Questions & Answers about Dia kecewa karena taksi terlambat.
Does the word dia mean “he” or “she”?
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?