Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Dia kecewa karena taksi terlambat. - He/She is disappointed because the taxi is late.

Indonesian dia is gender-neutral and means “he” or “she.” Context tells you which. To be explicitly respectful for an older or esteemed person, use beliau. If you really need to specify gender (which is uncommon in everyday speech), use a name or add a noun like pria (man) or perempuan/wanita (woman), e.g., Pria itu kecewa karena…

Why is there no word for “is” in the sentence?

Indonesian doesn’t need a linking verb with adjectives. Dia kecewa literally “he/she disappointed” is how you say “He/She is disappointed.” Don’t use adalah here; adalah is used to equate nouns (e.g., Dia adalah guru = “He/She is a teacher”), not with adjectives.

How do I know if this is past or present? Could it also be future?

Indonesian verbs and adjectives don’t change for tense. Time is shown by context or time words.

Past: add a time word. Example: Kemarin dia kecewa karena taksi terlambat.
Also possible: Dia kecewa karena taksi sudah terlambat (“already late”).
Future/expected lateness: Dia kecewa karena taksi akan terlambat.

Can I start with the reason? Do I need a comma?

Yes. You can front the reason clause and use a comma:

Karena taksi terlambat, dia kecewa. When the karena-clause comes first, use a comma. In the original order (Dia kecewa karena…) you normally don’t use a comma.

Are there alternatives to karena?

Yes:

sebab = “because,” a bit formal or written: Dia kecewa sebab taksi terlambat.
gara-gara = informal “because of,” often with a slightly negative/blaming tone: Dia kecewa gara-gara taksi telat.
lantaran = “due to/because,” somewhat literary/regional: Dia kecewa lantaran taksi terlambat.

What does the prefix ter- in terlambat do?

ter- can mark a stative/result state or superlative/accidental meanings. Here, terlambat is a stative adjective: “to be late” (in the state of lateness). The base lambat means “slow,” while terlambat is “late” (missed the scheduled time).

What’s the difference between lambat, terlambat, and telat?

lambat = slow (about speed). Example: Internetnya lambat.
terlambat = late (missed the time). Example: Saya terlambat ke kantor.
telat = colloquial form of terlambat. Very common in speech: Maaf, saya telat.

How do I say “the taxi” versus “a taxi”?

Indonesian has no articles. taksi can mean “a taxi” or “the taxi,” depending on context. To make it clearly definite:

taksi itu = “that/the taxi (already known).”
taksinya = “the taxi” (topic/definite), or “his/her taxi” depending on context. Examples:
Dia kecewa karena taksi itu terlambat.
Dia kecewa karena taksinya terlambat.

Can I drop “taksi” and just say karena terlambat?

You can, but the meaning changes. Dia kecewa karena terlambat means “He/She is disappointed because he/she was late” (same subject as the main clause). If you want to keep the taxi as the cause, you should keep taksi: Dia kecewa karena taksi terlambat.

What prepositions go with kecewa?

With a clause (a full reason), use karena: Dia kecewa karena taksi terlambat.
With a noun, you can use:
- pada/terhadap (neutral/formal): Dia kecewa pada/terhadap layanan taksi.
- atas (formal, often in official statements): Kami kecewa atas keterlambatan ini.
- dengan (very common): Dia kecewa dengan sopirnya.

Any pronunciation tips for these words?

dia: dee-ah (two syllables).
kecewa: kuh-CHEH-wah (c = “ch” in “church”; both e’s are a relaxed “uh/eh”).
karena: kah-ruh-nah (often said as karna in casual speech).
taksi: tahk-see (written with ks, pronounced like “taxi”).
terlambat: tər-LAHM-baht (the first e is a schwa “uh”).

How do I say “not because the taxi was late”?

To negate the predicate (not disappointed): Dia tidak kecewa karena taksi terlambat.
To negate the reason (he/she is disappointed, but not for that reason): Dia kecewa, bukan karena taksi terlambat, tetapi karena sopirnya kasar. Use tidak to negate adjectives/verbs; use bukan to negate nouns or to contrast a reason/focus.

Do I need yang anywhere in this sentence?

Not in the basic sentence. yang is used for relative clauses or to pick out a specific noun. To be more specific, you might say:

Dia kecewa karena taksi yang dipesannya terlambat. (“the taxi that he/she ordered was late”)

Is there any difference between taksi terlambat and taksi datang terlambat?

Both are fine.

taksi terlambat = “the taxi was late” (stative).
taksi datang terlambat or taksi terlambat datang = “the taxi arrived late,” slightly more explicit about the action of arriving. The meaning in context is essentially the same.

How can I intensify or soften the feeling of kecewa?

Stronger: sangat kecewa, kecewa sekali, or in casual speech kecewa banget.
- Dia sangat kecewa karena taksi terlambat.
Softer: agak kecewa (“a bit disappointed”).
- Dia agak kecewa karena taksi terlambat.