Breakdown of Anak-anak menunggu di penyeberangan sampai lampu lalu lintas hijau.
Questions & Answers about Anak-anak menunggu di penyeberangan sampai lampu lalu lintas hijau.
Why is the noun repeated in "anak-anak"? Do I have to repeat nouns to make them plural?
Reduplication (repeating the noun) is a common way to mark plural in Indonesian. So anak-anak means “children.” However, Indonesian doesn’t require plural marking; anak can mean “child” or “children” depending on context.
- Emphatically plural: anak-anak
- With numbers/quantifiers: tiga anak, beberapa anak (no reduplication)
- Generic plural from context: anak can still be understood as “children”
Is "para anak-anak" correct?
No. para already marks plural for people, so combining it with reduplication is redundant. Use either:
- anak-anak (most common), or
- para anak (formal; less common with “anak,” but fine with words like para siswa, para warga)
How do I say “the children” (definite) rather than just “children”?
Add a determiner like itu after the noun:
- anak-anak itu = the children You can also use tersebut (formal) or rely on context.
Do I need "sedang" to express “are waiting” (progressive aspect)?
Not required. Indonesian verbs don’t change for tense/aspect. Anak-anak menunggu can mean “are waiting” or “waited,” depending on context. Use aspect markers if you want to be explicit:
- Ongoing: sedang menunggu
- Completed: sudah/telah menunggu
- Habitual: add an adverb like sering (often)
Why is it "di penyeberangan" and not "pada" or "ke"?
- di = at/in (static location): di penyeberangan = at the crosswalk
- ke = to/toward (movement): ke penyeberangan = to the crosswalk
- pada is more formal and used for abstract references or time; for physical location, di is standard.
Does "penyeberangan" specifically mean a pedestrian crosswalk?
Not necessarily. penyeberangan means “a crossing place” in general (could be a river ferry crossing). In traffic contexts it’s understood as a crosswalk, but to be explicit you can say:
- penyeberangan jalan (road crossing)
- zebra cross (very common in everyday speech)
I see "penyebrangan" a lot online. Which spelling is correct?
How does "sampai" work here? Is it the same as "hingga"?
Yes. sampai and hingga both mean “until.” Here sampai introduces a clause: “until the traffic light is green.”
- Synonym: hingga
- Don’t use sampai ke with a clause; ke expects a noun.
- sampai dengan is used for ranges (“from X up to Y”), not for “until [clause]” in this kind of sentence.
Why is there no “to be” before "hijau"? Should it be "menjadi hijau"?
Indonesian doesn’t need a “to be” verb with predicate adjectives. lampu … hijau is fine and means “the traffic light is green.” You can add verbs for nuance:
- Change/result: lampu … menjadi hijau (“becomes green”)
- Already: lampu … sudah hijau (“is already green”)
Is "lampu lalu lintas hijau" a noun phrase “green traffic light,” or a clause “the traffic light is green”?
It’s ambiguous in isolation. After sampai, it’s understood as a clause (“until the traffic light is green”). To remove ambiguity, add a marker:
- sampai lampu lalu lintas sudah hijau
- sampai lampu lalu lintas menjadi hijau
Could I say "menunggu lampu hijau" instead of using "sampai"?
Should I add "menyala" or "berubah" when talking about the light?
Optional, depending on nuance:
- sampai lampu hijau menyala = until the green light lights up
- sampai lampu lalu lintas berubah (menjadi) hijau = until the traffic light changes to green
- sampai lampu sudah hijau = until the light is already green
Where should I put the location phrase "di penyeberangan"?
Put it near the verb to show where the waiting happens:
- Natural: Anak-anak menunggu di penyeberangan sampai … Avoid placing it after hijau, which can make it look like it modifies the light:
- Odd/ambiguous: ✗ … sampai lampu … hijau di penyeberangan
How do I make the sentence clearly past or future?
Add time/aspect words:
- Past: Tadi anak-anak menunggu …, Kemarin anak-anak menunggu …
- Completed: Anak-anak sudah/telah menunggu …
- Future: Anak-anak akan menunggu …, Nanti anak-anak menunggu … (nanti + context can imply future)
- Progressive: Anak-anak sedang menunggu …
Is "lampu lalu lintas" the usual way to say “traffic light”? I often hear "lampu merah."
Can I use -nya to mean “the” traffic light?
Yes. -nya can mark definiteness or refer back to something known:
- sampai lampu lalu lintasnya hijau = until the traffic light (there/that one) is green
- sampai lampu hijaunya menyala = until the green light turns on
Any colloquial alternatives I should know?
- sampe/ampe for sampai (informal speech/spelling)
- zebra cross for penyeberangan (jalan) Stick with the standard forms (sampai, penyeberangan) in formal writing.
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