Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Aku kesal karena undangan tidak jelas. - I am annoyed because the invitation is not clear.

Aku is informal and common with friends, peers, or in casual contexts. Saya is neutral/formal and safe in most situations, including with strangers, at work, or with older people. In very casual Jakarta speech you may also hear gue.

Does kesal mean angry or just annoyed? How is it different from marah?

Kesal is annoyed/irritated, milder and often directed at a situation. Marah is angry, stronger and often directed at someone. Other near-synonyms: sebal (colloquial annoyed), jengkel (irritated), dongkol (sulky, resentful).

Why is it tidak jelas, not bukan jelas?

Use tidak to negate verbs and adjectives like jelas. Use bukan to negate nouns or noun phrases. For example: Itu bukan undangan (That’s not an invitation), but Itu tidak jelas (That isn’t clear).

Can I put the reason first: Karena undangan tidak jelas, aku kesal?

Yes. Karena can introduce a clause at the beginning or in the middle. When the reason comes first, use a comma after it: Karena undangan tidak jelas, aku kesal.

Do I need to mark “the invitation” with itu or -nya?

Indonesian doesn’t require articles. Plain undangan can mean a specific or generic invitation depending on context. To make it clearly definite, use undangan itu or undangannya (the invitation). -nya can also mean “his/her/its,” depending on context.

Could undangan also mean “the invited guests”?

Yes. In phrases like para undangan, it means “invitees/guests.” In your sentence it clearly means the invitation (e.g., card/message) because it’s described as tidak jelas.

Why isn’t there adalah before tidak jelas?

With adjective predicates, Indonesian normally omits adalah. You’d use adalah mainly before noun predicates in formal writing, e.g., Undangan itu adalah surat resmi. So undangan … tidak jelas is the natural form.

Can I use gak/nggak instead of tidak?

Yes, in informal speech: Aku kesal karena undangan nggak jelas. Gak/nggak is casual; tidak is neutral/formal and safer in writing.

Can I omit the subject and just say Kesal karena undangan tidak jelas?

You can drop aku if the subject is clear from context, especially in chat. It sounds fragmentary and informal. For complete sentences or in writing, keep Aku/Saya.

What’s the difference between tidak jelas and kurang jelas?

Tidak jelas = not clear at all / unclear. Kurang jelas = insufficiently clear (softer, implies some clarity but not enough). Choose kurang to sound less blunt or accusatory.

How do I intensify or soften kesal?

Intensify: sangat kesal, kesal sekali, kesal banget (very informal). Soften: agak kesal (a bit), lumayan kesal (quite), or use kesal sih, tapi… to hedge.

Can I use jadi instead of karena to connect the clauses?

Yes, but the structure flips: Undangan tidak jelas, jadi aku kesal (… so I’m annoyed). Karena = because (gives the cause), jadi = so/therefore (gives the result).

Any pronunciation tips for karena, kesal, and jelas?

The letter e in karena, kesal, and jelas is usually a schwa (like the “a” in “about”): ka-rə-na, kə-sal, jə-las. In casual speech karena often reduces to karna.

Is jelas an adjective or an adverb here?

It’s an adjective functioning as the predicate: undangan … tidak jelas = “the invitation is not clear.” To say “clearly” as an adverb, use dengan jelas, e.g., Dia menjelaskan dengan jelas.

Is there any difference between undangan and undangannya in this sentence?

Undangan can already mean “the invitation,” but undangannya makes it overtly definite (“the invitation in question”) or possessive (“his/her invitation,” depending on context). If you’ve been talking about a specific invitation, undangannya is natural.

How is undangan formed, and what related words should I know?

Root undang (to summon/invite). Verb: mengundang (to invite), passive: diundang (to be invited). Noun: undangan (invitation; sometimes invitees). Agent noun: pengundang (the inviter).