Duduklah di sini sebentar.

Sit here for a moment.

Breakdown of Duduklah di sini sebentar.

• di: at
• duduk: to sit
• sebentar: for a moment
• sini: here
• -lah: polite imperative

Questions & Answers about Duduklah di sini sebentar.

What does the particle -lah in Duduklah do?

• It softens the command and makes it more polite or inviting.
• It can also add a gentle emphasis.
• It’s common in writing or formal speech; in casual talk, people often omit it.

Is -lah required? How does Duduk! differ from Duduklah.?

• Duduk! is blunt and can sound brusque, fine among close friends or with children.
• Duduklah. is a softer, more polite imperative.
• Choose based on tone, context, and relationship.

How should I write -lah?

• Attach it to the word with no space: duduklah, tunggulah, masuklah.
• Don’t write duduk lah in standard Indonesian.
• Punctuation goes after the whole word: Duduklah.

Why is it di sini and not ke sini?

• di marks location (at/in/on): you sit at a place.
• ke marks movement (to/toward): use it for motion, e.g., Mari ke sini, lalu duduk.
• Don’t use Duduklah ke sini to mean sit here.

Can I say Duduk sini without di?

• Yes in casual speech: Duduk sini bentar is common.
• In careful or formal Indonesian, keep di: Duduklah di sini sebentar.

Is di here the same as the passive prefix di-?

• No. Here di is a preposition and is written separately: di sini.
• The passive prefix di- attaches to verbs with no space (e.g., dibuat).

What nuance does sebentar add? Are sebentar saja, sebentar dulu, or bentar different?

• sebentar: for a short while; it also softens the request.
• sebentar saja: just a moment, slightly more limiting.
• sebentar dulu: for a moment first (do this before something else).
• bentar/bentaran: colloquial forms.

Where can sebentar go in the sentence?

• Natural options: Duduklah di sini sebentar, Duduklah sebentar di sini, or without -lah: Duduk sebentar di sini.
• Meaning stays the same. Avoid splitting di sini.

How do I make this more polite for a guest or customer?

• Use an invitation verb: Silakan duduk di sini sebentar.
• Very formal: Mohon duduk di sini sebentar.
• Add an address term: Silakan duduk di sini sebentar, Pak/Bu.

What about casual, friendly speech?

• Duduk sini bentar, ya.
• Duduk dulu di sini.
• Jakarta-style softeners: ya, dong, deh (tone varies by particle).

Should I add a pronoun like Anda or kamu?

• Imperatives normally omit the subject; you is understood.
• Anda can feel stiff; kamu can feel too direct.
• Prefer Silakan... or use names/kinship terms (Pak, Bu, Mas, Mbak).

What’s the difference between di sini, di situ, and di sana?

• di sini: here (near the speaker).
• di situ: there (near the listener or visible but not near the speaker).
• di sana: over there (farther away).

How would I say Don’t sit here?

• Use jangan for negative imperatives: Jangan duduk di sini.
• Softer: Maaf, jangan duduk di sini ya.

Are there other verbs that commonly take -lah in imperatives?

• Yes: Masuklah, Tunggulah, Tenanglah, Dengarkanlah.
• In everyday speech, the bare verb is common: Masuk, Tunggu, Tenang.

Can I combine -lah with tolong?

• It’s possible but usually redundant. Prefer one:
  • Tolong duduk di sini sebentar.
  • Duduklah di sini sebentar.
• Combining is acceptable but wordier: Tolong duduklah di sini sebentar.

Any quick pronunciation tips?

• u in duduk sounds like the oo in book.
• e in sebentar is a relaxed schwa (uh).
• Final r is a light tap or trill.
• Syllables are clear and evenly timed.