Listrik mendadak padam tadi malam.

The electricity suddenly went out last night.

Breakdown of Listrik mendadak padam tadi malam.

• tadi malam: last night
• listrik: the electricity
• padam: to go out
• mendadak: suddenly

Questions & Answers about Listrik mendadak padam tadi malam.

What does “padam” mean exactly? Could I use “mati” instead?

• Padam means “to be/go out, be extinguished,” and is standard for fire, lights, and electricity: Listrik padam, Api padam, Lampu padam.
• Mati also means “off/dead” and is very common in speech for devices and lights: Lampu mati, Komputernya mati.
• For a power outage, everyday speech often uses mati lampu; the news and formal writing prefer listrik padam or pemadaman listrik.
• Be careful: mati with living beings means “to die,” so it can sound harsh when referring to people or animals.

Is “mendadak” the same as “tiba-tiba”? Where can I put it?

• Yes, both mean “suddenly.” Tiba-tiba is more common; mendadak can sound slightly more formal or “written,” and can also be an adjective (“sudden”): rapat mendadak.
• Position is flexible: Listrik mendadak padam, Listrik padam mendadak, Tiba-tiba, listrik padam, Mendadak, listrik padam. Fronting it adds emphasis.

Why is there no past tense marker like “went”? How is the past shown?

Indonesian doesn’t mark tense on the verb. Time words do the job: tadi malam (“last night”) makes it past. Without a time phrase, Listrik mendadak padam could refer to a past event understood from context or be a general statement.

Is “padam” an adjective or a verb here? Why no “is” or “go”?

Indonesian often uses stative words as predicates without a linking verb. Padam functions like a stative verb meaning “be/go out,” so you don’t need “is” or “go.” The subject–predicate is simply Listrik padam.

Can I change the word order?

Yes. All of these are natural, with slight differences in emphasis:

• Listrik mendadak padam tadi malam.
• Listrik padam mendadak tadi malam.
• Tadi malam, listrik mendadak padam.
• Tiba-tiba, listrik padam tadi malam.
  Putting the time or “suddenly” up front highlights that element.

Does “tadi malam” mean exactly “last night”? How does it differ from “kemarin malam,” “malam tadi,” and “semalam”?

• Tadi malam = the night that has just passed (most natural the following morning/afternoon).
• Kemarin malam = last night too, but frames it as “yesterday night” (also natural).
• Malam tadi = same as tadi malam.
• Semalam can mean “last night” or “all night/overnight” depending on context. Note: in Malaysian usage, semalam often means “yesterday.”

Can I use “tadi malam” if it’s still night right now?

Usually you’d say malam ini (“tonight”) or just tadi (“earlier [tonight/today]”). Tadi malam is most natural after that night has passed (e.g., the next day).

Is “Tadi malam listrik mendadak mati” also correct? What about “mati lampu”?

Yes. Tadi malam listrik mendadak mati is fine and colloquial. The set phrase mati lampu is extremely common in speech: Tadi malam mati lampu. Formal/neutral alternatives are Listrik padam or Terjadi pemadaman listrik.

How would I say “There was a sudden power outage last night”?

• Ada pemadaman listrik mendadak tadi malam.
• Terjadi pemadaman listrik mendadak tadi malam.
  Both are natural; the second sounds a bit more formal.

Any pronunciation tips for “mendadak” and “padam”?

• Typical stress is light and falls near the second-to-last syllable: men-DA-dak, PA-dam, LIS-trik, TA-di MA-lam.
• In mendadak, the first e is a schwa (like the ‘a’ in “sofa”).
• Final -k (as in mendadak) is often a glottal stop in casual speech. Vowels are pure: a like “father,” i like “machine.”

Can I omit the subject and just say “Mendadak padam tadi malam”?

Not usually. Without context it’s unclear what went out. More idiomatic ellipses are common, though, like Tiba-tiba saja mati lampu (everyone understands it’s the power).

How do I negate this idea (say the power didn’t go out)?

• Listrik tidak padam tadi malam. (The power didn’t go out last night.)
• Listrik tetap menyala tadi malam. (The power stayed on last night.)
• For “hadn’t yet gone out”: Listrik belum padam waktu itu.

Is there any nuance difference if I put the time first: “Tadi malam, listrik mendadak padam”?

Fronting tadi malam topicalizes the time, setting it as the frame (“As for last night…”). The meaning is the same; it just shifts emphasis to when it happened.

Can I intensify or soften “mendadak”?

• Softening/colloquial surprise: tiba-tiba saja or mendadak saja.
• Very informal emphasis: mendadak banget / tiba-tiba banget (casual speech).
• Formal-ish: secara mendadak (often wordier than needed).
  “Mendadak” already implies a strong suddenness, so intensifiers are optional.

Can I use “ter-” forms like “terpadam”?

No. Terpadam isn’t used. If you want “got disconnected,” use terputus, typically with a more specific subject: Sambungan listrik tiba-tiba terputus tadi malam or Aliran listrik terputus tadi malam.

Where else can “padam” be used?

Common collocations: Api padam (the fire went out), Lampu padam (the light went out), and figuratively Harapannya padam (his/her hope faded). For actively putting something out, use memadamkan: Petugas memadamkan api.