Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Dia mengganti seprai kotor dan merapikan kasur sebelum tidur. - He/She changes the dirty bedsheet and tidies the mattress before sleeping.

Yes. dia is gender‑neutral and covers both he and she. To make gender explicit, use the person’s name or add a noun like laki‑laki (male) or perempuan (female). For respectful reference, use beliau. Note: ia is a more formal/written subject form; dia is used in both subject and object positions in everyday speech.

How is tense shown here? Without a time word, how do I know if it’s past or present?

Indonesian verbs don’t inflect for tense. Dia mengganti... can be past, present, or habitual. Time/aspect is conveyed with adverbs:

Past/complete: sudah/telah, tadi, kemarin
Progressive: sedang
Future: akan Example: Dia sudah mengganti seprai kotor...

What’s the difference between mengganti and ganti?

mengganti is the standard transitive verb form (with the meN‑ prefix) and sounds neutral/formal.
ganti is common in casual speech with the same meaning: Dia ganti seprai.
To say “replace X with Y,” use mengganti X dengan Y: Dia mengganti seprai kotor dengan yang bersih.
menukar means “to swap/exchange,” not exactly the same as “replace.”

How does merapikan work morphologically and what nuance does it have?

Base adjective rapi (neat) + prefix me‑ + suffix ‑kan → merapikan = “to make (something) neat/tidy.” It’s transitive (you tidy something) and focuses on arranging so it looks neat. membereskan overlaps (“to tidy up/put away”), often implying clearing/finishing the task, not just making it look neat.

Is merapikan kasur the natural way to say “make the bed”?

It’s fine and understandable. Many speakers more commonly say:

merapikan tempat tidur (tidy the bed)
membereskan tempat tidur (tidy up/make the bed) Using kasur (mattress) focuses on the mattress surface; tempat tidur refers to the bed as a whole.

Why is it seprai kotor (noun + adjective) and not the other way round?

Indonesian normally places adjectives after nouns: seprai kotor (dirty sheets), kasur empuk (soft mattress). You can add yang to specify or emphasize: seprai yang kotor. Both forms are correct here.

Is seprai singular or plural here? How do I force “sheets” (plural)?

Nouns are number‑neutral. seprai can mean sheet or sheets. To show plurality explicitly, use:

Reduplication: seprai‑seprai (less common in everyday speech)
Quantifiers: beberapa seprai (several), dua seprai (two)
Classifiers: dua helai/lembar seprai (two sheets)

I’ve seen sprei, seprai, and seprei. Which spelling is right?

All are encountered. Many dictionaries/teaching materials standardize seprai, while everyday signage often uses sprei. Both are widely understood; pick one and be consistent.

What does sebelum tidur literally mean, and can I say sebelum dia tidur?

Literally “before sleeping/before sleep.” tidur acts like a verbal noun here. You can also use a full clause: sebelum dia/ia tidur. When fronted, add a comma: Sebelum tidur, dia...

How is sebelum different from sebelumnya?

sebelum = “before,” introducing a phrase or clause: sebelum tidur, sebelum dia datang.
sebelumnya = “previously/earlier” or “the previous one”: Sebelumnya, dia sudah mandi. It doesn’t take a following clause the same way.

Could I drop dan and just list the two verbs?

Normally you keep dan to link coordinated predicates: Dia mengganti ... dan merapikan ... Omitting it is headline/telegraphic style; in regular sentences dan is preferred.

How would I make this passive?

Passive without agent: Seprai kotor diganti dan kasur dirapikan sebelum tidur.
Passive with agent: Seprai kotor diganti oleh dia sebelum tidur. In colloquial speech, you’ll often hear: Seprai kotor sudah diganti sama dia... (using sama as the agent marker).

What’s the difference between kasur, tempat tidur, and ranjang?

kasur: the mattress
tempat tidur: the bed (mattress + frame/bedding)
ranjang: bed/bedstead; common in speech; a bit more colloquial For “make the bed,” (merapikan/membereskan) tempat tidur is the most general.

How do I mark possession like “his/her sheets”?

Use ‑nya or a possessive phrase:

seprainya (his/her sheet[s])
seprai dia (his/her sheets) Combine with the adjective: Dia mengganti seprainya yang kotor. Order: noun + possessive + optional yang
- adjective.

Any other common ways to express “before bed”?

Yes: menjelang tidur (approaching bedtime), sebelum waktu tidur (before bedtime), or more explicit verbs: sebelum dia pergi tidur / beranjak tidur.

How would I add “already” or “still” here?

“Already”: Dia sudah/telah mengganti seprai kotor dan merapikan kasur sebelum tidur.
“Still”: Dia masih merapikan kasur sebelum tidur. (masih = still/yet, context determines nuance)

Can I move the time phrase to the front?

Yes. Both are natural:

Dia mengganti seprai kotor dan merapikan kasur sebelum tidur.
Sebelum tidur, dia mengganti seprai kotor dan merapikan kasur.