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Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Meja dibersihkan setelah pesta. - The table is cleaned after the party.

Hardcore Indonesian
/Lesson 16
/Meja dibersihkan setelah pesta.

Meja dibersihkan setelah pesta.

Word

Meja dibersihkan setelah pesta.

Meaning

The table is cleaned after the party.

Part of speech

sentence

Pronunciation

Course

Hardcore Indonesian

Lesson

Breakdown of Meja dibersihkan setelah pesta.

Questions & Answers about Meja dibersihkan setelah pesta.

What does the word dibersihkan mean, and how is it formed?

Dibersihkan means be cleaned / was cleaned. It’s the passive form of the transitive verb membersihkan (to clean). Formation:

Base: bersih (clean, adjective).
Active transitive: membersihkan (to make something clean).
Passive: di- ... -kan → dibersihkan (to be cleaned).

So Meja dibersihkan = The table is/was cleaned.

Why is the passive voice used here instead of the active?

Indonesian often uses passive to:

Put the focus on the thing affected (the table).
Omit the agent when it’s obvious or unimportant.
Sound neutral or polite.

It’s very natural to say Meja dibersihkan rather than naming the cleaner.

How would I say this in the active voice?

With a stated subject: Kami/Saya membersihkan meja setelah pesta. (We/I cleaned the table after the party.)
Colloquial “passive type 2” (object-fronting with an actor): Meja saya bersihkan setelah pesta. (I cleaned the table—focus on the table.)

How can I include the agent in the passive sentence?

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Use an oleh-phrase, especially in formal styles:

Meja dibersihkan oleh panitia setelah pesta. (The table was cleaned by the committee after the party.)

In everyday speech, it’s more common to switch to active:

Panitia membersihkan meja setelah pesta.

Or use passive type 2:

Meja panitia bersihkan setelah pesta.

Does the sentence mean was cleaned (past) or is cleaned (present)?

Indonesian has no tense inflection; context or time words show time. Setelah (after) suggests the event follows a past party, so in English we usually translate as past: The table was cleaned after the party. You can add aspect markers for clarity:

Past/completed: Meja sudah dibersihkan setelah pesta.
Future: Meja akan dibersihkan setelah pesta.
In progress: Meja sedang dibersihkan.

Can I say sesudah, usai, or habis instead of setelah?

Yes, with slight register differences:

sesudah = formal/neutral synonym of setelah.
usai = somewhat formal/literary: Meja dibersihkan usai pesta.
habis = colloquial: Meja dibersihkan habis pesta. All mean after the party.

How do I make it clearly the table or a table?

Indonesian has no articles, so use determiners:

Definite: Meja itu dibersihkan setelah pesta. / Mejanya dibersihkan setelah pesta. (that/the table)
Indefinite: Sebuah meja dibersihkan setelah pesta. (a table)

Why is it dibersihkan and not something like dibersih?

Because the verb is causative/transitive: to make something clean. The suffix -kan marks that causative action. Dibersih is ungrammatical. Related forms:

bersih (clean, adjective/intransitive stative)
membersihkan (to clean something)
pembersihan (cleaning, noun)
kebersihan (cleanliness)

How do I pronounce the sentence naturally?

Meja: MAY-jah (e like in say; j as in judge)
dibersihkan: dee-bər-SHEE-kahn (the first e is a schwa)
setelah: sə-tə-LAH (both e’s are schwa)
pesta: PESS-tah

Could the sentence express a habitual action (e.g., We clean the table after parties)?

Yes, with context markers:

Meja dibersihkan setelah setiap pesta. (The table is cleaned after every party.)
Setiap kali ada pesta, meja dibersihkan. (Whenever there’s a party, the table gets cleaned.)

How do I make it negative or say not yet?

Plain negation: Meja tidak dibersihkan setelah pesta. (The table was not cleaned after the party.)
Not yet: Meja belum dibersihkan setelah pesta. (The table has not been cleaned yet after the party.)

Can I front the time phrase?

Yes:

Setelah pesta, meja dibersihkan. This is natural and keeps the same meaning, with emphasis on the time.

How can I be more specific about the party ending?

Add a completion phrase:

Meja dibersihkan setelah pesta selesai/usai. Or specify the event:
Meja dibersihkan setelah pesta ulang tahun.

How do I ask Who cleaned the table?

Prefer the active question:

Siapa yang membersihkan meja (setelah pesta)? In passive it’s possible but less natural in everyday speech:
Meja dibersihkan oleh siapa?

Is there a polite way to tell someone to clean the table after the party?

Use a passive imperative with tolong:

Tolong, meja dibersihkan setelah pesta. (Please have the table cleaned after the party.) Active is also fine:
Tolong bersihkan meja setelah pesta. (Please clean the table after the party.)

Are there useful synonyms for pesta?

Yes, depending on nuance:

acara (event), perayaan (celebration), jamuan (banquet), resepsi (reception). Example: Meja dibersihkan setelah resepsi.

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