Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Keadaan darurat perlu rencana cadangan. - An emergency situation needs a backup plan.

Keadaan darurat literally means “state of emergency.” It emphasizes the overall condition or situation. On its own, darurat can function as both a noun and an adjective, often used in headlines or warnings simply to mean “emergency” or “urgent.” In formal contexts—legal texts, government alerts, official signage—you’ll usually see keadaan darurat.

Why is perlu used here instead of harus?

Perlu means “to need” or “is necessary,” carrying a neutral or advisory tone. Harus means “must” or “have to,” implying a stronger obligation. Saying Keadaan darurat perlu rencana cadangan suggests that a backup plan is needed or advisable. If you want to stress that it’s mandatory, you could say Keadaan darurat harus punya rencana cadangan, but that sounds more forceful.

Is perlu a verb or an adjective in this sentence?

Here, perlu functions as a verb that takes rencana cadangan as its object. Indonesian is flexible—perlu can sometimes act adjectivally (e.g., itu perlu dipertimbangkan – “that needs to be considered”), but in Keadaan darurat perlu rencana cadangan it’s clearly the main verb: (Emergency situations) need (a backup plan).

Why is the phrase rencana cadangan and not cadangan rencana?

Indonesian noun phrases generally follow the pattern Head noun + Modifier. Here, rencana (plan) is the head, and cadangan (backup) modifies it. So rencana cadangan = backup plan. Reversing it—cadangan rencana—would either sound odd or imply “the reserve of plans” rather than “a plan for backup.”

Could I say rencana backup instead of rencana cadangan?

In informal or technical conversations, people sometimes mix English and Indonesian and say rencana backup. It’s usually understood, but in formal or standard Indonesian cadangan is the correct native term. So in professional writing or official documents, stick with rencana cadangan.

Why isn’t there a word like in or during (e.g., “in emergencies”) at the beginning?

Indonesian often omits prepositions that English requires. By placing keadaan darurat at the start, it acts as the subject and sets the context, roughly equivalent to “In emergencies.” If you want to be explicit, you can add dalam: Dalam keadaan darurat, perlu rencana cadangan (“During a state of emergency, a backup plan is needed”).

Can you pluralize keadaan darurat or rencana cadangan?

Indonesian doesn’t usually mark nouns for plural with endings. Keadaan darurat covers all emergency situations. If you really need to emphasize plural, you could use reduplication (keadaan darurat-darurat) or quantifiers (banyak rencana cadangan), but it’s not common. The default singular form is understood as encompassing multiples.

How would I express “In case of emergency, you need a backup plan” in a more conditional way?

You can add a conditional clause:
Jika terjadi keadaan darurat, kamu perlu (memiliki) rencana cadangan.

Jika terjadi = “If it happens/occurs”
kamu = “you” (informal)
memiliki (optional) = “to have.”
This explicitly mirrors the English “In case of emergency, you need a backup plan.”