Breakdown of Sebelum mencuci piring, gunakanlah sabun itu.
itu
that
sebelum
before
mencuci
to wash
sabun
the soap
piring
the dish
menggunakan
to use
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Questions & Answers about Sebelum mencuci piring, gunakanlah sabun itu.
How is the subject of the sentence expressed? Who is supposed to do the action?
In Indonesian imperative sentences, the subject (you) is usually implied rather than explicitly stated. When you see gunakanlah sabun itu, it’s understood that you (the listener) should do the action. Adding kamu or Anda is optional if you want to clarify or be more polite.
What does sebelum mean, and why is it placed at the beginning of the sentence?
Sebelum means “before.” It introduces a time clause to show the sequence of events: “Before washing the dishes, use that soap.” Placing it at the front emphasizes that order. You could also end with it, as shown in the next question.
Can I switch the order of the clauses?
Yes. You can put the main clause first without changing meaning:
Gunakanlah sabun itu sebelum mencuci piring.
Both orders are grammatically correct; it’s just a matter of style or emphasis.
What is the function of the prefix me- in mencuci?
The me- prefix turns a root like cuci (“wash”) into an active verb (“to wash”). Because cuci starts with c, the prefix assimilates to men-, making mencuci. In sebelum mencuci piring, it acts like “washing” in English.
Why is there no tense marking (past, present, future) on mencuci?
Indonesian verbs do not inflect for tense. Time is understood from context or markers like sebelum. Here, sebelum indicates the washing happens after the soap is used but before some other event.
What does the suffix -lah do in gunakanlah?
The particle -lah adds emphasis or politeness to commands. Gunakan means “use,” and gunakanlah gives it a polite yet firm nuance—similar to “please go ahead and use.”
Could I use pakailah instead of gunakanlah? What’s the difference?
Yes. Pakai (“use”) is more colloquial, while gunakan is slightly more formal or precise. Pakailah sabun itu works perfectly; gunakanlah just sounds a bit more official or polite.
Why do we say sabun itu and not just sabun?
Indonesian has no articles like “a” or “the.” You add itu (“that”/“the”) to make it specific: sabun itu = “that soap” or “the soap we mentioned.” Without itu, sabun would be more general (“soap” in general).
Is the original sentence formal or informal? How would I say it more casually?
It’s neutral to slightly formal because of gunakanlah. In casual speech, you can drop -lah and even use pakai:
Sebelum mencuci piring, gunakan sabun itu.
Sebelum mencuci piring, pakai sabun itu.