Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Dia memakai jas hujan karena hujan deras. - He/She wears a raincoat because of heavy rain.

Dia is a third-person singular pronoun that does not mark gender: it can mean “he” or “she.”
It’s singular (not plural). For “they,” use mereka.
Capitalized Dia is sometimes used in religious contexts to refer to God; otherwise use lowercase.

Can I use ia or beliau instead of dia?

Ia can replace dia as the subject in more formal writing: Ia memakai… It isn’t normally used as an object.
Beliau is an honorific “he/she” for respected people (teachers, elders, leaders). Example: Beliau memakai…
In everyday speech, dia is the most common.

Is the tense specified here? How would I say past, present, or future?

Indonesian doesn’t mark tense on the verb. Add time markers if needed:

What’s the difference between memakai and pakai? And how about mengenakan or menggunakan?

Base verb: pakai (“wear/use”). Very common in speech: Dia pakai jas hujan.
Memakai is the meN- form; a bit more formal/natural in writing but also common in speech.
Mengenakan ≈ “to wear/put on,” more formal or written: Ia mengenakan jas hujan.
Menggunakan = “to use” (tools/methods), not for clothing: say memakai/mengenakan a raincoat, not menggunakan it.

Why does it become memakai and not “mengpakai”? What happened to the P?

The prefix meN- assimilates to the first consonant of the root:
- With roots starting with P, the P drops and the prefix becomes mem-: pakai → memakai.
Other examples: baca → membaca, tulis → menulis.

Does jas hujan literally mean “raincoat”? Why jas and not “jacket”?

Yes, jas hujan is the standard term for “raincoat.” Literally “coat/suit (jas) for rain.”
Note: jas by itself usually means a suit jacket/blazer. For “jacket,” Indonesians say jaket.
Alternatives you’ll hear: mantel hujan (raincoat), jaket hujan (rain jacket).

Do I need an article like “a/the” with jas hujan?

Indonesian has no articles. Jas hujan is neutral (“a raincoat” / “the raincoat”) depending on context.
To specify “that,” add itu: jas hujan itu (“that/the raincoat”).
To count, just use numbers: satu jas hujan, dua jas hujan. Classifiers are usually unnecessary here.

Could karena hujan deras mean “because of heavy rain” or “because it is raining heavily”?

It can be understood both ways. Indonesian often allows this kind of flexibility.
To make it explicitly “it’s raining heavily,” you can say: karena sedang hujan deras.
To emphasize the noun “heavy rain,” you might also see: karena hujan yang deras (less common unless you want emphasis).

Why is it hujan deras (noun + adjective)? Shouldn’t adjectives come before nouns?

In Indonesian, modifiers (adjectives) typically follow the noun: hujan deras = “rain heavy” = “heavy rain.”
More examples: rumah besar (big house), baju baru (new shirt).

What’s the nuance difference between deras, lebat, and kencang?

Hujan deras / hujan lebat: both mean “heavy rain.” Lebat is the very common collocation for rain; deras also works and often emphasizes force/volume.
Kencang is for wind: angin kencang (strong wind), not for rain.
You can intensify: hujan sangat deras/lebat, hujan deras sekali.

Can I swap the clause order? Do I need a comma?

Yes: Karena hujan deras, dia memakai jas hujan. This is very natural.
When the karena-clause comes first, use a comma. In the original order (main clause first), a comma is usually unnecessary.

Is karena the only way to say “because”? What about “so”?

“Because”: karena, synonym sebab (a bit formal/literary).
“So/therefore”: jadi, maka, oleh karena itu, makanya (colloquial).
Avoid doubling connectors in one sentence (many style guides discourage forms like: Karena hujan deras, maka dia…). Prefer either Karena…, dia… or Hujan deras, jadi dia…

Is it okay to drop the subject dia?

In conversation, subjects can be dropped when context is crystal clear: Memakai jas hujan karena hujan deras.
As a neutral standalone sentence or first mention, keep dia for clarity.

Could I say untuk instead of karena here?

No. Untuk means “for/to (the purpose of).” You’d use untuk with a purpose, not a cause.
For purpose, say: Dia memakai jas hujan supaya/agar tidak kehujanan (“so that he/she doesn’t get rained on”).
For cause, stick with karena/sebab.

Is hujan a noun or a verb?

It can function as either:
- Noun: hujan deras = “heavy rain.”
- Verb-like (impersonal weather): sedang hujan = “it is raining.”
Indonesian often uses bare stems flexibly as nouns or verbs depending on position/context.

How would I make the ongoing aspect explicit, like “because it’s raining heavily (right now)”?

Add sedang (neutral) or lagi (colloquial):
- Dia memakai jas hujan karena sedang hujan deras.
- Colloquial: … karena lagi hujan deras.

Is there any difference between memakai and literally “put on” versus “wear”?

Memakai can mean “to wear” and, in context, “to put on.”
If you want a slightly more formal synonym that also works for both, use mengenakan.
To highlight the act of putting on at that moment, add a time marker: Dia tadi (baru saja) memakai… or Dia sedang memakai…

Any common variants or synonyms for the whole sentence?

Dia pakai jas hujan karena hujan lebat. (colloquial verb + common rain collocation)
Karena hujan deras, ia mengenakan jas hujan. (clause-first; formal subject and verb)
Dia memakai jas hujan karena sedang hujan deras. (explicit ongoing rain)

Pronunciation tips for these words?

dia: “dee-ah.” Two syllables.
memakai: me-ma-kai. Final ai like English “eye.”
jas: “jas,” with J as in “jam.”
hujan: hu-jan. J as in “jam.”
karena: ka-re-na. All vowels pronounced clearly.
deras: de-ras. Trill or tap the R lightly. Indonesian syllables are generally pronounced cleanly and evenly.