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Questions & Answers about Air menetes dari atap bocor.
How do you pronounce the word air, and does it mean the same as English “air”?
In Indonesian, air means “water” and is pronounced roughly ah-eer (two syllables). It does not mean the gas we breathe; that’s udara in Indonesian.
What does menetes mean exactly, and is it a verb?
Yes. menetes is an intransitive verb meaning “to drip.” It describes something that drips by itself (no direct object), like water, sap, or oil.
Why is it dari and not di before atap?
- dari = from (source/origin). It answers “from where?” → “from the roof.”
- di = at/on/in (location). It would mean “on the roof,” not the source. So “Air menetes dari atap …” = “Water drips from the roof …”
Do I need a word for “the” or “a” before air or atap?
Indonesian has no articles. air and atap can be definite or indefinite from context. If you want to make it clearly definite, you can say:
- airnya = the water
- atapnya or atap itu = the/that roof
Should it be atap yang bocor instead of atap bocor?
Both are fine.
- atap bocor = “leaky roof” (concise, common in speech, sounds attributive)
- atap yang bocor = “the roof that is leaking” (a bit more explicit/formal) Your sentence is natural as is, but adding yang is also correct.
Is bocor an adjective or a verb? Can I say Atapnya bocor?
bocor can function as a stative verb (“to be leaky/leaking”) or as an adjective (“leaky”). Atapnya bocor is very natural and means “The roof is leaking.”
What’s the difference between menetes, meneteskan, menetesi, and tetesan?
- menetes: intransitive “to drip” (no object). Example: Air menetes.
- meneteskan: transitive “to drip (something), to let something drip.” Example: Dia meneteskan air ke tanaman.
- menetesi: transitive with -i, focusing on the target: “to drip onto (something).” Example: Dia menetesi tanaman dengan air.
- tetesan: noun “a drip/drippage; a drop (that fell).” Example: tetesan air. Also useful: setetes air = “a drop of water.”
Why does tetes become menetes? What happened to the initial t?
The verb uses the prefix meN-. With roots that start with t, the initial t drops and the prefix surfaces as men-:
- tetes → menetes Compare: tulis → menulis (“to write”).
Can I add something to show it’s happening right now, like “is dripping”?
Yes, you can add the aspect marker sedang for an ongoing action:
- Air sedang menetes dari atap bocor. Indonesian often omits sedang if the context already makes the timing clear.
Can I front the prepositional phrase for emphasis, like “From the leaky roof, water drips”?
Yes: Dari atap (yang) bocor, air menetes. This is fine for emphasis or narrative style. In neutral sentences, the original order is more common.
How would I say “onto the floor” or “into a bucket” instead of just “from the roof”?
Use ke (to/onto) or ke dalam (into):
- Air menetes ke lantai. (onto the floor)
- Air menetes ke dalam ember. (into a bucket)
Is netes acceptable? I hear it in casual speech.
Yes, netes is a common informal/colloquial shortening of menetes (influenced by everyday speech). In standard/formal Indonesian, prefer menetes.
What’s the word for “a drop of water,” and how do I count drops?
- setetes air = a drop of water
- dua tetes air = two drops of water The classifier-like se- means “one” in this context.
Does atap mean roof or ceiling? What’s the word for ceiling?
atap = roof (outside, the top covering of a building). Ceiling (inside) is langit-langit or plafon.
Can I make an existential sentence like “There is water dripping from the leaky roof”?
Yes: Ada air menetes dari atap (yang) bocor. Using ada introduces “there is/are.”
Are there synonyms or near-synonyms I should know, like for stronger flow?
- menetes = drip (slow, drop by drop)
- mengalir = flow (stronger, continuous stream)
- For the noun “a leak”: kebocoran (e.g., Ada kebocoran di atap.)