Anak-anak menunggu di penyeberangan sampai lampu lalu lintas hijau.

The children wait at the crosswalk until the traffic light is green.

Breakdown of Anak-anak menunggu di penyeberangan sampai lampu lalu lintas hijau.

• adalah: to be
• di: at
• menunggu: to wait
• anak: the child
• sampai: until
• hijau: green
• lampu lalu lintas: the traffic light
• penyeberangan: the crosswalk

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?

The correct form is penyeberangan (with the extra “e”). It comes from the base seberang with the prefix/suffix: menyeberang (to cross), penyeberangan (a crossing).

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"?

Yes. Anak-anak menunggu lampu hijau is natural and common; it literally means “the children wait for the green light.” Your original with sampai emphasizes the time condition (“until”), while menunggu [object] frames the light as the object being awaited. Both are fine.

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."

Both are common. lampu lalu lintas is the neutral/formal term. Colloquially, Indonesians often say lampu merah to refer to the whole traffic light system at an intersection. To refer to the green signal, use lampu hijau.

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.