Breakdown of Silakan duduk, sebaiknya kamu minum air dulu.
kamu
you
minum
to drink
duduk
to sit
dulu
first
silakan
please
sebaiknya
had better
air
the water
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Questions & Answers about Silakan duduk, sebaiknya kamu minum air dulu.
What does silakan express, and how do I use it?
Silakan politely invites or gives permission for the listener to do something. It usually comes before a verb: Silakan duduk, Silakan masuk, Silakan makan. It doesn’t ask for help; it welcomes or permits the action.
How is silakan different from tolong, harap, and mohon?
- Silakan: invitation/permission (benefits the listener).
- Tolong: please help by … (benefits the speaker); used for requests and favors.
- Harap: formal/impersonal please in notices/announcements; directive.
- Mohon: very formal I request that …; common in official speech/writing.
Use silakan for sit/enter/eat-type invitations.
Which spelling is correct: silakan or silahkan?
Standard Indonesian uses silakan. Silahkan appears informally but is nonstandard in formal writing. Prefer silakan.
How strong is sebaiknya?
It’s a gentle recommendation: you should / it’d be best if …. It’s weaker than harus (must) but a bit firmer than a tentative suggestion like mungkin lebih baik.
Can I move sebaiknya or the subject around?
Yes:
- Sebaiknya kamu minum air dulu. (neutral, common)
- Kamu sebaiknya minum air dulu. (slight emphasis on “you”)
- Sebaiknya minum air dulu. (no subject; advice to the addressee in general)
Do I need the pronoun kamu here?
No. Indonesian often drops subjects when obvious. Options by register:
- Informal singular: kamu
- Neutral/formal singular: Anda
- Address by title: Bapak/Ibu
- Plural you: kalian Or omit it: Sebaiknya minum air dulu.
What does dulu mean here?
Not the past. Here dulu means first/for now/before other things. More formal: terlebih dahulu. With negation, jangan … dulu = don’t … yet.
Does air mean air or water?
In Indonesian, air means water and is pronounced roughly ah-eer (two syllables). For plain drinking water you’ll also hear air putih or air mineral (bottled/mineral water).
Why say minum air instead of just minum?
- Minum = to drink (unspecified).
- Minum air specifies water. Indonesian doesn’t need “some”: minum air already implies some water. For quantity, add a measure: segelas air (a glass), sebotol air (a bottle).
Is the word order fixed? Can I say minum dulu air?
The natural order is verb + object + adverb: minum air dulu. You can say minum dulu (omitting the object). Minum dulu air sounds odd in most contexts.
Could I use the -lah imperative, like duduklah or minumlah?
Yes. -lah softens a direct command: Duduklah. Minumlah air dulu. Compared with silakan, -lah still feels like you’re telling someone to do it; silakan feels more like an invitation/permission.
How would I make the sentence more formal or more casual?
- More formal: Silakan duduk. Sebaiknya Anda minum air terlebih dahulu.
- Casual: Duduk dulu, ya. Minum air dulu. Particles like ya (softening) or dong (friendly encouragement) are common in speech.
Is the comma between the clauses okay?
Yes. They’re two independent clauses; a comma, a period, or a semicolon all work: Silakan duduk, sebaiknya kamu minum air dulu. / Silakan duduk. Sebaiknya kamu minum air dulu.
Is meminum air correct?
Grammatically yes, but it’s more formal/literary. Everyday speech prefers minum air. The meN- form is useful when attaching a pronoun: meminumnya = drink it.