Breakdown of Kerajinan bambu dipajang di galeri.
di
in
dipajang
to be displayed
galeri
the gallery
kerajinan
the handicraft
bambu
the bamboo
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Questions & Answers about Kerajinan bambu dipajang di galeri.
What does kerajinan mean and how is it formed?
kerajinan means handicraft or craftwork. Although it might look like rajin (diligent) + -an, it's actually a standalone noun. It often appears with a material: kerajinan bambu (bamboo crafts), kerajinan kayu (woodcraft). If you add tangan (hand) after it—kerajinan tangan—you emphasize it is handmade.
Why doesn't kerajinan bambu have a plural marker or an article like "the" or "a"?
- Indonesian nouns do not change form for singular or plural.
- There are no definite or indefinite articles.
- To show plurality use words like beberapa (some) or banyak (many).
- To make it definite you can add itu or tersebut after the noun (e.g., kerajinan bambu tersebut).
What does dipajang mean, and how is it formed?
dipajang is the passive form of pajang (to display). It is formed by adding the prefix di- directly to the root verb: di- + pajang = dipajang (displayed or are displayed). Indonesian verbs do not change for tense; context or time words tell you if it's happening now or happened before.
How can I tell the difference between the prefix di- in dipajang and the preposition di in di galeri?
- di- (no space) is a passive verb prefix (e.g., dipajang).
- di (with a space) is a preposition meaning in/at/on for location (e.g., di galeri).
Look for spacing: if it's attached to a verb, it's a prefix; if it stands alone before a noun, it's the preposition.
Why is there no agent (no oleh phrase) after dipajang?
Indonesia allows agentless passive—useful when the doer is unknown, unimportant, or obvious. If you want to specify who did it, add oleh (by), for example: Kerajinan bambu dipajang di galeri oleh seniman lokal.
Why is kerajinan bambu placed before dipajang? Isn't the verb supposed to come first?
In a passive sentence the object of the active verb becomes the subject/topic. Indonesian word order here is: Subject/Topic (kerajinan bambu) + Predicate (dipajang) + Other information (di galeri). Verbs still follow their subject/topic in passive constructions.
What is galeri, and does it change when talking about more than one gallery?
galeri is a loanword from English meaning gallery (an exhibition space). Like most Indonesian nouns it does not change form for plural. If you need a plural you can say galeri-galeri or add a quantifier like beberapa galeri.
How can I emphasize that the crafts are being displayed right now?
Add sedang before the verb to show a progressive aspect: Kerajinan bambu sedang dipajang di galeri (The bamboo crafts are being displayed in the gallery right now). You can also add time adverbs like sekarang (now).
How would you say the active version as in "They displayed the bamboo crafts in the gallery"?
Use the active prefix mem- to form memajang. For example: Mereka memajang kerajinan bambu di galeri (They displayed the bamboo crafts in the gallery).