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Ban sepeda kakak perempuan saya kempis di jalan.

Ban sepeda kakak perempuan saya kempis di jalan.
My older sister’s bicycle tire is flat on the road.
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Questions & Answers about Ban sepeda kakak perempuan saya kempis di jalan.

What does "ban" mean here? Is it like English "ban"?
  • In Indonesian, ban means "tire" (the rubber part), not "to prohibit."
  • Contrast:
    • ban = tire
    • roda = wheel (rim + spokes + tire)
    • ban luar = outer tire; ban dalam = inner tube
How does the possession work in "ban sepeda kakak perempuan saya"?
  • Indonesian puts the possessed noun first, then modifiers, then the possessor.
  • Structure here: ban (tire) + sepeda (bicycle) + kakak perempuan saya (my older sister) → “the tire of the bicycle of my older sister.”
  • More patterns:
    • sepeda saya = my bicycle
    • sepeda kakak saya = my older sibling’s bicycle
    • ban sepeda kakak perempuan saya = my older sister’s bicycle tire
Why is "saya" at the end of "kakak perempuan saya" and not before?
  • Possessive pronouns like saya follow the noun phrase they possess.
  • Correct: kakak perempuan saya (“my older sister”), not saya kakak perempuan.
  • You can also use the clitic -ku: kakak perempuanku (my older sister). Avoid splitting it as kakakku perempuan in careful speech/writing.
Do I need "perempuan"? Can I just say "kakak saya"?
  • kakak = older sibling (gender neutral).
  • kakak perempuan specifies “older sister”; kakak laki-laki = older brother.
  • In everyday conversation, kakak saya often suffices if context already makes the gender clear.
  • Register notes: perempuan is neutral/standard; wanita is often formal; cewek is casual slang.
Is "kempis" correct for a flat tire? I often see "kempes."
  • Both kempis and kempes are standard and largely interchangeable for tires. Many speakers say kempes in everyday speech.
  • Related forms:
    • kempis/kempes (stative): be flat/deflated
    • mengempis/mengempes (intransitive): to deflate/go flat
    • mengempiskan/mengempeskan (transitive): to deflate something
Is "kempis" an adjective or a verb? Why no “to be” (is/was)?
  • kempis is a stative adjective that can function as the predicate.
  • Indonesian typically omits a copula (“to be”): Ban … kempis literally “The tire flat,” meaning “The tire is flat.”
What’s the difference between "kempis" and "bocor"?
  • kempis = flat/deflated (the state).
  • bocor = leaking/punctured (the cause).
  • You might say: Ban sepeda … bocor, jadi kempis. (“The bike tire got punctured, so it went flat.”)
What does "di jalan" mean exactly—“on the road” or “on the way”?
  • di jalan can mean physically “on the road/street,” and often implies “while out on the road/along the way.”
  • If you want to emphasize “during the trip/journey,” you can say di perjalanan.
  • di jalanan can mean “out on the streets” (more general or with a rougher, public-streets nuance).
Why is it written "di jalan" with a space (not "dijalan")?
  • di is a preposition meaning “at/in/on,” and as a preposition it is written separately: di jalan, di rumah.
  • Don’t confuse it with the passive prefix di- on verbs, which is attached: diambil (taken), dibawa (brought).
Can I move "di jalan" to the front?
  • Yes, for emphasis or scene-setting: Di jalan, ban sepeda kakak perempuan saya kempis.
  • The meaning remains the same.
How do I mark “the” or specificity? Could I add "itu" or "-nya"?
  • Indonesian has no articles. Possession already makes it specific: ban sepeda kakak perempuan saya is naturally definite.
  • To emphasize a specific one, add itu after the noun phrase: Ban sepeda kakak perempuan saya itu kempis...
  • You can also use -nya when the referent is known from context: Ban sepedanya kempis.
  • Don’t combine -nya with an explicit possessor inside the same noun phrase (avoid: ban sepedanya kakak perempuan saya).
Is it singular or plural? How do I say both tires are flat?
  • Indonesian doesn’t mark plural by default; context decides. Here it’s most naturally one tire.
  • To say both tires are flat:
    • Kedua ban sepeda kakak perempuan saya kempis.
    • Or shorter if context is clear: Kedua bannya kempis / Bannya kempis semua.
Can I use "roda" instead of "ban"?
  • Not if you mean “flat/deflated.” Roda = wheel (the whole assembly), which doesn’t “kempis.” Use ban for a flat tire.
  • Examples: roda bengkok (bent wheel), but ban kempis (flat tire).
Is "kakak" only for family?
  • kakak is primarily “older sibling,” but it’s also a polite address term for a slightly older person (e.g., a shop assistant saying Kak to a customer).
  • In this sentence, it clearly means an actual older sister.
Any pronunciation tips for these words?
  • kakak: the final k is often a glottal stop in many accents (like a quick cut-off).
  • kempis: roughly “kəm-PEES” (the e in the first syllable is like the schwa in “sofa”).
  • ban: “bahn” (a as in “father”).
  • jalan: “JAH-lahn” (both a’s as in “father”).
Could I drop "sepeda" and just say "ban kakak perempuan saya kempis"?
  • Grammatically yes, but it becomes ambiguous (it could be a car tire, etc.). ban sepeda keeps it clear that it’s a bicycle tire.
How would I say it as an event (“went flat”) rather than a state?
  • Add an aspect/time word or use an intransitive verb:
    • Ban sepeda kakak perempuan saya tadi mengempis di jalan. (“… went flat earlier on the road.”)
    • Ban sepeda kakak perempuan saya jadi kempis di jalan. (“… ended up flat on the road.”)
Can I use "punya" to express possession here?
  • Use punya in a separate clause, not inside the noun stack:
    • Ban sepeda itu punya kakak perempuan saya. (“That bike tire belongs to my older sister.”)
    • Colloquial speech may insert it: ban sepeda punya kakak saya, but the original stacking (ban sepeda kakak perempuan saya) is cleaner and more standard.