Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Jawaban dia jelas, lalu guru menulis contoh di papan tulis dengan spidol. - His/Her answer is clear, then the teacher writes an example on the board with a marker.

Dia is a gender‑neutral third‑person singular pronoun: it can mean either “he” or “she,” depending on context. If you want a respectful third person (for elders/teachers), you can use beliau.

Why is there no “to be” verb in “Jawaban dia jelas”?

Indonesian doesn’t need a copula (“to be”) before adjectives. Jelas (clear) itself functions as the predicate. So Jawaban dia jelas literally reads “His/Her answer clear.” Don’t use adalah with adjectives here; it’s used mainly to link a subject to a noun phrase (e.g., Jawaban dia adalah contoh yang baik).

Should it be “jawabannya” instead of “jawaban dia”? Which is more natural?

Both are correct:

Jawaban dia jelas = his/her answer is clear (using an independent pronoun).
Jawabannya jelas = his/her answer is clear (with the clitic -nya). Many speakers find Jawabannya jelas a bit smoother in writing. Note -nya can also mark “the” (definiteness), so context decides whether it’s “the answer” or “his/her answer.”

Can I say “jawaban ia”?

No. Ia is typically used as a subject pronoun and does not follow a noun. Use jawabannya, jawaban dia, or (for respect) jawaban beliau.

Does “jawaban” here mean “the answer” or “an answer”?

Indonesian has no articles. Jawaban can be “the answer” or “an answer” depending on context. To be explicit:

jawaban itu = the answer
sebuah jawaban = an answer

Is “jawaban” singular or plural here?

It’s ambiguous. Indonesian doesn’t mark plural by default. If you need “answers,” say jawaban‑jawaban or semua jawaban(-nya).

What does “lalu” mean, and how is it different from “kemudian” or “terus”?

All can mean “then/after that,” but:

lalu: neutral, common in narration.
kemudian: a bit more formal/neutral.
terus: more colloquial; can also mean “keep on/continue.”

Is the comma before “lalu” necessary?

It’s optional. You can keep the comma to separate the clauses, or make a new sentence:

Jawaban dia jelas. Lalu, guru menulis... Both are acceptable in practice.

Why is it “di papan tulis,” not “pada” or “ke papan tulis”?

di marks location (“at/on/in”): di papan tulis = on the board.
ke marks motion toward: ke papan tulis = to the board.
pada is more formal and used with abstract objects or pronouns; with physical places like a board, di is the natural choice.

Is “papan tulis” a blackboard or a whiteboard?

It’s a generic “board used for writing.” You can specify:

papan tulis hitam = blackboard
papan tulis putih or just contextually papan tulis = whiteboard (common in modern classrooms)

What exactly is a “spidol”?

A spidol is a felt‑tip marker. You can specify type:

spidol whiteboard = whiteboard marker
spidol permanen = permanent marker

Can I replace “dengan spidol” with “pakai spidol” or “menggunakan spidol”?

Yes:

dengan spidol: neutral.
pakai spidol: casual/colloquial.
menggunakan spidol: more formal.

Is “menulis contoh” natural? Should I say “memberi contoh” or “menuliskan contoh” instead?

menulis contoh = write an example (on paper/board). Natural in classroom context.
memberi contoh = give an example (not necessarily by writing).
menuliskan contoh = write down an example; often interchangeable with menulis here, with a slight emphasis on producing the written result.

What’s the difference between “menulis” and “menuliskan” here?

They can both work. Menuliskan (with -kan) can highlight the act of writing something down for someone or the resulting written product. In many cases, especially here, menulis and menuliskan are interchangeable with minimal nuance.

Can I change the order of “di papan tulis” and “dengan spidol”?

Yes. Both sound natural:

... menulis contoh di papan tulis dengan spidol
... menulis contoh dengan spidol di papan tulis Indonesian allows flexible ordering of such prepositional phrases. Choose what flows better in context.

Does “lalu” make the sentence past tense? How do I indicate past?

Indonesian doesn’t mark tense. Lalu indicates sequence (“then”), which often implies past in narration, but it isn’t a tense marker. Use time words if needed:

tadi (earlier), kemarin (yesterday), tadi pagi (this morning), etc.

Is “guru” here “the teacher” or “a teacher”?

Either, depending on context. To be explicit:

guru itu = the teacher
seorang guru = a teacher
Pak/Bu Guru can be used as a respectful form of address/title.

Is it polite to refer to a teacher as “dia”?

In narration, dia is fine. If you want to be explicitly respectful when referring to a teacher in the third person, use beliau (e.g., Jawaban beliau jelas).