Saling membantu membuat tetangga sama bahagia dengan keluarga sendiri.

Helping each other makes neighbors as happy as our own family.

Breakdown of Saling membantu membuat tetangga sama bahagia dengan keluarga sendiri.

• bahagia: happy
• keluarga: the family
• membuat: to make
• sendiri: own
• tetangga: the neighbor
• saling membantu: to help each other
• sama ... dengan: as ... as

Questions & Answers about Saling membantu membuat tetangga sama bahagia dengan keluarga sendiri.

What does saling add to membantu?

Saling means “each other/mutually.” So:

• tanpa saling: membantu = help (one-way)
• dengan saling: saling membantu = help each other (reciprocal)

Examples:

• Mereka membantu tetangga. = They help the neighbor. (one-direction)
• Mereka saling membantu. = They help each other. (reciprocal)

Is Saling membantu acting as the subject here?

Yes. Saling membantu functions like a gerund (“mutual helping”). So the structure is:

• Subject: Saling membantu
• Verb: membuat (makes)
• Object + complement: tetangga sama bahagia dengan keluarga sendiri

You can make it even clearer by adding itu:

• Saling membantu itu membuat… = That mutual helping makes…

Do I have to use the meN- form after saling? Could I say saling bantu?

In standard Indonesian, saling usually goes with a verb (often meN- or ber-): saling membantu, saling menyapa, saling bertukar.
In casual speech, saling bantu is heard and acceptable; it’s just more informal.

Could I use membuat, menjadikan, or menjadi here? What’s the difference?

• membuat + NP + Adj = make/cause NP to be Adj. Neutral and common.
  Example: Saling membantu membuat tetangga bahagia.
• menjadikan + NP + Adj = make/turn NP into Adj. Slightly more formal/emphatic.
  Example: Saling membantu menjadikan tetangga sebahagia keluarga sendiri.
• menjadi + Adj = become Adj (no external causer).
  Example: Tetangga menjadi sebahagia keluarga sendiri karena saling membantu.

Is tetangga singular or plural? Do I need para tetangga?

Indonesian nouns don’t mark number by default. Tetangga can mean “a neighbor” or “neighbors” depending on context. To force plural:

• para tetangga (common, especially for people)
• tetangga-tetangga (reduplication; also okay)

So you could say: …membuat para tetangga…

Is sama bahagia dengan correct, or should I use sebahagia?

Both are correct:

• sama [Adj] dengan: …tetangga sama bahagia dengan keluarga sendiri.
• se[Adj] (prefix se-): …tetangga sebahagia keluarga sendiri.

The se- form is compact and often sounds a bit more polished. With se-, you don’t use dengan afterward.

Do I need -nya after the adjective (sama bahagianya)?

Optional. sama [Adj]-nya dengan (e.g., sama bahagianya dengan) is very common and slightly more emphatic/natural in many contexts. All three are fine:

• sama bahagia dengan
• sama bahagianya dengan
• sebahagia

What does keluarga sendiri mean exactly? Whose “own family” is that?

Keluarga sendiri means “one’s own family,” with the possessor understood from context. If you want to be explicit, add a pronoun:

• keluarga saya sendiri = my own family
• keluarga kita sendiri = our own family (inclusive)
• keluarga kami sendiri = our own family (exclusive)
• keluarga mereka sendiri = their own family

Can sendiri mean “alone” here?

No. Here sendiri means “own.” For “alone,” Indonesian typically uses sendirian (e.g., Saya sendirian di rumah = I’m alone at home).

Is bahagia the right word, or should I use senang/gembira?

• bahagia = happy in a deeper, more enduring sense (well-being, contentment)
• senang = pleased, glad (lighter, often momentary)
• gembira = cheerful, joyful (often lively)

In this sentence, bahagia fits well because it’s about general well-being in a community relationship.

Why is dengan used after sama?

In the equality construction, you use:

• sama [Adj] dengan [comparison]
  Example: sama tinggi dengan saya With the se- construction, you don’t use dengan:
• setinggi saya, sebahagia keluarga sendiri

Are there other natural ways to say saling membantu?

Yes, with slightly different nuances:

• tolong-menolong = helping one another (very common, reciprocal)
• bantu-membantu = also reciprocal, a bit formal
• gotong royong = community mutual cooperation, often for shared tasks

Example: Gotong royong menjadikan para tetangga sebahagia keluarga sendiri.

Can I rearrange the sentence?

Yes. Natural alternatives include:

• Saling membantu itu membuat para tetangga sebahagia keluarga sendiri.
• Dengan saling membantu, para tetangga menjadi sebahagia keluarga sendiri.
• Karena saling membantu, para tetangga sebahagia keluarga sendiri. (elliptical but common in speech)

Keep the equality phrase together:

• Prefer …tetangga sama bahagia dengan keluarga sendiri, not …tetangga dengan keluarga sendiri sama bahagia.