Para tukang memakai bor di rumah saya pagi ini.

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Questions & Answers about Para tukang memakai bor di rumah saya pagi ini.

What does the word para do here? Is it just a plural marker?
Para marks a group of people (plural, human-only) and sounds a bit formal or written. It often implies a specific/known set (roughly like English “the …” as a group). In everyday speech, you can usually drop it and still mean “the workers” from context. Alternatives to show plurality include tukang-tukang (reduplication), but don’t combine that with para.
Is para tukang natural in casual conversation?

It’s grammatical but a bit formal. In daily speech people more often say:

  • tukang (plural understood from context)
  • tukang-tukang (if you want to emphasize plurality)
  • More specific terms like tukang bangunan, pekerja (workers), or pekerja bangunan.
Can I say para tukang-tukang?
No. Don’t combine para with reduplication. Use either para tukang or tukang-tukang, or just tukang.
What exactly does tukang mean? Any connotations?

Tukang is “craftsperson/tradesperson/handyman,” commonly used for skilled manual workers (carpenters, builders, electricians, etc.). It’s neutral in tone. Some related words:

  • tukang kayu (carpenter), tukang listrik (electrician), tukang bangunan (construction worker)
  • pekerja (worker, neutral), buruh (laborer, often industrial/manual; can sound socio-political)
  • Avoid kuli; it’s old-fashioned and can be offensive.
What’s the difference between memakai, pakai, and menggunakan?

All can mean “use,” but with register/nuance differences:

  • pakai: colloquial, very common in speech.
  • memakai: more formal/literary than pakai; also widely used for “wear” (clothes).
  • menggunakan: formal and a bit more technical; often preferred for tools/devices in careful writing. In this sentence, memakai bor is fine; in casual speech pakai bor is very natural; menggunakan bor is also correct.
Could I use mengebor instead of memakai bor?

Yes, but the meaning shifts slightly:

  • memakai bor focuses on using the tool.
  • mengebor means “to drill” and takes the thing being drilled as its object: Para tukang mengebor tembok (The workers are drilling the wall). Note the form mengebor (not “membor”): with the monosyllabic root bor, the prefix becomes menge-.
Do I need a classifier with bor? How do I show number?

Indonesian doesn’t require an article. Bor here can mean one or more drills. To be specific:

  • One: sebuah bor
  • Two: dua bor or dua buah bor
  • Some: beberapa bor Avoid bor-bor to mean plural; that sounds odd for tools. Use numbers or beberapa.
Does di mean “in” or “at”? What if I mean inside the house?

di covers “in/at/on,” depending on context. di rumah saya can be “at my house” (on the premises) or “in my house.” If you need to be explicit:

  • Inside: di dalam rumah saya
  • Outside/front: di depan rumah saya, di luar rumah saya, etc.
Can I use ke instead of di here?
No. di marks location (static), while ke marks movement toward a place. Use ke with motion verbs: Para tukang datang ke rumah saya pagi ini (The workers came to my house this morning). For your sentence about using a drill at a location, stick with di.
Where can I put pagi ini and di rumah saya in the sentence?

Time and place phrases are flexible:

  • Para tukang memakai bor di rumah saya pagi ini. (place then time)
  • Pagi ini para tukang memakai bor di rumah saya. (time first)
  • Di rumah saya, para tukang memakai bor pagi ini. (place first) All are natural; moving them changes emphasis, not meaning.
Does this sentence mean past or present? How do I make it clear?

Indonesian has no tense inflection; time words/aspect markers clarify:

  • pagi ini = this morning (same day). Could be ongoing or completed.
  • To show it already happened earlier today: tadi pagi.
  • Ongoing right now: add sedang (neutral) or lagi (colloquial): Para tukang sedang/lagi memakai bor…
  • Completed: sudah: Para tukang sudah memakai bor…
Is di in di rumah saya a preposition or the passive prefix?
A preposition. It must be written separately: di rumah. The passive prefix di- attaches to verbs (e.g., dipakai). Don’t write dirumah.
How would a passive version look?
  • Tool-focused passive: Bor dipakai para tukang di rumah saya pagi ini.
  • If you talk about what’s being drilled: Tembok di rumah saya sedang dibor para tukang pagi ini. Both are natural; the second highlights the thing undergoing the action.
Other ways to say “my house”?
  • rumah saya: neutral/formal
  • rumahku: casual
  • rumah gue: very informal (Jakarta slang)
  • rumah kami: our house (excluding the listener)
  • rumah kita: our house (including the listener)
How do I negate this sentence?
  • General negation: Para tukang tidak memakai bor di rumah saya pagi ini.
  • Not yet: Para tukang belum memakai bor di rumah saya pagi ini.
  • Never: Para tukang tidak pernah memakai bor di rumah saya.
Any quick pronunciation tips?
  • tukang: final ng is a velar nasal (as in English “sing”).
  • memakai: ai is like the “eye” diphthong.
  • bor: short o; r is tapped/flipped.
  • rumah: pronounce both syllables clearly: ru-mah.