Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Bantuan pemerintah terbatas.

Terbatas here functions as an adjective (a descriptive word). In Indonesian, adjectives usually follow the noun they describe, and there’s no separate “to be” verb (like is in English) required. So bantuan pemerintah terbatas literally reads “government assistance limited.”

What is the root word of terbatas, and how does the prefix ter- work?

The root is batas, which means “limit” or “boundary.” Adding ter- turns it into terbatas, meaning “limited” or “having a limit.” In this case, ter- creates an adjective describing the state of being limited. Note this is different from the passive verb dibatasi (“is/are limited by someone”).

Why isn’t there an article like the or a in bantuan pemerintah terbatas?

Indonesian has no articles equivalent to English a, an, or the. Context tells you whether something is definite or indefinite. Here, bantuan pemerintah terbatas can mean “limited government assistance” or “the government’s assistance is limited,” depending on context.

How do you show possession in bantuan pemerintah? Why no word like dari (“from”)?