Saya menutup tirai sebelum tidur.

I close the curtain before sleeping.

Breakdown of Saya menutup tirai sebelum tidur.

• saya: I
• sebelum: before
• tidur: to sleep
• menutup: to close
• tirai: the curtain

Questions & Answers about Saya menutup tirai sebelum tidur.

Does Indonesian mark tense here? How would I say this in the past, future, or as a habit?

Indonesian verbs don’t change for tense. You add time words/aspect markers:

• Past (completed): Saya sudah menutup tirai sebelum tidur. / Tadi malam saya menutup tirai sebelum tidur.
• Future: Nanti saya akan menutup tirai sebelum tidur.
• Habit: Saya biasanya/selalu menutup tirai sebelum tidur.

Why is it menutup and not just tutup?

• The base verb is tutup “to close.” In standard statements, Indonesian often uses the active meN- prefix: meN- + tutup → menutup.
• The meN- prefix is very common with transitive verbs in neutral/formal Indonesian.
• The bare root tutup is used in imperatives: Tutup tirai! “Close the curtains!”
• In casual speech, people often drop the meN-: Aku nutup tirai sebelum tidur. (informal)

What’s going on morphologically with menutup (meN- + tutup)?

With the meN- prefix, the initial consonant of the root can assimilate:

• p → mem- (and the p drops): potong → memotong
• t → men- (t drops): tulis → menulis; tutup → menutup
• k → meng- (k drops): kirim → mengirim
• s → meny- (s drops): sapu → menyapu
• Others keep the consonant: baca → membaca; gali → menggali For tutup, initial t drops, giving men- + (t)utup → menutup.

Is tirai singular or plural here? How do I say “curtain(s)” vs “the curtains”?

Indonesian has no articles and usually doesn’t mark plural. tirai can mean “a curtain,” “the curtain,” or “curtains,” depending on context.

• If you need to emphasize plural: tirai-tirai or add a number/quantifier: dua tirai “two curtains.”
• To make it clearly definite or possessed, you can add -nya: tirainya = “the curtains” (definite) or “his/her curtains,” depending on context.

Is tirai the most common word? What about gorden/korden?

• gorden/korden is very common in everyday Indonesian for cloth curtains.
• tirai can sound a bit more formal or can refer to blinds/shades as well, though many use it for curtains in general.
• Regional spellings/variants exist (gordyn), but gorden/korden and tirai are what you’ll hear most.

Can I say “Before sleeping, I close the curtains” with the time phrase at the front?

Yes. Fronting the time clause is natural:

• Sebelum tidur, saya menutup tirai. The comma is optional but helpful in writing.

Is sebelum tidur a full clause? Do I need a subject there?

• sebelum tidur is a reduced clause (“before sleeping”) with the subject understood as the same as the main clause.
• You can make it a full clause: sebelum saya tidur (“before I sleep”). Both are correct; the short form is very common.

Should I add untuk, like sebelum untuk tidur?

No. sebelum directly links to a verb or clause. Use either:

• sebelum tidur
• sebelum saya tidur Don’t insert untuk there.

Can I omit the subject Saya?

Sometimes. In notes, instructions, or when context is crystal-clear, you may drop it:

• Menutup tirai sebelum tidur. (e.g., a checklist) In normal conversation, keep saya/aku to avoid ambiguity.

How do I negate this? What’s the difference between tidak and belum?

• General negation: tidak before the verb: Saya tidak menutup tirai sebelum tidur. (“I don’t close…”)
• “Not yet”: belum: Saya belum menutup tirai. (“I haven’t closed the curtains yet.”)
• bukan negates nouns/adjectives, not verbs, so it’s not used here.

What about the passive voice?

Several natural options:

• Short passive (object fronted with 1st person agent after verb): Tirai saya tutup sebelum tidur.
• Passive with di- (agentless): Tirai ditutup sebelum tidur.
• Passive with agent: Tirai ditutup oleh saya sebelum tidur. (more formal/bookish)

What’s the difference between menutup and menutupi?

• menutup = to close/shut something (doors, windows, curtains).
• menutupi = to cover something (to place something over/cover up). Examples:
• Saya menutup tirai. “I close the curtains.”
• Saya menutupi jendela dengan tirai. “I cover the window with curtains.”

Is menutupkan possible?

Yes, -kan can add a benefactive/causative nuance: doing the action for someone.

• Saya menutupkan tirai untuk nenek. “I close the curtains for Grandma.” It’s fine, but with curtains many speakers just say menutup unless the “for someone” nuance matters.

How would I say “Draw the curtains” (slide them shut)?

You can still say menutup tirai/gorden. If you want to emphasize the pulling motion:

• menarik gorden “to pull the curtains (shut)”
• For blinds: menurunkan tirai (roll down), menaikkan tirai (roll up).

Any pronunciation tips for these words?

• Saya: SAH-yah
• menutup: muh-NOO-toop (stress tends to fall near the end)
• tirai: tee-RYE (ai like “eye”)
• sebelum: suh-buh-LOOM
• tidur: TEE-door (r is tapped)

Is there a way to make it sound habitual or routine?

Add adverbs of frequency:

• Saya selalu/biasanya menutup tirai sebelum tidur. (“I always/usually close the curtains before sleeping.”)

Could I just say Tutup tirai sebelum tidur?

Yes, that’s a natural imperative: “Close the curtains before sleeping.” For statements about yourself, stick with (saya) menutup in standard Indonesian; in casual speech you’ll hear Aku nutup tirai…