Setelah mencuci, saya mengeringkan sepatu di halaman belakang.

After washing, I dry the shoes in the backyard.

Breakdown of Setelah mencuci, saya mengeringkan sepatu di halaman belakang.

• saya: I
• di: in
• setelah: after
• halaman: the yard
• sepatu: the shoe
• mencuci: to wash
• mengeringkan: to dry
• belakang: back

Questions & Answers about Setelah mencuci, saya mengeringkan sepatu di halaman belakang.

What is the function of Setelah at the beginning of the sentence?

Setelah is a conjunction meaning “after.” It introduces a time clause (mencuci) that happens first, and signals that the action in the main clause (saya mengeringkan sepatu di halaman belakang) follows. In English: “After washing, I dried the shoes in the backyard.”

Can you place the Setelah clause at the end instead of the beginning?

Yes. Indonesian allows flexible placement of adverbial clauses. You can say:
• Saya mengeringkan sepatu di halaman belakang setelah mencuci.
The meaning remains “I dried the shoes in the backyard after washing.”

Why is there no -kan suffix on mencuci, but mengeringkan has -kan?

• mencuci = me- + cuci (“wash”) → an active transitive verb that takes a direct object (no extra suffix needed).
• mengeringkan = me- + kering (“dry” as an adjective) + -kan → forms a transitive verb “to dry (something).”
The -kan turns the adjective into a causative verb.

How does the me- prefix change before different consonants (e.g., mencuci vs. mengeringkan)?

The me- prefix adapts to the initial consonant of the root word:
• Roots starting with c, d, j, t, z use men- (with possible consonant change): cuci → mencuci.
• Roots starting with k, g, h, ng use meng- (often dropping the initial k): kering → mengering.
Then you add -kan if you need a causative/transitive form (as in mengeringkan).

What is the role of di in di halaman belakang? Could it be ke halaman belakang?

• di marks a static location: “in/at/on.” So di halaman belakang means “in the backyard.”
• ke marks movement toward: “to the backyard.”
Since the sentence describes where you dried the shoes (a location), di is correct.

Why isn’t sepatu marked for plural? How do you show plural nouns in Indonesian?

Most Indonesian nouns are unmarked for number; context tells you if it’s singular or plural.
• sepatu can mean one shoe or shoes in general.
• To emphasize plural, you can reduplicate: sepatu-sepatu (“shoes”).

Can you omit the subject saya in this sentence?

Yes. Indonesian often drops the subject pronoun when it’s clear from context. Informally you could say:
• Setelah mencuci, mengeringkan sepatu di halaman belakang.
However, including saya adds clarity and formality.

What is the typical word order in this sentence?

The pattern here is:
Subject (optional) → Verb → Object → Adverbial phrase
“Saya” → “mengeringkan” → “sepatu” → “di halaman belakang.”
Time clauses like Setelah mencuci can appear at the start or end.