Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Setelah itu, dia meminjam gunting untuk memotong kertas presentasi. - After that, he/she borrows the scissors to cut presentation paper.

meminjam = to borrow (take something temporarily).
- Dia meminjam gunting dari saya. = He/she borrowed scissors from me.
meminjamkan = to lend (give something temporarily).
- Saya meminjamkan gunting kepada dia. = I lent him/her scissors.
pinjam = base form, very common in casual speech (can replace meminjam).
- Boleh pinjam gunting? = Can I borrow the scissors?
dipinjam = passive “is/was borrowed.”
- Gunting itu dipinjam oleh dia. = The scissors were borrowed by him/her.

Why is there a comma after Setelah itu? Is it required?

It separates a fronted time/sequencing phrase from the main clause, improving readability.
It’s common and recommended, but you’ll also see the sentence without the comma: “Setelah itu dia meminjam …”

Can I replace Setelah itu with other words like sesudah itu, kemudian, lalu, or terus? Any nuance differences?

setelah itu / sesudah itu = “after that,” neutral; very common.
kemudian = “then/afterwards,” slightly formal or written.
lalu = “then,” neutral to informal, narrative-friendly.
terus / trus = “then/and then,” colloquial.
setelahnya = “afterwards/after that,” also fine (slightly more written). All can work here depending on your tone.

Should it be untuk memotong or buat motong? Are they the same?

untuk + meN-verb is the standard way to express purpose: Dia meminjam gunting untuk memotong …
buat + bare verb is very common in casual speech: Dia pinjam gunting buat motong …
guna (formal) can replace untuk in formal writing.
agar/supaya introduce a full clause with its own subject (not just a verb): Dia meminjam gunting agar temannya bisa memotong …

Why use memotong instead of menggunting? Which sounds more natural with scissors?

memotong = “to cut” (general).
menggunting = “to cut with scissors” (specific). Both are acceptable, but many natives prefer menggunting kertas when scissors are explicitly involved: … dia meminjam gunting untuk menggunting kertas presentasi.

Do I need to say “a pair of” with gunting? Is gunting singular or plural?

gunting refers to one pair of scissors by default; Indonesian doesn’t mark plural unless needed.
To emphasize “a pair,” say sepasang gunting.
sebuah gunting is heard but less common; many prefer just gunting or sepasang gunting.
To indicate quantity: dua gunting (two pairs), beberapa gunting (several pairs).

Should I say selembar kertas presentasi to mean “a sheet of presentation paper”?

Use the classifier lembar for sheets: selembar kertas presentasi = one sheet.
Without it, kertas presentasi can be generic or definite from context (e.g., “the presentation paper” already discussed).

Is kertas presentasi a natural collocation? What if I mean poster board or printer paper?

kertas presentasi is understandable for “paper for a presentation,” but it’s a bit generic.
For “poster board,” people often say kertas karton, karton manila/kertas manila.
For printer/office paper: kertas HVS, kertas A4. Choose the specific term if you want to be clear about the material.

What is the meN- prefix doing in meminjam and memotong?

meN- forms active verbs. It assimilates to the first consonant of the base:
- pinjam → meminjam (p disappears).
- potong → memotong (p disappears). This is a regular sound change with meN-.

How is past time indicated here? There’s no past tense on meminjam.

Indonesian doesn’t mark tense on the verb. Time is understood from context/adverbs.
Setelah itu (“after that”) provides the sequencing.
You can add time/aspect markers if needed: tadi, kemarin, sudah, telah.
- Setelah itu, dia sudah meminjam gunting. (emphasizes completion)

Can the subject of untuk memotong be different from dia? Could I say untuk dia memotong?

With untuk + verb, the understood subject is usually the same as the main clause subject.
If the subject differs, use a full clause: agar/supaya + clause.
- Dia meminjam gunting agar temannya bisa memotong kertas. = He borrowed scissors so that his friend could cut the paper.
untuk dia memotong is possible but less natural than using agar/supaya.

Can I move Setelah itu to the end or middle of the sentence?

Dia meminjam gunting setelah itu. is grammatical but a bit awkward in narrative flow.
In storytelling or instructions, Setelah itu is typically placed at the beginning for clarity.

How would this sound in everyday casual speech?

Abis itu, dia pinjam gunting buat motong kertas presentasi.
Terus dia pinjam gunting buat motong kertas presentasi. Both are natural in informal contexts.

How do I mark definiteness or possession on kertas presentasi?

kertas presentasi itu = that/the presentation paper (definite).
kertas presentasinya can mean “the presentation paper” (definite) or “his/her presentation paper” (possessive), depending on context.
Clear possession: kertas presentasi saya/dia (my/his-her presentation paper).

If I want to say “he was lent a pair of scissors,” how can I express that?

Dia dipinjami (sepasang) gunting. = He was lent a pair of scissors. (recipient-focused passive)
Dia dipinjamkan sepasang gunting. = He was lent a pair of scissors. (also acceptable)
More explicit agent: Dia dipinjami gunting oleh temannya. = He was lent scissors by his friend.

What’s the difference between memotong, memotongkan, and memotongi?

memotong = to cut (a single act/object).
memotongkan = to cut something for someone (benefactive).
- Dia memotongkan kertas untuk adiknya. = He cut the paper for his younger sibling.
memotongi = to cut multiple parts/pieces or multiple items.
- Dia memotongi kertas itu menjadi beberapa bagian. = He cut the paper into several pieces.

Where do I put dari to show who it was borrowed from?

Place it after the object: Dia meminjam gunting dari temannya. = He borrowed scissors from his friend.