Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Dia mencari solusi sederhana untuk masalah jadwal. - He/She looks for a simple solution to the schedule problem.

dia laki‑laki / dia pria (he, male)
dia perempuan / dia wanita (she, female) Often, context or a name clarifies gender. For polite reference to an older/respected person, use beliau (singular only).

What’s the difference between dia, ia, and beliau?

dia: very common, neutral, works as subject or object. Informal to neutral register.
ia: more formal/literary; typically used as a subject (e.g., Ia mencari…). Avoid it after prepositions; use dia or -nya instead.
beliau: honorific for respected people (teachers, elders, officials). Can be subject or object. Don’t use it for yourself or peers.

Do I need a word for “a” in “a simple solution”? Should I add sebuah?

Indonesian doesn’t require articles. Solusi sederhana already means “a simple solution” or “simple solutions” depending on context. Add sebuah to emphasize singularity or introduce something new: Dia mencari sebuah solusi sederhana…. It’s optional and can sound slightly formal or emphatic.

Why is the adjective after the noun in solusi sederhana?

In Indonesian, descriptive adjectives usually follow the noun:

solusi sederhana = simple solution Comparatives/superlatives:
lebih sederhana (simpler), paling sederhana (simplest), sesederhana mungkin (as simple as possible).

Is mencari the right verb for “look for”? How is it different from menemukan?

mencari = to look for/search for (the action of searching).
menemukan = to find/discover (the result). So: Dia mencari solusi… (He/She is looking for a solution) vs Dia menemukan solusi… (He/She found a solution). Related forms:
mencarikan (to look for something for someone else): Dia mencarikan saya solusi.

Do I need sedang to express “is looking (right now)”?

No. Dia mencari… can mean a general or current action. Add sedang to highlight ongoing action: Dia sedang mencari…. In casual speech, lagi can play a similar role: Dia lagi mencari….

Is mencari transitive? Can I omit the object?

Mencari is transitive and normally takes an object. You can omit the object if it’s obvious from context:

Dia mencari. (odd in isolation, acceptable if context is clear) For emphasis/iterative searching, reduplicate: Dia mencari‑cari solusi (searching around/kept searching).

What does untuk do here? Could I use bagi, buat, or guna instead?

Untuk marks purpose/beneficiary: “for.” Alternatives:

bagi: close to “for,” a bit more formal or evaluative (often “for [someone/something], …”).
buat: informal colloquial counterpart of untuk.
guna: formal/literary “for the purpose of.” All fit here, with tone differences:
solusi sederhana untuk/bagi/buat/guna masalah jadwal. Avoid terhadap here; atas can work in set phrases (see next question).

Is masalah jadwal the best way to say “scheduling problem”? Any alternatives?

Masalah jadwal is common and natural: a problem related to schedules. Nuances/alternatives:

masalah penjadwalan: focuses on the scheduling process (more formal/technical).
bentrok jadwal / tabrakan jadwal: a schedule clash/conflict. Choose based on meaning: general issue (masalah jadwal), process/algorithmic issue (masalah penjadwalan), or a clash (bentrok jadwal).

Can I drop untuk and say solusi sederhana masalah jadwal?

Normally, no. You need a linker. Acceptable options:

solusi sederhana untuk masalah jadwal (neutral)
solusi bagi masalah jadwal (slightly formal)
solusi atas masalah jadwal (formal set phrase, common in reports/letters) Without a preposition, it sounds compressed and unnatural.

How do I make a passive version like “A simple solution is being looked for (for the scheduling problem)”?

Solusi sederhana untuk masalah jadwal sedang dicari. You can front the verb phrase for topicalization:
Sedang dicari solusi sederhana untuk masalah jadwal. If you need the agent, add oleh:
Solusi… sedang dicari oleh dia/oleh tim.

How do I pronounce key words like mencari and jadwal?

mencari: mehn‑CHAR‑ee (c = English “ch”)
jadwal: JAD‑wal (dw pronounced smoothly; a as in “father”)
solusi: so‑LOO‑see (u = “oo”) Stress is relatively even; don’t over‑stress syllables as in English.

Is solusi a loanword? Are there more native synonyms?

Yes, solusi is a widely accepted loanword from European languages. Common alternatives:

pemecahan (masalah), penyelesaian, jalan keluar, cara (way/method) Examples:
mencari pemecahan sederhana untuk masalah jadwal
mencari cara sederhana untuk mengatasi masalah jadwal Register: solusi is fine in everyday and formal contexts; jalan keluar is colloquial; pemecahan/penyelesaian are formal/neutral.

How do I make it plural—“simple solutions”?

Indonesian often leaves plurality to context:

Dia mencari solusi sederhana can mean “simple solutions.” To be explicit:
beberapa solusi sederhana (several)
banyak solusi sederhana (many)
Reduplication (solusi‑solusi) is possible but less common with loanwords; use quantifiers instead.

What’s the difference between solusi sederhana and solusi yang sederhana?

Both are grammatical. solusi sederhana is the default noun‑adjective phrase. solusi yang sederhana adds focus/contrast, akin to “the solution that is simple” (implying among multiple types or contrasting with complex ones). Use yang when you need that emphasis or when adding a longer relative clause:

solusi yang sederhana dan mudah diterapkan.

How can I say “for his/her scheduling problem” or make it definite (“the scheduling problem”)?

Use -nya for definiteness/possession:

untuk masalah jadwalnya = for his/her/the (contextual) scheduling problem. To avoid ambiguity, be explicit:
untuk masalah jadwal dia/dia punya (colloquial) = for his/her scheduling problem.
untuk masalah jadwal tersebut = for that specific scheduling problem (definite, formal).