Breakdown of Pantai di selatan pulau itu tenang.
adalah
to be
itu
that
di
in
tenang
calm
pantai
the beach
pulau
the island
selatan
the south
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Questions & Answers about Pantai di selatan pulau itu tenang.
Why isn’t there an article like “the” before pantai?
Indonesian doesn’t have definite or indefinite articles. Nouns stand alone, and specificity is often shown by context or by adding a demonstrative like itu (“that”) after the noun.
What does di mean in di selatan pulau itu?
Di is a preposition marking location, equivalent to English “in/at/on.” Here di selatan means “in the south.”
Why is itu placed after pulau?
Itu is a demonstrative meaning “that.” In Indonesian, demonstratives always follow the noun they modify: pulau itu = “that island.”
Why isn’t selatan capitalized?
Directions like utara, selatan, timur, and barat are common nouns in Indonesian and are not capitalized unless they’re part of a proper name.
Why is there no verb like “is” or the word adalah?
In Indonesian, the copula (to be) is generally omitted in predicate constructions with adjectives or noun complements. So “The beach is calm” becomes simply pantai ... tenang without adalah.
What part of speech is tenang?
In this sentence, tenang is an adjective meaning “calm” or “peaceful.” As a predicate adjective, it follows the noun and needs no linking verb.
Why does the adjective tenang come at the end of the sentence?
Adjectives in Indonesian typically follow the noun they modify. When used as a predicate, the adjective still comes after the entire noun phrase: pantai di selatan pulau itu tenang.
Could I add yang or adalah to this sentence?
Yes. For example:
- Pantai yang di selatan pulau itu tenang. (using yang as a relative marker)
- Pantai di selatan pulau itu adalah tenang. (more formal with adalah)
However, the original version is more natural in everyday speech.
What’s the difference between di selatan pulau itu and bagian selatan pulau itu?
Both refer to “the south of that island.” Adding bagian (“part”) makes it explicit: bagian selatan pulau itu = “the southern part of that island.” Without bagian, di selatan pulau itu is more concise but equally clear.
How would I turn this statement into a question?
You can add apakah at the beginning:
Apakah pantai di selatan pulau itu tenang?
Or simply use rising intonation:
Pantai di selatan pulau itu tenang?