Saya menutup mata sebentar karena lelah.

I close my eyes for a moment because I am tired.

Breakdown of Saya menutup mata sebentar karena lelah.

• saya: I
• karena: because
• lelah: tired
• sebentar: for a moment
• menutup: to close
• mata: the eye

Questions & Answers about Saya menutup mata sebentar karena lelah.

Does this sentence express past, present, or future? How do I make the time clear?

Indonesian verbs don’t mark tense. Context supplies time. To be explicit:

• Past (earlier): Tadi saya menutup mata sebentar karena lelah.
• Completed: Saya sudah menutup mata sebentar karena lelah.
• In progress/right now: Saya sedang memejamkan mata sebentar.
• Near-future/intention: Sebentar, saya mau menutup mata karena lelah.
• Future: Nanti saya akan menutup mata sebentar karena lelah.

Why is there no “am” in karena lelah? Do I need to repeat the subject (karena saya lelah)?

Indonesian doesn’t use a verb like “to be” with adjectives. Saya lelah literally means “I tired.” In a reason clause, karena lelah is understood as “because [I am] tired.” You can add the subject for clarity or emphasis: karena saya lelah / karena aku lelah—both are correct, just a bit heavier. If the subject is different, you must say it: Saya menutup mata sebentar karena dia lelah.

Can the “because” clause come first?

Yes. Karena lelah, saya menutup mata sebentar. Use a comma after the reason when it’s clause-initial. The meaning is the same; the reason gets extra emphasis.

What’s the difference between saya and aku here?

Both mean “I,” but:

• saya: neutral, polite, safe with strangers/formal situations.
• aku: informal/intimate, with friends/family. So you can say Saya/Aku menutup mata sebentar karena lelah depending on formality. In Jakarta slang you may also hear gue.

Is menutup mata the most natural way to say “close my eyes”? What about memejamkan mata?

Both are used:

• memejamkan mata specifically means “to shut one’s eyelids” (very natural for briefly closing your eyes).
• menutup mata is general “to close [something],” and is also fine with mata, though it has some idiomatic uses (see below). Colloquial shortcuts: pejam mata (drop the affixes) is common in speech. Morphology: menutup = meN- + tutup; memejamkan = meN- + pejam
  • -kan.

What’s the nuance difference among lelah, capek, and letih?

All mean “tired,” but register differs:

• lelah: neutral to formal; common in writing and careful speech.
• capek (also written cape): very common, colloquial.
• letih: literary/elevated. Stronger: sangat lelah, kelelahan = “exhausted”; Different meaning: ngantuk = “sleepy.”

How does sebentar work? Are sebentar saja, sejenak, or bentar different?

• sebentar = “for a moment/for a short while” (duration).
• sebentar saja / sebentar aja = “just for a moment” (adds “only”).
• sejenak = “for a moment” but a bit more formal/literary.
• bentar = colloquial for sebentar. Note: sebentar lagi means “in a moment/soon” (time until an action), not “for a moment.”

Where should sebentar go in the sentence?

Most natural is at the end of the clause: Saya menutup mata sebentar.
Initial Sebentar, ... usually means “Wait a sec/just a moment” (addressing the listener), e.g., Sebentar, saya mau menutup mata = “Hang on, I’m going to close my eyes.” Saya sebentar menutup mata is uncommon/awkward.

Why is it just mata and not “my eyes”? Should I say mata saya or mataku?

Possession is often omitted when it’s obvious (body parts usually belong to the subject): Saya menutup mata is understood as “my eyes.”
If you need emphasis/contrast, add it: mata saya / mataku. Enclitic -ku is informal/poetic: mataku. Doubling (e.g., Saya menutup mata saya) is grammatical but often sounds heavy unless you’re contrasting whose eyes.

Is mata singular or plural here? How do I say “both eyes” or “one eye”?

Indonesian nouns don’t mark plural, so mata can mean “eye/eyes.” To be specific:

• “both eyes”: kedua mata or kedua mataku/mata saya
• “one eye”: sebelah mata
  Beware the idiom menutup sebelah mata = “to turn a blind eye (ignore).”

Can I say this in the passive?

Yes, but choose carefully:

• Passive with di- (someone else closes them): Mata saya ditutup sebentar karena lelah (odd if you’re the one doing it).
• Object-fronting/passive type 2 (you’re still the agent): Mata saya saya tutup sebentar karena lelah or Mata saya kututup sebentar karena lelah.
  The active Saya menutup mata… is the most natural here.

How do I negate it? And how do I say “not because (I’m tired)”?

• Simple negation (verb): Saya tidak menutup mata sebentar.
• Not yet: Saya belum menutup mata sebentar.
• “Not because …”: Saya menutup mata sebentar, bukan karena lelah.
  Use bukan to negate the reason phrase (karena-clause), and tidak to negate verbs/adjectives.

Are there idioms with menutup mata I should know?

Yes:

• menutup mata (selamanya) = to pass away (die).
• menutup mata terhadap … = to turn a blind eye to …
  In your sentence, sebentar clearly forces the literal meaning: you just closed your eyes briefly.