Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Sambungan telepon terputus karena angin kencang. - The phone connection is cut because of the strong wind.

Sambungan comes from the verb sambung (“to connect”) plus the suffix -an, forming a noun “connection.” Telepon means “telephone” or “phone.” So sambungan telepon literally means “telephone connection” or simply “phone line.”

How is terputus formed and what does it mean?

Terputus is made by adding the prefix ter- to the root putus (“to break,” “to cut off”). With ter-, it becomes a passive/inchoative verb meaning “to get cut off” or “to be disconnected,” implying the disconnection happened on its own or unintentionally.

Why not use memutus or diputus instead of terputus?

Memutus (active) means “to cut off” and requires an agent (someone actively doing it).
Diputus would be the passive of memutus (“to be cut off by someone”).
Terputus (inchoative) means the action happened by itself or accidentally. In this sentence there is no human agent—just the wind—so terputus is appropriate.

Can I say sambungan teleponnya terputus?

Yes. Adding the possessive -nya to telepon (→ teleponnya) gives “his/her/its phone connection.” So sambungan teleponnya terputus means “his/her/their phone connection got cut off,” whereas without -nya it’s a general statement.

What role does karena play? Are there alternatives?

Karena means “because” and introduces the cause. Alternatives:

Sebab (more formal)
Makanya (colloquial, “that’s why”), e.g. “Sambungan telepon terputus, makanya saya nggak dengar.”

Why is karena angin kencang placed at the end of the sentence?

Indonesian allows flexible placement of adverbial phrases. Putting karena… after the main clause is natural in everyday speech, especially when you want to state the effect first and then give the reason.

What does angin kencang mean? Could I use another word?

Angin = “wind.” Kencang = “strong,” “forceful,” or “fast.” Together, angin kencang is “strong wind.” If you want to imply an actual storm or typhoon, you’d use badai (storm) or topan (typhoon).

Is there a more informal way to say “the call dropped”?

Yes. You might hear people say teleponnya putus or call-nya putus (mixing English “call” with -nya) in casual conversations. Formal/written style stays with sambungan telepon terputus.

Why don’t we mark plural in sambungan telepon?

Indonesian generally does not mark plurality with an “s.” Context tells you if something is singular or plural. If you really want to emphasize “multiple,” you can reduplicate: sambungan-sambungan telepon, but it’s rare in this context.

How do you pronounce the ng in sambungan and kencang?

The ng is a single nasal sound [ŋ], like the end of English “sing.” So sambungan sounds like [sam-boo-ŋan], and kencang [ken-çaŋ]. There is no separate “g” sound after the nasal.