Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Adik perempuan saya mencuci wortel dan tomat memakai saringan. - My younger sister washes carrots and tomatoes using a strainer.

Adik means “younger sibling” (gender-neutral). Adding perempuan specifies it’s female, so adik perempuan = “younger sister.” If you needed “older sister,” you’d say kakak perempuan (or just kakak if gender is clear from context).

Why is saya placed after adik perempuan? Could I put it before?

In Indonesian, possessors usually follow the noun: adik perempuan saya = “my younger sister.” Alternatives:

adik perempuanku (using the clitic -ku)
Colloquial: adik perempuan aku (spoken) Note: adik saya perempuan is a different sentence meaning “my younger sibling is female,” not a noun phrase.

Could I just say adik saya instead of adik perempuan saya?

Yes, adik saya is fine, but it’s gender-ambiguous. Use adik perempuan saya when you want to make it clear she’s female.

What’s the basic word order here, and where does memakai saringan fit?

It’s Subject–Verb–Object, followed by an instrument/manner phrase:

Subject: Adik perempuan saya
Verb: mencuci
Objects: wortel dan tomat
Instrument: memakai saringan (“using a strainer”) Indonesian commonly puts instrument/manner after the object.

Is it normal to have two verbs in a row (mencuci … memakai …) with no connector?

Yes. Indonesian allows serial verbs. Mencuci … memakai … is like “wash … use …” and is natural. You can also say:

mencuci … dengan saringan
mencuci … menggunakan/memakai saringan

Why is it mencuci and not just cuci?

The prefix meN- forms active verbs: cuci → mencuci, pakai → memakai. Standard Indonesian prefers mencuci. In casual speech, bare verbs occur, e.g., Dia lagi cuci wortel (“She’s washing carrots”).

Is there any tense marking? How do I say past or ongoing?

Indonesian doesn’t inflect for tense. Use time/aspect markers:

Past: tadi, kemarin, sudah (e.g., Adik saya tadi mencuci…)
Progressive: sedang or colloquial lagi (e.g., sedang mencuci…)
Future: akan (e.g., akan mencuci…)

Does wortel dan tomat mean singular or plural?

Number is unmarked. Wortel dan tomat can mean “carrot(s) and tomato(es).” Add quantity if needed:

beberapa wortel, banyak tomat
With numerals: dua wortel, tiga tomat
Optional general classifier: dua buah wortel, tiga buah tomat

Can I use dengan instead of memakai to mean “with a strainer”?

Yes. All of these work, with small differences in register:

Neutral: … dengan saringan
Neutral: … memakai saringan
More formal: … menggunakan saringan
Colloquial: … pakai saringan

Doesn’t memakai also mean “to wear”? Is it okay here?

Correct—memakai can mean “to wear” or “to use.” Here it clearly means “to use.” For clothing, both memakai and mengenakan are used; for tools, use memakai/pakai/menggunakan, not mengenakan.

Should it be di saringan (“in the strainer”) instead of memakai saringan?

Both are fine but slightly different:

memakai/pakai saringan highlights the tool (instrument).
di saringan highlights location (“in/at the strainer/colander”). Choose based on what you want to emphasize.

What exactly is saringan? Are there other words for strainer/colander?

Saringan is a general “strainer/filter” (from root saring, “to strain”). Related words:

menyaring = to strain/filter
penyaring = a filter (device), often technical
penyaringan = the filtering process
Kitchen-specific: peniris (drainer/colander), saringan teh (tea strainer), ayakan (sieve for flour)

Can I make this sentence passive?

Yes:

Wortel dan tomat dicuci (oleh adik perempuan saya) dengan saringan. You can also focus on the tool:
Saringan digunakan/dipakai untuk mencuci wortel dan tomat.

Is dan the right connector for “and”? How do I list more items?

Yes, dan = “and.” For longer lists you can use commas and place dan before the last item:

… mencuci wortel, tomat, dan selada. A more formal synonym is serta. For “or,” use atau.

How would I specify exact quantities, like “two carrots and three tomatoes”?

Adik perempuan saya mencuci dua wortel dan tiga tomat (memakai saringan). Adding the general classifier is optional:
… dua buah wortel dan tiga buah tomat …

Are there register differences for the pronoun choice (saya vs aku) and possession?

saya = neutral/polite; aku = informal/intimate.
Possession options:
- adik perempuan saya (neutral)
- adik perempuanku (neutral–informal; written)
- Colloquial spoken: adik perempuan aku or simply adik aku All mean “my younger sister,” differing mainly in formality.