Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Angin timur membawa cuaca lembab.

angin timur literally means “wind east,” i.e. east wind. In Indonesian, modifiers—including cardinal directions (utara, selatan, timur, barat)—usually follow the head noun.

Why is the verb membawa spelled that way, and what does the me- prefix do?

The root verb is bawa (“carry/bring”). To make it an active transitive verb, Indonesian adds the prefix me-. Before a root starting with b-, me- becomes mem-, so mem- + bawa = membawa (“brings”).

How would you turn this sentence into the passive voice?

Swap the active me- with the passive di- and mark the agent with oleh:
Cuaca lembab dibawa oleh angin timur.

Why are there no articles like the or a in Angin timur membawa cuaca lembab?

Indonesian doesn’t use articles. Definiteness or indefiniteness is usually clear from context, or you can add words like itu (“that”) or sebuah (“a/some”) if you need to specify.

What kind of words are cuaca and lembab, and why does lembab follow cuaca?

cuaca is a noun meaning “weather.” lembab is an adjective meaning “humid” or “moist.” In Indonesian, adjectives typically come after the nouns they modify, so you get cuaca lembab (“humid weather”).

How do you pronounce lembab, especially the final -b?

Pronounce it [ˈləm.bab] with an unreleased final -b (it sounds a bit like a quick, stopped “p”). So it’s roughly “LEM-bahb.”

Can you omit the subject and just say Membawa cuaca lembab?

Yes. If the subject (angin timur) is clear from context, Indonesian often drops it. Without context it may sound incomplete, but grammatically it’s fine.

In the passive, can you drop oleh and say Cuaca lembab dibawa angin timur?

In informal speech, yes. Native speakers sometimes omit oleh, so Cuaca lembab dibawa angin timur is commonly heard and perfectly acceptable.