Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Indonesian grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Atap rumah bocor.
How does Indonesian express of in roof of the house?
Indonesian uses a noun–noun compound with the head first. So atap rumah literally means roof + house = roof of the house. Reversing it (rumah atap) is not how possession/modification works and sounds wrong.
Why is there no word for is in the sentence?
Indonesian often drops a copula. Adjectives and stative verbs can serve directly as predicates. Atap rumah bocor = The house’s roof is leaky. Similar patterns: Dia sakit (He/She is sick), Saya lapar (I am hungry).
Is bocor a verb or an adjective?
It behaves like a stative verb/adjective meaning to leak/leaky. In this sentence it’s the predicate describing the roof’s state. Related forms:
- kebocoran = a leak (noun)
- membocorkan/dibocorkan = to leak something/being leaked (transitive, e.g., documents)
How do I show past, present, or future?
Add time/aspect words:
- Past/state already: Atap rumah sudah bocor.
- Ongoing: Atap rumah sedang bocor or (colloquial) lagi bocor.
- Future/conditional: Atap rumah itu akan bocor kalau hujan deras. You can also add time adverbs like tadi malam, kemarin, besok.
How do I make it definite (the roof of that house)?
Use demonstratives or the clitic -nya:
- Pointing: Atap rumah itu bocor. (that house’s roof)
- Near: Atap rumah ini bocor. (this house’s roof)
- Definite/its: Atap rumahnya bocor. Context decides whether -nya means the/their/his/her/its.
Can I just say Atapnya bocor?
Yes. It’s common and natural. Atapnya bocor means the roof is leaking, with -nya referring to a previously known roof/house or functioning as a definite marker.
What’s the difference between Atap rumah bocor and Ada kebocoran di atap rumah?
- Atap rumah bocor states the roof is leaky (predicate adjective/verb).
- Ada kebocoran di atap rumah says there is a leak in the roof (existential + a leak as a noun). The second can sound a bit more formal/technical.
How do I say not leaking?
Use tidak to negate: Atap rumah tidak bocor. Don’t use bukan here, because bocor is a predicate adjective/verb, not a noun phrase.
Can I add sedang or lagi to mean it’s currently leaking?
Yes:
- Neutral: Atap rumah sedang bocor.
- Colloquial: Atap rumah lagi bocor. These emphasize that the leaking is happening right now, not just a general property.
Which preposition goes with bocor: di or dari?
Both can be used, with different focuses:
- Location of the leak: bocor di kamar tidur, bocor di atap.
- Source something leaks from: bocor dari atap, air menetes dari atap.
How do I talk about plurals (multiple roofs/houses)?
Context often covers plurality. To be explicit, use reduplication:
- Multiple roofs: atap-atap
- Multiple houses: rumah-rumah Example: Atap-atap rumah di kampung itu bocor.
Is it okay to say Atap rumah adalah bocor?
No. adalah links nouns to nouns. With adjectives/stative verbs, just use the predicate directly: Atap rumah bocor.
Should I say atap, genteng, or plafon?
- atap = roof (whole structure)
- genteng = roof tiles
- plafon = ceiling If water is dripping inside, people might say plafon bocor, but the cause is usually atap/genteng problems.
How is the sentence pronounced?
Roughly: ah-tap ROO-mah BOH-chor. Notes:
- c = ch as in chair (bocor = BOH-chor)
- Final h in rumah is audible but often light
- Stress tends to fall on the penultimate syllable: A-tap, RU-mah, BO-cor
Does bocor also cover information leaks?
Yes. For info leaks:
- Intransitive: Informasi itu bocor.
- Transitive: Dia membocorkan rahasia itu (He leaked that secret), Rahasia itu dibocorkan (The secret was leaked). For roofs/pipes, stick with the intransitive bocor.
Are there more formal or natural variants?
- Neutral/common: Atap rumah bocor., Atapnya bocor.
- Pointing/definite: Atap rumah itu bocor.
- More formal/technical: Atap rumah mengalami kebocoran., Ada kebocoran pada atap rumah tersebut.