Saya jemur pakaian di halaman belakang.

I dry clothes in the backyard.

Breakdown of Saya jemur pakaian di halaman belakang.

• saya: I
• di: in
• halaman belakang: the backyard
• pakaian: the clothing
• jemur: to dry

Questions & Answers about Saya jemur pakaian di halaman belakang.

What does the verb in this sentence actually mean? Does jemur just mean “to dry”?

Jemur means “to dry something by exposing it to sun/air,” typically by hanging it out. It strongly implies sun/air drying, not using a machine.

• To say “use a dryer,” you would use mengeringkan (dengan mesin pengering), not jemur.
• The natural collocation for “hang clothes to dry” is menjemur pakaian/baju. Using menggantung baju only means “to hang clothes” (not necessarily to dry them).

Why is it Saya jemur pakaian instead of Saya menjemur pakaian?

Both are possible, but they differ in register:

• Saya menjemur pakaian = standard/neutral Indonesian (especially in writing).
• Saya jemur pakaian = very common in casual speech, especially in Jakarta-style Indonesian, where the meN- prefix is often dropped in conversation. Grammar note: the base verb is jemur. With the active prefix meN-, it becomes menjemur (meN- + j → menj-).

How do I mark tense/aspect? Does this mean “I dry,” “I am drying,” or “I dried”?

Indonesian has no verb tense marking; context or time/aspect words do the job:

• Ongoing: Saya sedang menjemur pakaian… or (colloquial) Saya lagi jemur pakaian…
• Completed: Saya sudah menjemur pakaian…; past time words like tadi, kemarin also help.
• Future: Saya akan menjemur pakaian… or Nanti saya menjemur pakaian…

What’s the difference between di and di-? I see di here but I’ve also seen di- stuck to verbs.

• di (separate word) is a preposition meaning “at/in/on,” as in di halaman belakang.
• di- (attached to a verb) is the passive prefix, e.g., dijemur = “is/was dried.” Spelling tip: prepositional di is written separately from the noun; passive di- attaches to the verb.

Is the word order halaman belakang right? Why not belakang halaman?

Yes, it’s correct. In Indonesian, modifiers typically follow the noun:

• halaman belakang = “back yard/back garden”
• belakang halaman would mean “the back of the yard,” which refers to a sub-area, not the yard itself. Synonyms/variants: pekarangan belakang (more “yard/grounds”), di belakang rumah (“behind the house”) is also common.

Does pakaian mean “clothes” or “clothing”? How is it different from baju?

• pakaian = clothing/clothes in general; sounds a bit more general/formal.
• baju often means “shirt/top” in many regions, but in everyday speech it can also mean “clothes.” Other related words:
• cucian = laundry (items that are/need washing).
• jemuran = the clothes currently being dried or the drying rack/clothesline (context-dependent).

How do I show plural (“clothes” as many items)? There’s no plural marker here.

Indonesian usually relies on context for plural. pakaian can mean one set or many items. If you need to emphasize plurality:

• Reduplication: pakaian-pakaian (more formal/written).
• Quantifiers: banyak pakaian, semua pakaian.
• Numerals + classifier (less common for clothing): tiga potong baju (three pieces of clothing/shirts).

How do I say “my clothes,” “the clothes,” or “these clothes”?

• My clothes: pakaian saya (neutral), pakaianku (informal/written).
• The clothes: pakaian itu.
• These clothes: pakaian ini. You can also combine: pakaian saya itu/ini.

Is the sentence formal or informal?

Mixed:

• Saya is neutral/formal.
• Bare verb jemur without meN- is informal. A fully neutral version for writing: Saya menjemur pakaian di halaman belakang. A casual version: Aku jemur baju di belakang rumah.

Can I drop the subject and just say Jemur pakaian di halaman belakang?

Yes, in casual speech you can omit the subject if it’s clear from context. Be aware that without Saya, it can also sound like an instruction:

• Statement (informal, context-known): (Saya) jemur pakaian di halaman belakang.
• Command: Jemur pakaian di halaman belakang!

What’s the passive version?

• Neutral passive without agent: Pakaian (saya) dijemur di halaman belakang. = “(My) clothes are being/are dried in the backyard.”
• With agent (formal): Pakaian saya dijemur di halaman belakang oleh saya.
• Spoken/colloquial agent: Pakaian saya dijemur di halaman belakang sama saya. Passive often foregrounds the object and background the doer.

How do I contrast location prepositions: di, ke, dari?

• di = at/in/on (location): di halaman belakang.
• ke = to/toward (movement): ke halaman belakang.
• dari = from (origin): dari halaman belakang.

How would I add a time expression?

Time words commonly go at the beginning or end:

• Beginning: Tadi pagi saya menjemur pakaian di halaman belakang.
• End: Saya menjemur pakaian di halaman belakang tadi pagi.

How do I pronounce the tricky parts?

Approximate guide:

• jemur: jə-MUR (the e is a schwa like the a in “sofa”).
• pakaian: pa-KA-yan (the ai becomes a glide like “eye,” often realized as “-yan”).
• halaman: ha-LA-man.
• belakang: bə-LA-kang (final ng is like “sing”).

Can jemur be used for things other than clothes?

Yes. It’s widely used for sun-drying items:

• menjemur ikan (dry fish), menjemur padi (dry rice grains), menjemur kasur (air out a mattress), menjemur sepatu (dry shoes).

How do I ask “Where do you dry your clothes?”

• Neutral: Kamu menjemur pakaian di mana?
• More formal: Anda menjemur pakaian di mana? or Di mana Anda menjemur pakaian?
• Colloquial: Kamu jemur baju di mana?

Is there any ambiguity with halaman meaning “page”?

Yes, halaman can mean “yard” or “page.” In this sentence, the verb jemur (pakaian) makes it clear we’re talking about a yard. If needed, you can be explicit: halaman belakang rumah (“the backyard of the house”).