Breakdown of Lampion biru digantung di galeri pada sore hari.
di
in
sore hari
the afternoon
pada
in
biru
blue
galeri
the gallery
lampion
the lantern
digantung
to be hung
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Questions & Answers about Lampion biru digantung di galeri pada sore hari.
What’s the role of the di- prefix in digantung?
The di- prefix marks the passive voice. When attached to the verb root gantung (to hang), it forms digantung, meaning is/are hung. This tells us the lanterns are being hung by someone (unspecified). To name the actor, you’d add oleh plus the person (e.g. digantung oleh kurator).
Why is there no oleh phrase naming the actor in digantung?
Passive sentences with di- often omit the agent if it’s unknown, unimportant, or obvious from context. The focus stays on the action and the object. You can include oleh plus the actor whenever you need to specify who did it.
Could we use tergantung instead of digantung here, and what’s the difference?
Both come from gantung, but digantung is passive (emphasizing the act of hanging), while tergantung is stative or intransitive (describing the state of being suspended). digantung highlights that someone hung them up; tergantung simply says they hang there.
How can we tell if lampion biru is singular or plural?
Indonesian nouns don’t change form for number. lampion biru can mean blue lantern or blue lanterns depending on context. To specify plural, use a numeral (dua lampion biru) or reduplication (lampion-lampion biru).
Why does the adjective biru come after lampion, while in English we say blue lantern?
Indonesian adjectives normally follow the noun they modify. So lampion biru literally means lantern blue. English places adjectives before nouns; Indonesian puts most adjectives, including colors, after the noun.
What’s the role of di in di galeri, and why not ke galeri?
di is the preposition for location (in/at), so di galeri means in the gallery. ke indicates movement toward a place (to), which doesn’t fit here because the lanterns are already in the gallery.
Why do we use pada before sore hari, instead of di or no preposition at all?
pada is the standard preposition for specific time expressions (at/in). pada sore hari means in the afternoon. You might hear di sore hari colloquially, but pada is more formal and common with hari time words. Without any preposition, the phrase feels incomplete.
Can we rearrange di galeri and pada sore hari in the sentence?
Yes. Time and place adverbials are flexible in Indonesian. For example:
- Pada sore hari lampion biru digantung di galeri.
- Di galeri pada sore hari lampion biru digantung.
Changing their order can shift emphasis or suit different discourse contexts.
How do you tell if di is a prefix (as in digantung) or a preposition (as in di galeri)?
When di- is a prefix, it attaches directly to a verb root with no space (e.g. digantung). As a preposition, di stands alone before a noun (e.g. di galeri). If there’s a space, it’s the locative preposition; if it’s glued on, it’s the passive marker.