Breakdown of Tugas utama saya adalah belajar bahasa Indonesia.
adalah
to be
belajar
to learn
tugas
the assignment
bahasa Indonesia
the Indonesian language
saya
my
utama
main
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Questions & Answers about Tugas utama saya adalah belajar bahasa Indonesia.
What does tugas utama mean?
tugas means task or duty, utama means main or primary. Together, tugas utama means main task or primary duty.
Why is adalah used in this sentence and is it always necessary?
adalah functions like a linking verb to be, connecting the subject (tugas utama saya) with the predicate (belajar bahasa Indonesia). It's not strictly required in colloquial speech. You can say Tugas utama saya belajar bahasa Indonesia and it remains correct, but including adalah sounds more formal or complete.
Why is saya placed after tugas utama instead of before?
In Indonesian, the possessor follows the noun. So tugas saya means my task. When you add an adjective, you still place it between the noun and the possessor: tugas utama saya means my main task.
How can the verb belajar follow adalah? Is it functioning as a noun here?
Yes. Indonesian verbs can function as nouns without any change. In this sentence, belajar bahasa Indonesia is treated as a noun phrase meaning learning Indonesian. The overall structure is subject + (adalah) + noun phrase.
Is there a difference between belajar bahasa Indonesia and mempelajari bahasa Indonesia?
Both mean to learn Indonesian, but:
- belajar is the common, everyday verb.
- mempelajari is a derived verb (me- + pelajar + i) that often implies a more systematic or academic approach to studying.
Why is bahasa not capitalized but Indonesia is?
bahasa is a common noun meaning language, so it is lowercase. Indonesia is a proper noun (the country name) and is always capitalized. Therefore we write bahasa Indonesia.
Could I replace tugas utama with pekerjaan utama here?
Yes, you could say Pekerjaan utama saya adalah belajar bahasa Indonesia, but the nuance shifts:
- tugas emphasizes a specific duty or assignment.
- pekerjaan generally refers to a job, occupation, or work in a broader sense.