Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Sore ini kita gantian menyapu dan mengepel lantai di ruang tamu. - This afternoon we’ll take turns sweeping and mopping the floor in the living room.

kita means we including the person you’re talking to. kami means we but excluding the addressee. Use kami only if the listener is not part of the plan.

What exactly does gantian mean, and is it correct here?

gantian means taking turns/alternating/it’s someone else’s turn. It’s casual but very natural. It functions like a noun used adverbially. The fully standard form is bergantian (or secara bergantian), and bergiliran is another option. In this sentence, kita gantian = we take turns.

Is there any difference between gantian and bergantian?

bergantian is a bit more formal and unambiguously means alternately. gantian is casual and can also stand alone as an interjection (e.g., Gantian, dong! = It’s my turn!). In your sentence, they mean the same.

Why is it mengepel and not something like memel?

The base is pel (a mop). With the prefix meN-, many one-syllable roots take menge-, so you get mengepel (to mop). Forms like memel or mempel are nonstandard. In everyday speech you’ll often hear ngepel.

What’s happening in menyapu?

The base is sapu (to sweep; a broom). With meN-, initial s drops and the prefix surfaces as meny- → menyapu. Colloquial speech often reduces this to nyapu.

Do I need to say lantai after mengepel?

Not strictly. mengepel already implies mopping a floor, so context can allow just mengepel. Saying mengepel lantai is very common and clear, not considered redundant.

Why is it di ruang tamu, not something with “the,” like di ruang tamu-nya?

Indonesian has no articles. di ruang tamu naturally reads as in the living room if context makes it definite. You can add -nya when referring to a specific, previously mentioned room (di ruang tamunya) or to mean someone’s living room (di ruang tamu-nya = in his/her living room), but only when the context requires that specificity.

Could I say lantai ruang tamu instead of lantai di ruang tamu?

Yes. lantai ruang tamu = the living room floor (a noun–noun compound). lantai di ruang tamu = the floor in the living room. Both are natural here.

Is the word order fixed? Can I move sore ini?

Time phrases are flexible. All of these are fine:

Sore ini kita gantian … di ruang tamu.
Kita gantian … di ruang tamu sore ini.
Di ruang tamu, sore ini kita gantian … (more written/formal) Fronting sore ini adds emphasis to this afternoon.

What time of day does sore cover? Is petang the same?

sore ≈ late afternoon to early evening (about 3–6/7 p.m., varies by region). petang is a near-synonym; in Indonesia it sounds more literary/old-fashioned or regional, while it’s common in Malaysia. After that is malam (night).

Is di here a preposition or the passive prefix di-?

Preposition. di meaning at/in/on is written separately: di ruang tamu. The passive prefix di- attaches to verbs and is written together (e.g., dibersihkan = is cleaned).

Do I need dan between the two verbs? Could I just list them?

In standard Indonesian you link coordinated verbs with dan: menyapu dan mengepel. In casual speech you might hear stacked verbs without dan (e.g., nyapu ngepel), but keep dan in careful speech and writing.

Does kita gantian menyapu dan mengepel mean we switch roles back and forth, or just once?

It’s context-dependent. It can mean:

Alternating within the session (you sweep while I mop, then we swap), or
Switching roles compared with last time. If you mean a simple division of labor with no swapping, say kita bagi tugas: kamu menyapu, aku mengepel.

Is the sentence formal or casual? How would I make it more formal?

It’s neutral-to-casual due to gantian. A more formal version: Sore ini kita bergantian menyapu dan mengepel lantai ruang tamu. If the listener isn’t included, use kami, and you may add akan for a clear future sense: Sore ini kami akan bergantian …

Can I drop kita and just say Sore ini gantian menyapu dan mengepel …?

You can, but it sounds like a suggestion or instruction (Let’s take turns / Take turns). Including kita makes it clearly declarative with an explicit subject.

What’s the difference between ruang tamu, ruangan tamu, and kamar tamu?

ruang tamu = living room (fixed, standard term).
ruangan tamu is uncommon/odd for living room.
kamar tamu = guest bedroom. You may also hear ruang keluarga (family room/den).

Could I use a single verb like membersihkan instead of listing two actions?

Yes, but it’s less specific. membersihkan lantai di ruang tamu means to clean the living room floor without saying how. The original specifies sweeping and mopping.

Any quick pronunciation tips for the tricky parts?

menyapu: ny is a single sound (like the ny in canyon).
mengepel: ng is like the ng in sing. The first e is a schwa-like sound.
Casually, you’ll often hear the reduced forms nyapu and ngepel.