Breakdown of Manajer kami ramah dan jelas saat menjelaskan tugas.
adalah
to be
dan
and
jelas
clear
saat
when
Questions & Answers about Manajer kami ramah dan jelas saat menjelaskan tugas.
Why is there no word for “is” (like “is friendly”)?
- In Indonesian, adjectives can function as predicates without a linking verb. So Manajer kami ramah literally reads “Our manager friendly,” which means “Our manager is friendly.”
- You generally don’t use adalah before adjectives. Use adalah before a noun phrase:
- Correct: Manajer kami adalah orang yang ramah (Our manager is a friendly person).
- Not natural: Manajer kami adalah ramah.
What exactly does saat mean here? Can I use ketika or waktu instead?
- saat and ketika both mean “when” (time of an event). They’re neutral to slightly formal and interchangeable in most contexts.
- waktu also means “when,” but it’s a bit more casual in this use.
- Very casual: pas.
Examples (all mean roughly the same thing): - … saat menjelaskan tugas
- … ketika menjelaskan tugas
- … waktu menjelaskan tugas
- Very casual: … pas ngejelasin tugas
Why is there no subject inside saat menjelaskan tugas?
- Indonesian allows a “zero subject” in a subordinate clause when it’s obvious the subject is the same as in the main clause.
- You can make it explicit if you want: saat dia/ia menjelaskan tugas or, for respectful reference, saat beliau menjelaskan tugas.