Tolong arsipkan materi rapat di laci bawah.

Please archive the meeting material in the bottom drawer.

Breakdown of Tolong arsipkan materi rapat di laci bawah.

• di: in
• tolong: please
• laci: the drawer
• bawah: bottom
• arsipkan: to archive
• materi rapat: the meeting material

Questions & Answers about Tolong arsipkan materi rapat di laci bawah.

What does the word in bold Tolong add to the sentence, and are there alternatives?

• Tolong makes the command a polite request (“please”). It’s neutral and common in speech and writing.
• Formal alternatives:
  • Mohon … (more formal/polite, often in emails or notices)
  • Harap … (very formal/impersonal, like on signs)
• Softer, conversational options:
  • Bisa tolong …? / Tolong … ya. / Tolong … dong. (increasingly casual)
• Avoid Silakan here. Silakan invites someone to do something for themselves (e.g., “please go ahead”), not to assign them a task.

Why does the verb end with -kan in arsipkan?

• Root noun: arsip (“archive, file”).
• Verb to “file/archive [something]”: mengarsipkan (active transitive).
• Imperative usually drops the meN- and keeps -kan: arsipkan = “file (it).”
• Suffix -kan is typical for transitive verbs affecting a direct object.

Can I say Tolong mengarsipkan materi rapat… instead of Tolong arsipkan…?

• Yes, it’s acceptable.
• Nuance:
  • Tolong arsipkan… feels snappier and is very common in speech.
  • Tolong/Mohon mengarsipkan… can sound a bit more formal or “instructional,” and is common in writing.

Why is it di laci bawah and not ke laci bawah?

• With “put/place” type actions, Indonesian marks the final location with di:
  • Taruh/Letakkan/Arsipkan … di …
• Use ke with movement verbs or with masukkan:
  • Masukkan … ke laci bawah.
  • Bawa itu ke laci bawah. So: arsipkan … di laci bawah is natural and correct.

Does laci bawah mean “the bottom drawer” or just “a lower drawer”?

• Laci bawah = “the lower drawer” (often understood as “the bottom one” if there are only two). It can be ambiguous if there are many drawers.
• To be explicit:
  • laci paling bawah = the bottommost drawer
  • laci bagian bawah = the lower section (could still be ambiguous)
  • laci kedua dari bawah = the second from the bottom

Is materi rapat the same as meeting minutes?

• Materi rapat = materials for/used in a meeting (slides, agenda, handouts).
• Minutes are notulen rapat or risalah rapat.
• Other useful terms:
  • dokumen rapat / berkas rapat = meeting documents/files
  • bahan rapat = meeting materials (similar to materi)

Do I need to mark the plural, like materi-materi rapat?

• Usually no. Indonesian often leaves plurals unmarked; context does the job.
• To emphasize “all,” say semua materi rapat.
• If you mean countable items, you might prefer berkas/dokumen:
  • Tolong arsipkan semua dokumen rapat…

Can I drop Tolong and just say Arsipkan materi rapat…?

• Yes, but it’s a more direct command and can sound curt, depending on tone and relationship.
• Softer versions:
  • Arsipkan … ya.
  • Tolong arsipkan …
  • Bisa tolong arsipkan …?

Can Tolong appear elsewhere in the sentence?

• Yes. Common alternatives:
  • Arsipkan materi rapat di laci bawah, tolong.
  • Tolong, arsipkan materi rapat di laci bawah.
• You can also use softeners at the end: … ya/dong.

Is there a passive, more formal way to say this?

• Yes, very common in office writing:
  • Mohon materi rapat diarsipkan di laci bawah.
  • Harap materi rapat diarsipkan di laci paling bawah. This focuses on the task rather than on “you,” so it feels more impersonal and formal.

What’s the difference among arsipkan, simpan, taruh/letakkan, and masukkan?

• arsipkan: “file/archive” properly (implies organizing/classifying).
• simpan: “store/keep” (broad; less specific than filing).
• taruh/letakkan … di …: “put/place … in/on …” (neutral placement; letakkan is a bit more formal than taruh).
• masukkan … ke …: “put/insert … into …” (emphasizes moving into something; pairs with ke).

How do I specify which bottom drawer, if there are several cabinets?

• Add a determiner or a reference:
  • di laci bawah itu = in that bottom drawer
  • di laci bawah meja ini = in the bottom drawer of this desk
  • di laci paling bawah lemari arsip = in the bottom drawer of the filing cabinet
• -nya can also mark a specific, previously mentioned thing:
  • di laci bawahnya (the object referred to must already be clear from context)

Is rapat the only word for “meeting”? What about pertemuan?

• rapat: a meeting, usually formal/work-related (most common in office contexts).
• pertemuan: a meeting/encounter more generally (can be formal or informal). In office talk, rapat is the default.