Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Manajer kami menangani masalah di toko sampai situasi terkendali. - Our manager handles the problems in the shop until the situation is under control.

Menangani means to handle, deal with, or manage (a problem/case/task). It emphasizes actively taking charge of an issue, not necessarily finishing it.

Compare:
- mengatasi = to overcome/resolve (focus on solving it)
- menyelesaikan = to complete/finish (focus on bringing it to an end) In the sentence, menangani plus sampai situasi terkendali implies sustained action up to the point where things are under control.

How is menangani formed morphologically?

It’s built from:

root noun tangan (hand)
suffix -i → tangani (“apply the hand to,” i.e., handle)
active prefix meN- → assimilation before a word starting with t makes the t drop, producing menangani (not “mentangani”). This is the same pattern as tulis → menulis, tonton → menonton.

Why is it manajer kami and not kami manajer for “our manager”?

Indonesian places the possessor after the noun: Noun + possessor. So:

manajer kami = our manager
You’ll also see clitic possessives: manajerku (my manager), manajermu (your manager), manajernya (his/her/their/the manager’s). You can’t attach -kami; use the full word kami after the noun.

What’s the difference between kami and kita?

Both mean “we/our,” but:

kami = exclusive (not including the listener)
kita = inclusive (including the listener) So manajer kami is “our manager (not including you).” If the listener belongs to the same group, say manajer kita.

What does di toko mean exactly? Is it “at” or “in” the store?

di is a general locative preposition covering “at/in/on,” depending on context. di toko means “at the store” or “in the store.”

Movement to a place uses ke: ke toko = to the store
Movement from a place uses dari: dari toko = from the store

How do I tell di (preposition) from di- (passive prefix)?

di as a preposition is written separately: di toko, di rumah.
di- as a verb prefix attaches to the verb and forms a passive: ditangani, dikendalikan. So space = preposition; no space = prefix.

What does sampai do in this sentence? Can I use hingga instead?

Here sampai is a conjunction meaning “until,” introducing the endpoint/condition: “until the situation is under control.” hingga is a near-synonym and slightly more formal; it fits fine: … hingga situasi terkendali.
Note: sampai can also be a verb (“to arrive”), but in this sentence it functions as “until.”

How do I show tense/aspect? Is this past or present?

Indonesian doesn’t inflect verbs for tense. Context tells you, or you add markers:

Present/ongoing: Manajer kami sedang menangani …
Past/completed: Manajer kami sudah/telah menangani …
Future: Manajer kami akan menangani … The original sentence can be read as past or present, but … sampai situasi terkendali implies he kept working until things were under control.

Where is the “to be” in situasi terkendali?

Indonesian usually omits “to be” before adjectives. situasi terkendali literally reads “situation under-control,” i.e., “the situation is under control.” You don’t need adalah or adalah menjadi here.

What does the prefix ter- in terkendali mean?

ter- often forms a stative/resultative adjective: “in a state of X.”

kendali = control
terkendali = in a controlled state / under control
Contrast with:
dikendalikan = (is) controlled (by someone) — passive verb
mengendalikan = to control (active)

Can I say hingga or sampai dengan instead of sampai?

hingga: Yes, stylistically a bit more formal/literary.
sampai dengan: Often used in ranges (“up to and including”), but many speakers also use it like sampai in everyday speech. In this sentence, hingga is the more natural swap.

Does masalah di toko mean “the store’s problem” or “a problem happening at the store”?

masalah di toko is location-based: a problem occurring at/in the store.
For possession (“the store’s problem”), use a noun-noun sequence: masalah toko or clearer masalah pada toko itu, though often people specify: masalah di toko kami (the problem at our store).

Does di toko refer to a specific store? How would I mark “the” vs “a” store?

Indonesian has no articles. You specify if needed:

Specific/that store: di toko itu
This store: di toko ini
Our store: di toko kami
A store: di sebuah toko or di salah satu toko

Could I move di toko elsewhere in the sentence?

Yes, with slight changes in focus:

Fronting for topic: Di toko, manajer kami menangani masalah sampai situasi terkendali.
To describe which manager (if you have several): Manajer kami di toko menangani masalah … (= our manager at the store)
If you mean “store manager,” use a compound noun: Manajer toko kami menangani masalah … Keep di toko near the thing it modifies (the problem, the manager, or the situation) to avoid ambiguity.

Can I drop situasi and just say … sampai terkendali?

In casual speech, yes: Manajer kami menangani masalah di toko sampai terkendali.
It’s elliptical; the understood subject is “the situation/it.” For clarity/formality, … sampai situasi terkendali or … sampai situasinya terkendali is better.

How else can I say “under control” in Indonesian?

terkendali (neutral, standard)
sudah terkendali (explicitly “already under control”)
dalam kendali (literally “in control,” a bit more formal)
terkontrol (loan-based; common, though some prefer native terkendali in formal writing)

What are some register or word-choice variations for “manager” and “store”?

manajer is the standard spelling (you’ll also see nonstandard manager). Informally, people might say bos.
For “store,” options include:
- toko (general store/shop)
- kedai (small shop/café; regional/poetic in some areas)
- warung (small, simple shop/food stall)
- gerai (outlet, often a branded retail outlet)

How would I say this in the passive voice?

Masalah di toko ditangani (oleh) manajer kami sampai situasi terkendali.

ditangani = was/is handled (passive)
oleh (by) is optional and often omitted when the agent is obvious.