Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Guru menangani pertanyaan murid dengan tenang. - The teacher handles the students' questions calmly.

menangani = to handle/deal with/manage. It suggests managing or addressing a matter, not necessarily giving a direct answer. Common with tasks/problems: menangani kasus, menangani keluhan, menangani pertanyaan.

Is menangani related to menang (to win)?

No. menangani comes from tangan (hand) with the prefix meN- and suffix -i: menangani ≈ “to handle.” The initial t of tangan drops after meN- (a regular sound change). menang = “to win,” and “to win something” is memenangkan.

Why is it pertanyaan murid, not murid pertanyaan?

Possession is usually noun + possessor: pertanyaan murid = the student’s question. You can also say pertanyaan dari murid. Use yang only for a relative clause, e.g., pertanyaan yang murid ajukan (“the question that the student posed”).

How do I show singular vs plural for “question” or “student”?

Indonesian doesn’t require plural marking; context often suffices. To be explicit:

A student’s question: pertanyaan seorang murid
The student’s question: pertanyaan murid itu
The students’ questions: pertanyaan para murid or pertanyaan-pertanyaan murid
Students (plural): para murid or murid-murid
Questions (plural): pertanyaan-pertanyaan

When should I use menjawab, menanggapi, or menghadapi instead of menangani?

menjawab pertanyaan: to answer a question (give the answer).
menanggapi pertanyaan: to respond to a question (address it, often formally).
menghadapi pertanyaan: to face questions (be confronted with them).
menangani pertanyaan: to handle questions (manage/deal with them, e.g., during a Q&A session).

How does dengan tenang work? Are there other ways to say “calmly”?

dengan + adjective forms an adverbial phrase of manner: dengan tenang = calmly. Alternatives:

secara tenang (more formal)
Intensify: dengan sangat tenang
Noun form: dengan ketenangan (“with calmness”)
Colloquial: tenang-tenang saja Note: tenang = calm; not the same as pelan (slow) or diam (silent).

Can I move dengan tenang to another position?

Yes. Word order is flexible for adverbials:

Dengan tenang, guru menangani pertanyaan murid. (fronted for emphasis)
Guru dengan tenang menangani pertanyaan murid. (adverbial in the middle) Meaning stays the same; position changes emphasis.

Can this be made passive?

Yes:

Pertanyaan murid ditangani guru dengan tenang.
Pertanyaan murid ditangani oleh guru dengan tenang. (adds oleh “by,” more formal) Both are natural; oleh is optional.

What’s the difference between murid, siswa, pelajar, and mahasiswa?

murid: pupil/student (often primary–secondary), general.
siswa: student (commonly primary–secondary, widely used in schools).
pelajar: student/learner (often for teenagers or those in school; also used in official terms like visa pelajar).
mahasiswa: university/college student.

Why does the verb end with -i? When do I use -i vs -kan?

General tendencies:

-i: the object is the thing/area/person being affected/acted upon repeatedly or locatively (apply to/act upon). menangani pertanyaan treats the question as the thing being “handled.”
-kan: causative/benefactive (cause something to happen or do it for someone). Compare: memenangkan tim (cause the team to win). Note: Many verbs are lexicalized; you learn their natural pairing (e.g., menangani is the standard form, not menangankan).

How can I make the subject more specific or respectful?

Specific/definite: guru itu / guru ini / guru tersebut
Respectful address: Pak Guru (male), Bu Guru (female), often with a name: Pak Andi, Bu Sari.

Can I say Guru tenang menangani pertanyaan murid?

Yes. tenang can function as a predicate adjective before the verb, giving a slightly more descriptive feel (“The teacher, being calm, handled…”). dengan tenang focuses more on the manner of the action itself. Both are acceptable.