Sebelum masuk, saya mengetuk pintu tiga kali.

Before entering, I knock on the door three times.

Breakdown of Sebelum masuk, saya mengetuk pintu tiga kali.

• saya: I
• sebelum: before
• pintu: the door
• masuk: to enter
• mengetuk: to knock
• tiga kali: three times

Questions & Answers about Sebelum masuk, saya mengetuk pintu tiga kali.

Why is there no word for “on” (as in “knock on the door”)?

Indonesian uses a transitive verb here: mengetuk takes a direct object. So you say mengetuk pintu (“knock [the] door”). You generally don’t add a preposition like di. Mengetuk di pintu can occur, but it sounds more like “to do some knocking at the door (as a location),” and is less common in this basic meaning.

How is the past tense shown? Why isn’t there a past-tense verb form?

Indonesian verbs don’t change for tense. Time is inferred from context or added with time words:

• Completion: sudah (already) — Sebelum masuk, saya sudah mengetuk pintu tiga kali.
• Recent past: tadi / barusan — Tadi saya mengetuk pintu tiga kali sebelum masuk. The original sentence can still mean “I knocked…” without adding anything.

Why is it acceptable to say Sebelum masuk without repeating the subject?

When the subject of the subordinate clause is the same as in the main clause, Indonesian often omits it: Sebelum masuk, saya…. You can include it for clarity or emphasis: Sebelum saya masuk, saya mengetuk…. Both are correct.

Is the comma after Sebelum masuk required?

Yes, it’s recommended when an adverbial clause comes first: Sebelum masuk, …. If you place the clause at the end, you normally don’t use a comma: Saya mengetuk pintu tiga kali sebelum masuk.

Can I say masuk ke or memasuki instead of just masuk?

• Use masuk when there’s no explicit destination: Sebelum masuk, …
• Use masuk ke + place when naming the destination: Sebelum masuk ke rumah, …
• Use the transitive memasuki + noun in more formal styles: Sebelum memasuki rumah, … All are fine when used in the right context.

What’s the difference between mengetuk and ketuk (or mengetok/ketok)?

• mengetuk is the standard active form (“to knock”).
• ketuk (root form) is very common in casual speech and in imperatives: Ketuk pintu tiga kali.
• mengetok/ketok is regional/colloquial; many speakers use it, but dictionaries prefer mengetuk/ketuk for “knock.”
• Stronger knocking is often menggedor (“to bang on”).

Where should tiga kali go?

The most natural spot is after the object or at the end: Saya mengetuk pintu tiga kali. You can also front it for emphasis: Tiga kali saya mengetuk pintu. Avoid Saya mengetuk tiga kali pintu, which sounds odd.

Does kali mean “river”? How do I avoid confusion?

In standard Indonesian, kali here means “times” (frequency). “River” is sungai. In some regions people say kali for “river” informally, but in sentences like this, context makes it clear that kali = “times.”

How do I say things like “many times,” “at least three times,” or “as many as three times”?

• “Many times”: berkali-kali / berulang kali
• “At least three times”: setidaknya tiga kali / minimal tiga kali
• “As many as three times”: sebanyak tiga kali / sampai tiga kali

What’s the difference between tiga kali and “the third time”?

• tiga kali = three times (frequency)
• “the third time” = untuk ketiga kalinya (e.g., Untuk ketiga kalinya, saya mengetuk pintu.)

Why use saya instead of aku, and what about Anda or gue?

• saya: neutral/formal; safe with strangers, at work, in writing.
• aku: informal/intimate with friends/family.
• gue/gua: very informal Jakarta slang.
• Anda: polite “you” in formal situations (not used for “I”). Choose based on formality and relationship.

Could I drop saya altogether?

Be careful. Sebelum masuk, mengetuk pintu tiga kali sounds incomplete and can be read as imperative-like in some contexts. In statements, keep saya (or another subject) for clarity.

Is pintu definite (“the door”) or indefinite (“a door”)? Do I need itu or -nya?

Indonesian has no articles. pintu can mean “the door” or “a door” depending on context. To make it clearly definite, you can say pintu itu or pintunya, but plain pintu is natural here.

Can I rephrase the sentence without changing the meaning?

Yes. All of these are natural:

• Saya mengetuk pintu tiga kali sebelum masuk.
• Sebelum saya masuk, saya mengetuk pintu tiga kali.
• Emphatic: Tiga kali saya mengetuk pintu sebelum masuk.

Any way to sound extra polite or natural in this situation?

You can add softeners or polite signals:

• Sebelum masuk, saya mengetuk pintu tiga kali dulu. (dulu = first)
• Say permisi while knocking.
• In Muslim contexts, Assalamu’alaikum is common while knocking.