Untungnya lampu darurat menyala secara otomatis.

Luckily the emergency lights turn on automatically.

Breakdown of Untungnya lampu darurat menyala secara otomatis.

• untungnya: luckily
• lampu darurat: the emergency light
• menyala: to turn on
• secara otomatis: automatically

Questions & Answers about Untungnya lampu darurat menyala secara otomatis.

What does untungnya mean here?

untungnya means fortunately or luckily. It comes from the noun untung (luck, profit) plus the particle -nya, which here turns it into an adverb expressing relief or good fortune.

Can we drop -nya and say untung lampu darurat menyala secara otomatis?

Yes. untung alone can function as luckily, so “untung lampu darurat…” is correct. Adding -nya simply gives a bit more emphasis or a subtle nuance of “as it turned out.”

What is lampu darurat, and why is darurat placed after lampu?

lampu darurat means emergency light. In Indonesian, modifiers—whether adjectives or other nouns—typically follow the main noun. Here lampu is the head noun (light) and darurat is the modifier (emergency).

What does menyala mean, and how is it formed from the root nyala?

menyala means to light up or to turn on (intransitive). It’s formed by adding the active prefix meN- to the root nyala. Because the root starts with ny, the prefix surfaces as meny-, yielding menyala.

Why do we say secara otomatis instead of just otomatis?

secara otomatis means automatically. The word secara functions to turn the adjective otomatis into an adverb of manner. Without secara, otomatis remains an adjective (“automatic”) rather than “in an automatic way.”

Could we say lampu darurat otomatis menyala instead of menyala secara otomatis?

You might hear lampu darurat otomatis menyala, but this can sound like you’re describing the lamp as an “automatic emergency lamp.” To clearly express that it lights up by itself, the idiomatic choice is menyala secara otomatis.

Why is the word order adverb–subject–verb–adverbial phrase in this sentence?

While Indonesian’s basic order is Subject–Verb–Object, adverbs of comment or attitude (like untungnya) usually go at the very beginning. Manner phrases (like secara otomatis) typically follow the verb. So the structure here is:
[adverb] [subject] [verb] [adverbial manner].