Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Setelah mengepel, alat pel dijemur di halaman belakang. - After mopping, the mop is dried in the backyard.

The verb is built from the noun pel (mop) with the active prefix meN-. When the root is a single syllable, Indonesian usually uses the allomorph menge-, so you get mengepel. Compare: mengecat (to paint), mengebor (to drill). With multi-syllable roots the initial consonant often changes and may drop: memukul (from pukul), menulis (tulis), mengirim (kirim).

Can I say Setelah ngepel instead of Setelah mengepel?

Yes, ngepel is the common colloquial form. In informal speech you’ll also hear Abis/ Habis ngepel. For writing or formal contexts, prefer Setelah mengepel.

Is mengepel transitive? Where is the object?

Yes, it’s typically transitive: you usually mop something, e.g., mengepel lantai (to mop the floor). In this sentence the object is omitted because it’s obvious from context. You could expand it to Setelah mengepel lantai, ... if you want to be explicit.

What exactly does alat pel refer to? Could I just say pel or kain pel?

Alat pel = the mop (the whole implement).
Pel alone is very common and usually means the same thing.
Kain pel = the mop cloth/head.
If you want to be very specific, you can say tongkat pel (the handle) vs kain pel (the cloth).

Why is dijemur in the passive voice?

Passive di- focuses on the thing being acted upon (alat pel) and leaves the agent unspecified (which is natural here). Indonesian often uses passive when the patient is the topic or when the doer doesn’t matter or is understood.

How would I say it actively?

You can say: Setelah mengepel, (dia) menjemur alat pel di halaman belakang.
You can also move parts around: Dia menjemur alat pel di halaman belakang setelah mengepel.

What does jemur imply compared to general “dry” words?

Jemur specifically implies drying in the sun. Alternatives: mengeringkan/dikeringkan = to dry (general, not necessarily sun), diangin-anginkan = air-dry. For a mop that’s put under the sun, (di)jemur is the most natural.

Is dijemurkan also correct?

You’ll hear it, but for ordinary “dry in the sun,” dijemur is the standard and most natural passive. (Di)jemurkan can sound heavier/causative or dialectal and isn’t needed here.

Does di in dijemur differ from di in di halaman belakang?

Yes. di- (no space) is the passive verb prefix, as in dijemur. di (with a space) is the preposition “at/in/on,” as in di halaman belakang. Don’t write di jemur.

Why is there a comma after Setelah mengepel?

When a sentence starts with an adverbial/temporal clause like Setelah ..., Indonesian convention (PUEBI) places a comma after it. You could also put the time clause at the end and skip the comma: Alat pel dijemur di halaman belakang setelah mengepel.

Does halaman belakang always mean “backyard”? How about belakang rumah?

Halaman belakang = the yard/yard area behind a house (i.e., “backyard”). Belakang rumah literally means “behind the house” and is broader; it might be a yard, an alley, or just the area behind the building. Context decides.

Why use di and not ke in di halaman belakang?

di marks location (“in/at/on”), while ke marks direction (“to/toward”). Since the mop is being dried at a location, use di halaman belakang, not ke.

How does tense work here—does dijemur mean “was dried” or “is dried”?

Indonesian verbs don’t inflect for tense. Setelah (“after”) gives the sequence, so in English you’ll pick “was/gets/is dried” based on context. The Indonesian form dijemur itself is tenseless.

Is alat pel singular or plural?

Indonesian doesn’t mark number by default. Alat pel can mean “a mop” or “the mop(s).” If you need to stress plural, you can say beberapa alat pel (several mops). Reduplication (alat-alat) is for general “tools/equipment,” not natural here.

Can I replace Setelah with Sesudah or other words?

Yes. Sesudah is a near-synonym of Setelah (slightly more formal/neutral). In casual speech, Habis/Abis works: Abis ngepel, .... Usai is also possible in more formal style: Usai mengepel, ....