Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Materi presentasi itu dibagi menjadi tiga bagian. - That presentation material is divided into three parts.

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.

What’s the difference between dibagi, terbagi, and dibagikan?

dibagi: passive of “divide/split.” Focus on the action. Example: Kue itu dibagi menjadi delapan.
terbagi: “is (already) divided,” more stative/classificatory or unintentional. Example: Negara ini terbagi menjadi 34 provinsi.
dibagikan: passive of “distribute (to recipients).” Example: Handout dibagikan kepada peserta. Don’t use dibagikan when you mean “split into parts,” use dibagi.

Is dibagi one word or two? What’s the rule with di-?

It’s one word. di- as a passive verb prefix attaches to the verb (e.g., dibagi, ditulis). The separate word di is a preposition meaning “at/in/on” (e.g., di rumah, di kantor). Never write di bagi for the passive.

What does menjadi do here? Could I use something else?

Here menjadi means “into,” marking the result of the division: “divided into three parts.” Natural alternatives:

dibagi ke dalam tiga bagian
dibagi dalam tiga bagian
More formal: dibagi atas tiga bagian All are acceptable; menjadi is very common.

Is dibagi ke tiga bagian correct?

It’s heard, but the more standard forms are dibagi menjadi tiga bagian or dibagi ke dalam tiga bagian. Using ke alone can sound less careful.

Why isn’t it bagian-bagian after a number?

Numbers already imply plurality, so no reduplication is needed: tiga bagian, not tiga bagian-bagian. Reduplication can add the sense of “various/many parts” without a number: bagian-bagian kecil (“various small parts”).

What’s the difference between bagian, bab, and sesi?

bagian = part/section (general term). Good for dividing content into parts.
bab = chapter (in books, formal documents).
sesi = session (a time slot in an event). So a presentation might have tiga bagian, a book has beberapa bab, and a conference has banyak sesi.

Is there any tense here? How do I show past or future?

Indonesian verbs don’t change for tense. Context or time words do the job:

Past: Materi presentasi itu sudah dibagi… / kemarin dibagi…
Future: …akan dibagi… / besok dibagi…

Could I say Materi presentasi itu menjadi tiga bagian without dibagi?

That would mean “the material becomes/turns into three parts,” which sounds odd without the idea of an agent or action. If you mean a static description, use terdiri dari (“consists of”): Materi presentasi itu terdiri dari tiga bagian.

What’s the nuance difference between terdiri dari and dibagi menjadi?

terdiri dari describes composition/state: “consists of.”
dibagi menjadi describes an action or result of dividing. If you’re describing how it’s organized (not the act of dividing), terdiri dari is often better.

Does materi presentasi mean the same as bahan presentasi?

Not exactly:

materi presentasi = the content/topics of a presentation (slides’ substance).
bahan presentasi = materials/resources for a presentation (files, handouts, assets). Both are common; choose based on whether you mean “content” vs “resources.”

Can I replace itu with -nya (e.g., materi presentasinya)? Any difference?

Yes: Materi presentasinya dibagi… is natural. -nya can mark definiteness (“the”) or possession (“its”). Context decides. If you mean “that previously mentioned material,” both itu and -nya work; -nya often feels smoother and less deictic than itu.

How do I pronounce the sentence?

materi: ma-TE-ri
presentasi: pre-zen-TA-si (z as in “zoo”)
itu: EE-tu
dibagi: di-BA-gi (g as in “go”)
menjadi: men-JA-di (j as in “jam”)
tiga: TI-ga
bagian: ba-GI-an (the “gi” is hard g; “an” is like “ahn”)