Guru menjelaskan soal di papan tulis.

The teacher explains the problem on the board.

Breakdown of Guru menjelaskan soal di papan tulis.

• guru: the teacher
• di: on
• menjelaskan: to explain
• papan tulis: the board
• soal: the problem

Questions & Answers about Guru menjelaskan soal di papan tulis.

What does the verb form menjelaskan come from, and why isn’t it just menjelas?

The base word is jelas (clear). The verb menjelaskan is formed with the prefix meN- and the suffix -kan, which often makes a causative/transitive meaning: “to make something clear,” i.e., “to explain.” Because of the initial consonant j, the meN- prefix surfaces as men-, giving men-jelas-kan → menjelaskan. The form menjelas is not standard. Related forms: penjelasan (explanation), memperjelas (to clarify/further clarify).

Does soal mean “question” or “problem”? How is it different from pertanyaan?

• soal commonly means “test/exam item,” “problem,” or “question” in the context of exercises: e.g., 10 soal (10 questions/problems on a test).
• pertanyaan is a general “question” someone asks in conversation.
• soal can also mean “matter/issue” (e.g., soal cuaca = about the weather). In this sentence, soal most naturally means “(test) problems/questions.”

Should it be plural (soal-soal) since teachers usually explain more than one?

Indonesian doesn’t have mandatory plural marking. soal can be singular or plural from context. Use:

• Reduplication for emphasis: soal-soal (questions/problems).
• Quantifiers: banyak soal (many questions), beberapa soal (several), dua soal (two). All are acceptable depending on what you want to highlight.

What does di papan tulis mean exactly, and why use di instead of ke or pada?

• di marks location (“at/on/in”): di papan tulis = “on/at the board.”
• ke marks movement toward a place: ke papan tulis = “to the board.”
• pada is used for abstract locations, times, and in formal style with non-physical targets; for physical places like a board, use di.

Does di papan tulis mean the teacher is standing at the board, or that the explanation is written on the board?

It’s ambiguous without context. It can mean:

• She explains while using/writing on the board.
• She explains the problems that are on the board. To disambiguate:
• “Using the board”: Guru menjelaskan soal sambil menulis di papan tulis.
• “The problems on the board”: Guru menjelaskan soal yang ada di papan tulis.

Could di papan tulis be modifying soal instead of the verb?

Yes. The phrase can attach either to the verb (menjelaskan) or the noun (soal). Spoken emphasis or added words usually clarify it. For noun attachment, soal yang di papan tulis or soal yang ada di papan tulis is explicit.

How do I say “The teacher explains the problems to the students”?

Add an indirect object with kepada (“to [people]”):

• Guru menjelaskan soal kepada para siswa.
• Variants: kepada murid-murid, kepada kami, etc. Word order is flexible: Guru menjelaskan kepada para siswa soal di papan tulis is also fine.

Is menjelaskan tentang acceptable, or is tentang redundant?

Traditional advice calls menjelaskan tentang X redundant because menjelaskan already means “explain (about) X.” However, in real usage it’s very common and acceptable. Both are fine:

• Guru menjelaskan soal.
• Guru menjelaskan tentang soal. (more conversational; still widely used)

What are good synonyms for menjelaskan, and are there nuance differences?

• menerangkan: close synonym, sometimes sounds a bit more formal or old-fashioned in some regions.
• memperjelas: “to clarify/further clarify,” often implies making something already stated clearer.
• menguraikan: “to elaborate, to expound,” suggests a detailed breakdown.

How would the passive voice look?

Use the passive prefix di- on the verb:

• Soal dijelaskan (oleh) guru di papan tulis. The agent marker oleh is optional; without it, guru often follows the verb: Soal dijelaskan guru di papan tulis. This puts focus on the problems rather than the teacher.

What’s the difference between the preposition di and the passive prefix di-?

• di (separate word) = preposition for location: di papan tulis.
• di- (attached to a verb) = passive prefix: dijelaskan (is/was explained). Spacing tells you which is which.

How do you indicate definiteness like “the teacher” or “the board”?

Indonesian has no articles. Use context or add markers:

• Indefinite “a teacher”: seorang guru.
• Definite “the/that teacher”: guru itu or gurunya.
• “the board”: papan tulis itu or papan tulisnya. Example: Guru itu menjelaskan soal di papan tulisnya.

Is there a more casual/colloquial way to say this?

Yes, in colloquial Jakarta-style Indonesian the prefix can drop:

• Guru jelasin soal di papan tulis. Even more casual: Guru ngejelasin soal di papan tulis. (use in informal contexts only)

Any quick pronunciation tips?

• u in guru and tulis is like “oo” in “food.”
• j in menjelaskan is like English “j” in “judge.”
• a is a clear “ah” sound; e in men- is a schwa (uh).
• Stress is light and typically falls near the penultimate syllable: men-je-LAS-kan, PA-pan TU-lis.