts the emphasis but keeps the meaning identical.

Why is it terlalu kencang and not kencang terlalu?

In Indonesian, adverbs like terlalu (“too/excessively”) precede the adjective they modify. So the correct order is terlalu + kencang. Reversing them would sound ungrammatical.

What nuance does terlalu kencang have compared to sangat kencang?

• Terlalu kencang means “too strong,” implying the wind’s strength is excessive or problematic.
• Sangat kencang means “very strong,” simply intensifying without that sense of “excess.”
  Choose terlalu when you want to express that something crosses a tolerable limit.

Why not use karena instead of ketika if the strong wind is the reason for closing the window?

Karena means “because” and introduces a causal clause. Ketika introduces a time clause (“when”). In English “when” can imply cause (“When it rains, the ground gets wet”), but in Indonesian you’d use:

• Saya menutup jendela karena angin terlalu kencang. (If you want to stress “because the wind was too strong.”)
• Saya menutup jendela ketika angin terlalu kencang. (Emphasizes that the closing happened at the time the wind was strong.)

Can I say Saya tutup jendelanya instead of Saya menutup jendela? What’s the difference?

Yes—Saya tutup jendelanya is a more colloquial, “telegraphic” style:

• tutup is the bare verb form (no meN-), and
• jendelanya adds the suffix -nya (“the window” or “my window”).
  It’s perfectly natural in casual speech, while Saya menutup jendela is slightly more formal or neutral.