Televisi menyala otomatis sebelum rapat pagi.

The television turns on automatically before the morning meeting.

Breakdown of Televisi menyala otomatis sebelum rapat pagi.

• televisi: the television
• sebelum: before
• rapat pagi: the morning meeting
• menyala: to turn on
• otomatis: automatically

Questions & Answers about Televisi menyala otomatis sebelum rapat pagi.

Which word is the main verb in this sentence, and what does it mean in this context?

The main verb is menyala, which here means “to (switch) on,” “to light up,” or “to start running” (intransitively) when talking about a device like a TV.

How does menyala relate to the root nyala, and what role does the prefix meN- play?

Nyala is the root meaning “light,” “glow” or “on.” Attaching the active prefix meN- creates menyala, turning it into a verb “to turn on” or “to light up.” The nasal N assimilates to the initial n of nyala, giving menyala instead of menynyala.

Why is there no passive marker di- in this sentence?

This is an active (intransitive) statement: “The TV turns on by itself.” A passive verb would come from the causative menyalakan (“to turn something on”), yielding dinyalakan (“is turned on by someone”). But here we simply describe the TV’s own action, so we use menyala.

What’s the difference between menyala and menyalakan?

Menyala is intransitive: “to turn on/come on” by itself.
Menyalakan is transitive/causative: “to turn something on.”
E.g.,
– Lampu menyala. (The lamp comes on.)
– Saya menyalakan lampu. (I turn on the lamp.)

Where does the adverb otomatis (“automatically”) go in an Indonesian sentence?

Typically right after the verb it modifies: Televisi (subject) + menyala (verb) + otomatis (adverb). You could also move it for emphasis, but post-verb position is most natural.

What is the role of sebelum in sebelum rapat pagi?

Sebelum is a time preposition meaning “before.” It introduces the noun phrase rapat pagi (“morning meeting”), so sebelum rapat pagi = “before the morning meeting.”

Can you invert the time phrase? For example, start with Sebelum rapat pagi—is that OK?

Yes. Indonesian allows flexibility:
“Sebelum rapat pagi, televisi menyala otomatis.”
This fronting emphasizes the time (“Before the morning meeting…”).

Why isn’t there any equivalent of “the” or “a” before televisi?

Indonesian has no articles. Context determines whether a noun is definite or indefinite. Televisi can mean “the TV” or “a TV” without changing its form.

How would you turn this into a yes/no question?

You can add Apakah at the start or raise intonation:
– Apakah televisi menyala otomatis sebelum rapat pagi?
– Televisi menyala otomatis sebelum rapat pagi?