Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Dia mengemudi pelan-pelan di jalan besar karena hujan. - He/She drives slowly on the main road because of the rain.

Indonesian doesn’t mark tense on verbs. mengemudi can mean drove, is driving, or will drive depending on context. To be explicit, add time/aspect words:

Past: tadi, kemarin, sudah (e.g., Dia tadi mengemudi pelan-pelan...)
Progressive: sedang, lagi (e.g., Dia sedang mengemudi...)
Future: akan, a time word like besok (e.g., Dia akan mengemudi...)

Does dia mean he or she? How do I specify gender?

Yes—dia is gender-neutral (he/she). To clarify gender, add a noun like laki-laki/pria or perempuan/wanita: Dia (laki-laki) mengemudi.... For a respectful he/she, use beliau (about elders or respected people). Names are also commonly used instead of pronouns.

Can I use ia instead of dia? What’s the difference?

Ia is more formal and mostly used as a subject in writing. Dia is the default in speech. As an object, people usually use -nya (clitic): Saya melihatnya (I saw him/her), rather than Saya melihat ia. You can also say kepada dia or more formal kepadanya.

Why is it mengemudi and not something like menkemudi?

The active prefix meN- changes form based on the first letter of the root and often deletes it. With roots starting with k, the k drops and the prefix becomes meng-:

meN- + kemudi → mengemudi Other examples: meN- + kirim → mengirim, meN- + kumpul → mengumpul.

What’s the difference between mengemudi, menyetir/nyetir, mengendarai, mengemudikan, and berkendara?

Mengemudi: to drive/operate a vehicle; can appear without or with an object: Dia mengemudi (mobil).
Menyetir/nyetir: ‘to steer/drive’ (very common in speech); nyetir is colloquial: Dia nyetir mobil.
Mengendarai: to ride/drive a vehicle you’re on/in (often motorbikes, but can be cars too): Dia mengendarai motor.
Mengemudikan: explicitly ‘to drive (a specific vehicle)’; a bit more formal: Dia mengemudikan truk.
Berkendara: to travel by vehicle in general: Dia berkendara pelan-pelan.

Why is pelan-pelan doubled and hyphenated? Can I just say pelan?

Reduplication (pelan-pelan) is a common way to form adverbs and can soften or emphasize the manner: ‘slowly’. Pelan alone also works for ‘slow(ly)’. Alternatives: perlahan, perlahan-lahan (more formal), pelan saja (just slowly). The hyphen is standard for reduplication in writing.

Where do I put the adverb? Can I say pelan-pelan before the verb?

Neutral placement is after the verb: Dia mengemudi pelan-pelan. You can also use a dengan-phrase: Dia mengemudi dengan pelan / Dia mengemudi perlahan-lahan. Putting it before the verb (Dia pelan-pelan mengemudi) is possible for emphasis but less neutral.

Is di the same as the prefix di-? Why the space in di jalan?

No. di with a space is a preposition meaning ‘in/at/on’: di jalan besar. It must be written separately. di- attached to a verb is a passive prefix: dibaca (is/was read). Don’t write dijalan here—it’s incorrect. Also, ke means ‘to/toward’: ke jalan = to the road.

Why jalan besar and not besar jalan? Where do adjectives go?

In Indonesian, adjectives typically follow the noun: jalan besar (big/main road), rumah baru (new house). You can add yang for a relative clause if needed (jalan yang besar = ‘the road that is big’), but it’s not required here.

Should it be jalan besar or jalan raya? What’s the nuance?

Both are used:

Jalan besar literally ‘big road’, commonly used for a larger/main road (as opposed to a small gang alley).
Jalan raya is the standard term for a major/arterial road. Related terms: jalan tol (toll road), jalan utama (main street). So di jalan besar ≈ on the main road; di jalan raya sounds a bit more standard/formal.

Does karena hujan mean ‘because of the rain’ or ‘because it’s raining’? Do I need sedang?

It can mean either; hujan can be a noun or serve as a predicate (‘it’s raining’). To emphasize ongoing rain, say karena sedang hujan. To add intensity: karena hujan deras (because of heavy rain).

Can I move the reason clause to the front?

Yes: Karena hujan, dia mengemudi pelan-pelan di jalan besar. When the karena-clause comes first, put a comma after it. The meaning stays the same.

Why is there no word for ‘the’ in di jalan besar? How do I say ‘on the main road’ specifically?

Indonesian has no articles. di jalan besar can mean ‘on a/the main road’. To make it definite, add a demonstrative or a name: di jalan besar itu (on that main road), di Jalan Sudirman.

Does the verb change for different subjects? Any agreement needed?

No. Verbs don’t change for person, number, or gender. Saya/Dia/Mereka mengemudi pelan-pelan... all use the same mengemudi.

How would this sound in casual conversation?

Common casual variants:

Dia nyetir pelan-pelan di jalan raya soalnya hujan. (soalnya = because)
Dia nyetir pelan di jalan besar, lagi hujan soalnya. These are natural in everyday speech.