Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Dia merapikan kamar adiknya yang berantakan. - He/She tidies up her/his younger sibling’s messy room.

It’s the room. yang berantakan is a relative clause modifying the head noun kamar (room), not adik (younger sibling). So it means: he/she tidied up his/her younger sibling’s messy room. To make the sibling the messy one, you’d say: Dia merapikan adiknya yang berantakan (he/she tidied up the younger sibling who was a mess—e.g., fixing their clothes/hair).

What does merapikan mean and how is it formed?

Root: rapi = neat/tidy.
Prefix: me- (from meN-) + Suffix: -kan → merapikan = to make something neat (to tidy up).
It’s transitive and takes an object: Dia merapikan buku-bukunya (He/She tidied up his/her books).

Why is it kamar adiknya, not adiknya kamar?

In Indonesian, the possessed noun comes first, then the possessor: kamar adik = the younger sibling’s room. Attaching -nya (adiknya) makes it “his/her younger sibling.” Alternatives:

kamar adiknya (most natural)
kamar adik dia (colloquial, acceptable)
kamar adik saya (my younger sibling’s room, more formal)

What does the suffix -nya in adiknya mean here?

-nya usually marks third-person possession: “his/her.” So adiknya = his/her younger sibling. It can also function as a definite marker (“the”), depending on context. Without more context, we assume -nya refers back to dia (the subject), but it could refer to another previously mentioned person.

Could I drop -nya and say kamar adik?

You can, but it sounds incomplete or generic (“a younger sibling’s room”) unless the possessor is clear from context. To be explicit, use a possessive:

kamar adikku (my younger sibling’s room)
kamar adikmu (your younger sibling’s room)
kamar adiknya (his/her younger sibling’s room)

Why do we need yang before berantakan?

Yang turns what follows into a modifier (a relative clause) of the noun: kamar … yang berantakan = the room that is messy. Without yang, kamar adiknya berantakan becomes a full sentence (“His/Her younger sibling’s room is messy”), not a noun phrase you can use as the object of merapikan.

What’s the nuance difference among merapikan, membereskan, and membersihkan?

merapikan: make neat/arrange tidily (focus on orderliness).
membereskan: straighten up/fix/clear up (broader “get it in order”).
membersihkan: clean (remove dirt).
For a cluttered room, merapikan/membereskan are most natural; if it’s dirty, use membersihkan (or combine: membersihkan dan merapikan).

What’s the difference between berantakan and kotor?

berantakan: messy, in disarray, cluttered.
kotor: dirty (physically unclean).
A room can be berantakan tapi tidak kotor (messy but not dirty), or kotor tapi rapi (cleanliness vs. orderliness).

Does dia mean “he” or “she”? Can I use ia or beliau instead?

Dia is gender-neutral singular (“he/she”). Ia is more formal/literary and mostly used as a subject. Beliau is a respectful form for elders or important figures. All are third-person singular; none shows gender.

How do I show tense/aspect (is tidying, tidied, will tidy)?

Indonesian doesn’t inflect for tense. Use time/aspect markers:

Ongoing: Dia sedang merapikan kamar adiknya (is tidying).
Completed: Dia sudah merapikan kamar adiknya (has tidied).
Future: Dia akan merapikan kamar adiknya (will tidy).
Add time words like tadi, kemarin, besok for clarity.

How would I say this in the passive voice?

Standard passive: Kamar adiknya yang berantakan dirapikan olehnya.
Common, shorter passive: Kamar adiknya yang berantakan dirapikannya.
Colloquial passive with agent: Kamar adiknya yang berantakan diberesin sama dia.

Can I omit dia?

Yes, if context already makes the subject clear: Sedang merapikan kamar adiknya yang berantakan. Indonesian often drops subjects when recoverable from context.

How do I specify the sibling’s gender?

Add a gender word after adik:

adik laki-laki (younger brother)
adik perempuan (younger sister)
Example: Dia merapikan kamar adik laki-lakinya yang berantakan.

How do I express plurals, like “younger siblings” or “rooms”?

Reduplicate or use quantifiers:

adik-adiknya (his/her younger siblings)
kamar-kamarnya (his/her rooms)
Example: Dia merapikan kamar-kamar adiknya yang berantakan.

How can I stress that it’s his/her own sibling?

Use sendiri: Dia merapikan kamar adiknya sendiri yang berantakan (his/her own younger sibling’s messy room).

Is kamar always “bedroom”? What about other rooms?

Kamar is room (often a private room/bedroom by default). Specify as needed:

kamar tidur (bedroom)
kamar mandi (bathroom)
ruang tamu (living room; note ruang, not kamar)

What would a colloquial Jakarta-style version look like?

Dia lagi rapihin kamar adiknya yang berantakan.
Notes: lagi (progressive), rapihin (colloquial -in variant of -kan), often with subject drop: Lagi rapihin kamar adiknya…

Why isn’t it rapikan here?

Rapikan is the imperative form (“Tidy!”). In a declarative sentence with a subject, use merapikan: Dia merapikan…

Can I put yang berantakan right after kamar?

Yes, and it can help readability: Dia merapikan kamar yang berantakan milik adiknya. This makes it crystal clear that “messy” modifies “room.” The original is already normally understood that way.