Breakdown of Materi presentasi itu dibagi menjadi tiga bagian.
itu
that
tiga
three
bagian
the part
materi presentasi
the presentation material
Questions & Answers about Materi presentasi itu dibagi menjadi tiga bagian.
What does itu mean here, and why is it placed after materi presentasi?
Itu is a demonstrative meaning “that” or “the (previously mentioned).” In Indonesian, demonstratives follow the noun phrase: materi presentasi itu = “that presentation material / the presentation materials (already known in context).”
Can I omit itu? How would that change the meaning?
Yes. Materi presentasi dibagi… sounds more general/indefinite, like “presentation material was divided…” Adding itu makes it definite/specific (“that/the one we’re talking about”). You could also use formal tersebut: materi presentasi tersebut.
Why is the verb passive (dibagi) instead of active?
Indonesian uses the passive prefix di- when the patient (the thing affected) is the subject. Here, the subject is the material, so dibagi (“is/was divided”) is natural. The active version would be: (Panitia) membagi materi presentasi itu menjadi tiga bagian.
How can I mention who did the dividing?
Add an agent with oleh or switch to active:
- Passive with agent: Materi presentasi itu dibagi oleh panitia menjadi tiga bagian.
- Active: Panitia membagi materi presentasi itu menjadi tiga bagian.
- Colloquial “short passive” (patient-fronting): Materi presentasi itu saya/kami bagi menjadi tiga bagian.