Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Berjalanlah perlahan sambil melihat kompas agar tidak meninggalkan rombongan. - Walk slowly while watching the compass so you don’t leave the group.

The suffix -lah adds emphasis or a polite force to the imperative. While Berjalan simply means “Walk,” Berjalanlah conveys “Please walk” or “Do walk,” making the command sound more courteous or urgent.

What’s the difference between perlahan and pelan-pelan?

Both mean “slowly.”
• Perlahan is slightly more formal or written style.
• Pelan-pelan is more colloquial and conversational.
You can use either in speech, but in formal instructions you’ll often see perlahan.

How does sambil work in sambil melihat kompas?

Sambil indicates two actions happening at the same time. Here it means “while looking.” The structure is sambil + verb-ing (“while doing …”). So sambil melihat kompas = “while looking at the compass.”

Could we use sementara or ketika instead of sambil?

Yes, but with slight style changes:
• Sementara melihat kompas is grammatically correct (“while looking at the compass”) but sounds a bit more formal or written.
• Ketika melihat kompas also works (“when looking at the compass”) but focuses more on the moment of looking rather than the simultaneous action.

Can I replace agar with supaya here?

Yes. Both agar and supaya express purpose (“so that”). They’re interchangeable in most contexts:
• … agar tidak meninggalkan rombongan.
• … supaya tidak meninggalkan rombongan.
No change in meaning, though agar tends to be slightly more formal.

What does meninggalkan mean, and how is it formed?

Meninggalkan means “to leave behind” or “to abandon.” It’s formed from the root tinggal (“stay”) plus the prefix meN- and the suffix -kan, which together create a transitive verb:
• meN- + tinggal + -kan = meninggalkan (“leave [something/someone]”)

What is a rombongan?

A rombongan is a group or party of people traveling or moving together. In this sentence, it refers to the group you don’t want to leave behind.