Dia menyimpan kabel cadangan, kalau-kalau stopkontak jauh dari meja.

He/She keeps a spare cable, just in case the outlet is far from the table.

Breakdown of Dia menyimpan kabel cadangan, kalau-kalau stopkontak jauh dari meja.

• adalah: to be
• sebuah: a
• dia: he/she
• dari: from
• jauh: far
• meja: the table
• menyimpan: to keep
• kalau-kalau: just in case
• kabel cadangan: the spare cable
• stopkontak: the outlet

Questions & Answers about Dia menyimpan kabel cadangan, kalau-kalau stopkontak jauh dari meja.

What does the doubled form kalau-kalau mean compared to kalau?

Kalau-kalau means “just in case,” expressing precaution. Kalau on its own is simply “if.”

• Example: Bawa payung, kalau-kalau hujan. = Bring an umbrella, just in case it rains.
• Don’t confuse with kalau saja = “if only.”

Is the comma before kalau-kalau required?

It’s optional. The comma reflects a natural pause but isn’t mandatory.

• Both are fine: Dia menyimpan kabel cadangan, kalau-kalau... / Dia menyimpan kabel cadangan kalau-kalau...

Are there other natural ways to say “just in case”?

Yes:

• untuk berjaga-jaga (to be on the safe side): Dia menyimpan kabel cadangan untuk berjaga-jaga.
• siapa tahu (who knows): Dia menyimpan kabel cadangan, siapa tahu stopkontak jauh.
• barangkali (perhaps) is possible but a bit softer/less precise than “just in case.”

Does menyimpan mean “to store” or “to carry/keep on hand”? Would another verb be better?

Menyimpan primarily means “to store/keep (somewhere).” If the idea is “have it with you,” use:

• membawa (to carry): Dia membawa kabel cadangan...
• menyiapkan/menyediakan (to prepare/provide): Dia menyiapkan kabel cadangan...
• menaruh is “to put/place” (one-time action), not “to keep.”

Does dia mean “he” or “she”? How about ia and beliau?

Dia is gender-neutral: “he/she.”
Ia is more formal/literary and mostly used as a subject (e.g., Ia menyimpan...); as an object, dia is preferred.
Beliau is an honorific “he/she” for respected people (teachers, elders, officials).

Why is it kabel cadangan and not cadangan kabel?

In Indonesian, descriptive words generally follow the noun. Kabel cadangan = “spare cable.”
Cadangan kabel would mean “a reserve/stock of cable(s),” which is a different structure and meaning.

Is it clear whether kabel cadangan is one cable or several? How do I make it explicit?

By default it’s unspecified. Make it explicit with numbers or quantifiers:

• Singular: satu kabel cadangan / sebuah kabel cadangan (both are acceptable).
• Plural: beberapa kabel cadangan, dua kabel cadangan, etc.
  Classifiers like seutas are used for rope/cord; for kabel, people commonly say satu/dua kabel.

If the issue is that the outlet is far away, wouldn’t kabel perpanjangan (extension cord) be better than kabel cadangan?

Often yes. Kabel cadangan is a spare cable of the same kind; kabel perpanjangan (or kabel ekstensi) is specifically to extend reach.

• Natural: Dia menyimpan kabel perpanjangan, kalau-kalau stopkontak jauh dari meja.
• A power strip is often called terminal listrik (or colloquially also stop kontak).

Is stopkontak the best word? I’ve heard colokan and soket too.

In Indonesia, stopkontak is the standard word for the wall outlet.
Colloquially, many say colokan for the outlet (though strictly it can mean the plug), and a power strip may also be called stop kontak in everyday speech.
In Malaysia, soket is common. For Indonesian usage, stick with stopkontak.

Should it be stopkontaknya to mean “the outlet (that we have in mind)”?

Add -nya when you mean a specific, known outlet:

• General: ... kalau-kalau stopkontak jauh dari meja.
• Specific: ... kalau-kalau stopkontaknya jauh dari meja. (e.g., in a particular room already mentioned)

Why is there no yang before jauh? Could I say stopkontak yang jauh dari meja?

Here, stopkontak jauh dari meja is a full clause (“the outlet is far from the desk”).
Stopkontak yang jauh dari meja is a noun phrase (“the outlet that is far from the desk”). Use it when modifying a noun, not when making a condition:

• Condition: kalau-kalau stopkontak jauh dari meja
• Modifier: meja tanpa stopkontak yang jauh dari meja (different structure and meaning)

Why is it jauh dari meja and not jauh dengan/ke meja?

With distance, Indonesian uses the pattern: jauh dari X (“far from X”) and dekat dengan/pada X (“near X”).
So the correct collocation is jauh dari meja.

Can the kalau-kalau clause come first?

Yes: Kalau-kalau stopkontak jauh dari meja, dia menyimpan kabel cadangan.
Both orders are acceptable; placing it first just foregrounds the condition.

Any notes on spelling and hyphens for these words?

• Kalau-kalau is reduplication; the hyphen is standard. Many people omit it informally, but kalau-kalau is the recommended form.
• Stopkontak is one word per KBBI. You’ll see stop kontak in everyday writing; for formal/standard spelling, use stopkontak.

Is the sentence formal or informal? Any tweaks for tone?

It’s neutral and fine in general contexts. For more formal writing you might prefer:

• Ia menyimpan kabel perpanjangan untuk berjaga-jaga apabila/jika stopkontak jauh dari meja.
  For casual speech, kalau-kalau and dia are perfectly natural.