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Kontrak itu terlalu panjang untuk dibaca saat rapat.

Kontrak itu terlalu panjang untuk dibaca saat rapat.
That contract is too long to read during the meeting.
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Questions & Answers about Kontrak itu terlalu panjang untuk dibaca saat rapat.

What does the word order in Kontrak itu mean, and why is itu after the noun?
  • Kontrak itu means “that contract” (a specific one already known in context). In Indonesian, the demonstrative often follows the noun.
  • Itu kontrak usually means “that is a contract” (identification), not “that contract.”
  • If you want “this contract,” say Kontrak ini; “that contract (over there/previously mentioned)” is Kontrak itu.
  • You can also say kontraknya to mean “the contract (in context).”
Where is the verb “is”? Why isn’t there adalah?
  • Indonesian doesn’t use a separate “to be” before adjectives. So Kontrak itu terlalu panjang literally = “That contract too long.”
  • Adalah is typically used before a noun phrase, not before an adjective. Saying Kontrak itu adalah terlalu panjang is unnatural in most contexts.
What’s the nuance of terlalu? How is it different from sangat or sekali?
  • Terlalu = “too (excessively),” implying it exceeds an acceptable level and causes a problem: terlalu panjang = “too long.”
  • Sangat / sekali = “very,” with no built-in negative implication: sangat panjang or panjang sekali = “very long.”
  • Here, the “problem” is captured by the purpose clause (untuk dibaca).
Why is it untuk dibaca and not untuk membaca?
  • Untuk dibaca uses the passive to focus on the object (the contract) being read: “to be read.”
  • Untuk membaca would focus on the doer (“to read”), which clashes with the subject being the contract.
  • So for “too long to be read,” passive dibaca fits best. Compare:
    • Kontrak itu terlalu panjang untuk dibaca.
    • vs. If the subject were a person: Saya terlalu lelah untuk membaca.
What does dibaca mean morphologically?
  • Root: baca = “read.”
  • Prefix di- makes it passive: dibaca = “be read / is read.”
  • The agent is unspecified or generic (by someone). If you need an agent, add oleh
    • person: dibaca oleh ketua (“read by the chair”).
Should it be dibaca or dibacakan?
  • Dibaca = “be read” (silent or aloud; neutral).
  • Dibacakan = “be read out (to others),” highlighting a beneficiary/audience. In a meeting where someone reads it aloud to the group, dibacakan is often a better fit:
    • Kontrak itu terlalu panjang untuk dibacakan saat rapat.
Can I say untuk kita baca instead of untuk dibaca?
  • Yes. Untuk kita baca is active with an explicit doer (inclusive “we”): “for us to read.”
  • Nuance:
    • untuk dibaca = general/impersonal.
    • untuk kita baca = specifically “for us to read.”
  • Both are natural; choose based on whether you want to mention the reader.
What’s the difference among saat rapat, selama rapat, dalam rapat, and ketika rapat?
  • Saat rapat = “when/during the meeting”; neutral and common.
  • Selama rapat = “for the whole duration of the meeting” (emphasizes the entire time).
  • Dalam rapat = “in the meeting” (more spatial/institutional: within the event).
  • Ketika rapat = similar to saat, often used in narratives.
  • Colloquial: pas rapat = “when (it’s) the meeting.”
Is di rapat acceptable?
  • People say it, but more standard/natural options are dalam rapat, saat rapat, or pada rapat (formal).
  • If you mean “at the meeting,” prefer dalam rapat in formal writing.
What’s the difference between rapat and pertemuan?
  • Rapat = a formal meeting (often work/organizational).
  • Pertemuan = a meeting/encounter more generally (can be formal or informal).
  • In office contexts, rapat is the default for “meeting.”
Are there word-order alternatives?
  • Yes:
    • Saat rapat, kontrak itu terlalu panjang untuk dibaca.
    • Kontrak itu, saat rapat, terlalu panjang untuk dibaca. (less common; adds pause/focus)
  • The given order is natural and concise; moving saat rapat to the front adds a time-frame focus.
Any spelling pitfalls with di vs di- here?
  • Passive prefix di- attaches to the verb: dibaca (one word).
  • Preposition di is separate from location nouns: e.g., di kantor. Never write di baca for the passive.
How do I make it negative, like “not too long to read”?
  • Use tidak with adjectives: Kontrak itu tidak terlalu panjang untuk dibaca saat rapat.
  • Don’t use bukan here; bukan contrasts nouns, not adjectives.
How would this be said more casually?
  • Kontraknya kepanjangan buat dibaca pas rapat.
    • -nya = “the (one we know)”
    • kepanjangan = “too long” (colloquial/resultative)
    • buat = casual untuk
    • pas = casual saat
  • If read aloud: …buat dibacain pas rapat. (dibacain = colloquial for dibacakan)
Does dibaca mean “read silently” or “read aloud”?
  • Dibaca is neutral; it can be either.
  • If you specifically mean “read aloud to others,” use dibacakan/dibacain (colloquial). If you mean personal reading, context or oleh saya/kami clarifies.
Pronunciation tips for tricky parts?
  • dibaca: di-BA-cha (Indonesian c = “ch”).
  • saat: SA-at (two clear syllables).
  • rapat: RA-pat (rolled/flapped r; final t unreleased).
  • panjang: PAN-jang (ng as in “sung”).