Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Tasnya tertinggal di bus tadi pagi. - His/Her bag was left on the bus this morning.

In Indonesian, tas means bag, and the suffix -nya can indicate possession (“his/her/its”) or mark definiteness (“the”). Therefore tasnya can be translated as his bag, her bag, or simply the bag when the owner is clear from context.

What is the function of ter- in tertinggal?

The prefix ter- often expresses a state or an unintentional action. In tertinggal, it forms the passive/stative verb “to be left behind.” It suggests that the bag ended up left behind, usually unintentionally.

How is tertinggal different from ditinggalkan?

Ditinggalkan is the passive form of meninggalkan (“to leave behind”), focusing on the action performed by someone (“was left behind by someone”). Tertinggal is more stative or accidental: it means “ended up left behind” without specifying an agent.

Why is there no article like a or the before bus?

Indonesian does not use articles. A noun like bus can mean a bus or the bus depending on context. Here di bus refers to the bus you took this morning.

Why is it di bus and not di dalam bus?

The preposition di before a place noun conveys “in,” “on,” or “at” that location. So di bus means “on the bus.” Adding dalam (“inside”) is possible for emphasis (di dalam bus), but it’s usually unnecessary.

What does tadi pagi mean?

Tadi means “earlier,” and pagi means “morning.” Together tadi pagi means “earlier this morning” or simply “this morning.”

How can I change Tasnya tertinggal di bus tadi pagi into active voice?

An active version is: Saya meninggalkan tas di bus tadi pagi. This means “I left the bag on the bus this morning.”

How would you ask “Did you leave your bag on the bus this morning?” in Indonesian?

You can say: Apakah kamu meninggalkan tasmu di bus tadi pagi? In colloquial speech you might hear: Kamu ninggalin tas di bus tadi pagi?

Why can the subject be omitted in this sentence?

Indonesian often drops subjects when context makes them clear. In Tasnya tertinggal…, the focus is on the bag, and the agent is implied or irrelevant, so you don’t need a subject.

Why is the time expression tadi pagi placed at the end of the sentence?

Standard Indonesian word order is Subject–Verb–Object–Place–Time (SVO-P-T). Di bus (place) comes before tadi pagi (time). You can rearrange for emphasis, but this is the usual pattern.