Breakdown of Lampu taman itu membuat jalan yang gelap menjadi terang.
itu
that
terang
bright
menjadi
to become
membuat
to make
yang
that
gelap
dark
lampu taman
the garden light
jalan
the path
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Questions & Answers about Lampu taman itu membuat jalan yang gelap menjadi terang.
What does itu mean in lampu taman itu and why is it placed after the noun?
itu is a demonstrative pronoun meaning that. In Indonesian, demonstratives follow the noun they modify. So lampu taman itu literally means that garden lamp.
Why is yang used in jalan yang gelap?
yang introduces a relative clause connecting jalan (path) with gelap (dark). It functions like the English words that or which. So jalan yang gelap means the path that is dark.
Can we omit yang and just say jalan gelap?
Yes. In informal speech or when context is clear, jalan gelap works to describe a dark path. However, including yang is more common in formal or written Indonesian to clearly mark the relative clause.
How does the structure membuat ... menjadi ... work here?
membuat is a causative verb meaning to make or cause, and menjadi means to become. Together they show a cause-and-effect change of state. So membuat jalan menjadi terang means making the path become bright.
Could we drop menjadi and simply say membuat jalan yang gelap terang?
Yes. In colloquial Indonesian it's common to omit menjadi, so membuat jalan yang gelap terang still means making the dark path bright. Including menjadi emphasises the transition or change of state.
Is there an alternative verb to membuat ... menjadi?
You can use menjadikan, the causative form of menjadi. For example lampu taman itu menjadikan jalan yang gelap terang also conveys that the garden lamp makes the dark path bright.
Why isn't there a copula like is before gelap or terang?
Indonesian typically omits the verb to be in simple noun-adjective constructions. So jalan gelap already conveys the idea that the path is dark. When expressing become rather than be, speakers use menjadi.
Could we rephrase the sentence to focus on the path instead of the lamp?
Yes. For example jalan yang gelap menjadi terang karena lampu taman itu means the dark path becomes bright because of that garden lamp. Here karena functions as a causal conjunction equivalent to because.