Breakdown of Tolong matikan lampu sebelum tidur.
mematikan
to turn off
lampu
the light
sebelum
before
tidur
to sleep
Questions & Answers about Tolong matikan lampu sebelum tidur.
What does Tolong mean, and where should I place it?
Tolong is a polite marker equivalent to please in English. In an imperative request, you normally place Tolong at the beginning:
Tolong matikan lampu sebelum tidur.
You can also put it at the end for a slightly more casual tone:
Matikan lampu sebelum tidur, tolong.
Why is the verb matikan and not mematikan or mati?
The root verb is mati (to die / to go off).
- mati alone is intransitive (“to die” or “the light goes off”).
- mematikan is the active infinitive (“to turn off”).
- In imperatives you drop the me- prefix and use the causative suffix -kan, so mati + -kan becomes matikan (“turn off (something)”).
What does the suffix -kan do in matikan?
The suffix -kan makes a verb transitive and causative. It changes mati (“to go off”) into matikan, meaning “cause to go off” or “turn off (something).”
Why is there no subject in Tolong matikan lampu sebelum tidur?
Indonesian imperatives typically omit the subject pronoun (kamu/Anda) because it’s understood you’re addressing “you.” Adding (Anda) or (kamu) is unnecessary: • (Anda) tolong matikan lampu sebelum tidur.