Meja dibersihkan setelah pesta.

The table is cleaned after the party.

Breakdown of Meja dibersihkan setelah pesta.

• setelah: after
• pesta: the party
• meja: the table
• dibersihkan: to be cleaned

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?

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.