Breakdown of Bensin sepeda motor saya habis.
adalah
to be
sepeda motor
the motorcycle
saya
my
bensin
the gasoline
Questions & Answers about Bensin sepeda motor saya habis.
What is the grammatical structure of the sentence?
Subject–predicate. The subject is the noun phrase bensin sepeda motor saya (“the gasoline of my motorcycle”), and the predicate is the stative word habis (“used up/run out”). Indonesian doesn’t need a “to be” verb here.
Is habis a verb or an adjective? How is it used?
It’s a stative adjective that can function as a predicate, often translated as “has run out/finished.” Examples:
- Makanannya habis. = The food is gone.
- Pulsa saya habis. = My phone credit ran out.
What’s the most natural way to say “I ran out of gas”?
Common options:
- Saya/Aku kehabisan bensin. (focus on you as the experiencer; very idiomatic)
- Bensin motor saya habis. (focus on the gasoline)
- Motor saya habis bensin. (focus on the motorcycle)
Do I need a word like “to be” (e.g., adalah) here?
No. Indonesian doesn’t use a copula before adjectives. Bensin … adalah habis is ungrammatical. Just use habis.
Why does saya come after sepeda motor?