Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Setelah hujan, kami mengelap meja dengan tisu. - After the rain, we wipe the table with tissues.

The base word is lap (a cloth; also the act of wiping). With the meN- prefix, monosyllabic roots typically take the form menge- + root, so you get mengelap. Compare: mengecat (from cat, to paint), mengebor (bor, to drill), mengepel (pel, to mop). Note: melap exists but is much less common; mengelap is the standard choice.

Is hujan a noun or a verb here?

Here it’s a noun: setelah hujan = after the rain. Indonesian lets hujan act as a verb too: Kemarin hujan = It rained yesterday. You can also be more specific: setelah hujan berhenti/reda (after the rain stopped/subsided).

Can I say setelah hujan turun or setelah turun hujan?

Yes. All are acceptable:

setelah hujan (most concise)
setelah hujan turun (after the rain fell/after it rained)
setelah hujan reda/berhenti (after the rain subsided/stopped) “Turun hujan” is a bit old-fashioned, but you’ll still see it.

Why is there a comma after Setelah hujan?

When you put an adverbial phrase at the start, Indonesian normally uses a comma: Setelah hujan, kami… If you move the phrase to the end, you don’t need a comma: Kami … setelah hujan.

What’s the difference between dengan, pakai, and menggunakan?

All can mark the instrument (with/using):

dengan = neutral, widely used in writing and speech.
pakai (or memakai) = more casual; very common in speech.
menggunakan = more formal or when emphasizing the tool. So you can say: mengelap meja dengan/pakai tisu.

Does tisu mean one tissue or many? How do I say one tissue?

Indonesian usually doesn’t mark plural. tisu can mean tissue/tissues. To be specific:

one sheet: selembar tisu
some tissues: beberapa tisu
a lot of tissues: banyak tisu Reduplication (tisu-tisu) is possible but rarely needed here.

How do I say the table or a table?

Indonesian has no articles. You add words if needed:

“the table” (specific): meja itu / meja tersebut
“a table” (one, non-specific): sebuah meja In everyday contexts, bare meja is often enough.

Can I change the word order?

Yes. All are natural:

Setelah hujan, kami mengelap meja dengan tisu.
Kami mengelap meja dengan tisu setelah hujan.
Kami mengelap meja setelah hujan dengan tisu. (still okay, but keep tool near the verb for clarity)

What’s the passive version of this sentence?

Meja (itu) dilap dengan tisu setelah hujan. Note: The passive uses di- + lap → dilap (not “dielap,” because the base is lap). In casual speech you’ll also hear active without meN-: Kami lap meja dengan tisu…

Could I use menghapus instead of mengelap?

Not here. menghapus = to erase (marks on a board, text, files). mengelap = to wipe with a cloth/tissue to clean a surface. A general alternative is membersihkan (to clean).

Is meja-meja correct for plural?

Yes, reduplication marks plurality: meja-meja = tables. But Indonesians more often use a number or quantifier:

dua meja, beberapa meja, semua meja Use reduplication when you need to stress variety or plurality without a number.

What’s the difference between tisu, lap, and serbet?

tisu = tissue paper (disposable)
lap / kain lap = a cleaning cloth/rag (reusable)
serbet = napkin (cloth or paper) for dining So: mengelap meja dengan tisu/lap are both natural, but the tool is different.

Are setelah and sesudah interchangeable? What about sehabis or usai?

setelah and sesudah = interchangeable in most contexts.
sehabis = colloquial/informal.
usai (or usainya) = more formal/literary. All could work: Setelah/Sesudah/Sehabis hujan…

Can setelah be followed by a clause as well as a noun?

Yes. It can take a noun phrase or a full clause:

Noun phrase: Setelah hujan, …
Clause: Setelah hujan berhenti, … / Setelah kami makan, …

Can I drop the subject kami?

In instructions or very casual contexts, yes: Mengelap meja dengan tisu setelah hujan. But in normal sentences, Indonesian typically keeps the subject. Keeping kami is clear and natural.