Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Pertama-tama, tolong periksa rak di atas meja. - First of all, please check the rack above the table.

Both can start a sequence, like “first.” Pertama-tama feels a bit more like “first of all” (slightly more formal/emphatic), while pertama is the plain “first.” In everyday instructions, they’re interchangeable at the start of a sentence.

Do I need the hyphen in pertama-tama?

Yes. It’s a reduplicated form and the standard spelling uses a hyphen: pertama-tama. You’ll see people write just pertama, which is also fine, but if you choose the reduplicated form, keep the hyphen.

What does tolong add? Is it just “please”?

Tolong literally means “help (by doing X),” and it softens an imperative into a polite request. Without it (Periksa rak…), it sounds like a direct command. Other options:

Mohon (formal, written): “kindly”
Harap (formal/notice): “please”
Silakan: “you’re welcome to” (permission/invitation)
Colloquial softeners: …ya, …dong (casual; dong only with people you’re close to)

Why is it periksa, not memeriksa?

For requests/commands, Indonesian typically uses the base verb: Tolong periksa…. The forms:

periksa = base; good for imperatives: Tolong periksa rak…
memeriksa = active “to check”: Saya memeriksa rak…
diperiksa = passive “to be checked”: Rak itu sedang diperiksa.

Is Tolong memeriksa… wrong?

It’s not the usual pattern in speech. Prefer Tolong periksa…. In formal notices/letters, use:

Active request (formal): Harap memeriksa…
Passive request (formal and common): Mohon/Harap diperiksa… Note: di- in diperiksa is a passive prefix (attached), whereas di atas uses di as a preposition (separate word).

What exactly is a rak?

A rak is a shelf/rack (often open). Examples: rak buku (book shelf), rak piring (dish rack). A closed cabinet/cupboard is typically lemari (e.g., lemari pakaian).

Does rak di atas meja mean “on the table” or “above the table”?

By default it’s “on top of the table.” Di atas can also mean “above,” but if you mean a wall-mounted shelf above the table, add context: rak yang menggantung di atas meja or rak di atas meja, menempel di dinding.

What’s the difference between di atas meja and di meja?

di atas meja = physically on top of the table surface.
di meja can mean “at the table” (location/workstation) and can be ambiguous for physical placement. Use di atas meja when you want “on top of.”

Do I need yang: rak (yang) di atas meja?

You don’t need yang here; di atas meja naturally modifies rak. Add yang to make it a clear/explicit relative clause when you’re contrasting or specifying: Tolong periksa rak yang di atas meja (bukan yang di lantai).

How do I make “the shelf/that shelf/this shelf” explicit?

Indonesian has no articles, so use:

Demonstratives: rak itu (that shelf), rak ini (this shelf), rak di atas meja itu.
The clitic -nya for “the/its”: raknya often implies a known/specific shelf: Tolong periksa raknya di atas meja.
For “a shelf,” you can say sebuah rak (one/classifier + rack), though often just rak is fine if context allows.

How do I say “shelves” (plural)?

Reduplication: rak-rak (formal way to mark plural).
Quantifiers: beberapa rak (several shelves), semua rak (all shelves), dua/dua buah rak (two shelves). Example: Tolong periksa semua rak di atas meja.

How can I make the sentence more formal or more casual?

More formal: Mohon/Harap diperiksa rak di atas meja. or Silakan periksa rak di atas meja.
More casual: Coba cek rak di atas meja dulu, ya. (cek is casual; dulu = “first/before anything else.”)
Neutral polite (original): Pertama-tama, tolong periksa rak di atas meja.