Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Tidak ada yang menolak jika sesi diperpanjang sejenak. - No one refuses if the session is extended for a moment.

ada often means there is / there are.
yang introduces a descriptive clause, like who/that in English.
The noun (orang = person/people) is understood, not stated:
- tidak ada [orang] yang menolak
  = there is no person who refuses.

This tidak ada yang + verb pattern is very common and natural in Indonesian to say no one does X or no X does Y (depending on context).

Why do we need yang in tidak ada yang menolak? Why not just tidak ada menolak?

Without yang, the sentence becomes ungrammatical.

yang links ada to a clause that describes the (implicit) noun.
Think of it as there is no [one] who refuses:
- tidak ada [orang] yang menolak

You cannot say tidak ada menolak because:

ada expects a thing/person that exists.
menolak is a verb; you can’t attach it directly to ada without yang.

Compare:

Ada yang menolak.
= Someone refuses / There is someone who refuses.
Tidak ada yang menolak.
= No one refuses.

So yang is essential to connect ada to the verb phrase menolak.

What exactly does menolak mean, and why is there no object after it here?

Menolak means:

to refuse
to reject
to object (to something)

It is normally a transitive verb (it takes an object):

menolak tawaran = to refuse an offer
menolak undangan = to decline an invitation
menolak usulan = to reject a proposal

In tidak ada yang menolak jika sesi diperpanjang sejenak, the object is understood from context:

The thing being refused is the extension of the session.
Indonesian often omits objects when they’re obvious from context.

You could make the object explicit, but it’s not necessary:

Tidak ada yang menolak usulan untuk memperpanjang sesi sejenak.
= No one would reject the proposal to extend the session a bit.

In normal speech, the shorter version without an explicit object is very natural.

Why is jika used here? What’s the difference between jika and kalau?

Jika and kalau both often mean if, but they differ in tone:

jika
- More formal, neutral, written style.
- Common in speeches, writing, official contexts.
kalau
- More informal, everyday spoken Indonesian.
- Extremely common in conversation.

In your sentence:

Tidak ada yang menolak jika sesi diperpanjang sejenak.
sounds slightly more formal or neutral.

You could also say:

Tidak ada yang menolak kalau sesi diperpanjang sejenak.

This is perfectly correct and sounds more conversational. The meaning is the same; it’s mainly a difference in register (formality).

English uses “would” in the translation (no one would object), but there is no word like akan here. How is that “would” meaning expressed in Indonesian?

Indonesian often does not mark conditional or hypothetical meanings with a separate word like would.

The conditional sense comes from:

the jika/kalau clause (the if part), and
context.

In:

Tidak ada yang menolak jika sesi diperpanjang sejenak.

the structure itself already implies:

If the session were extended a bit, no one would object.

You could add akan:

Tidak ada yang akan menolak jika sesi diperpanjang sejenak.

This is also correct and a bit more explicit, but native speakers are very comfortable omitting akan because the condition (jika) already signals the hypothetical nature.

So:

Indonesian: no akan required.
English: needs would to sound natural.

What is sesi? Is it just “session” borrowed from English, and is it natural to use it?

Yes, sesi is a direct loanword from English session.

Usage:

Very common and natural in contexts like:
- meetings, seminars, workshops
  - sesi tanya jawab = Q&A session
  - sesi pertama = first session
- events, training, conferences

Alternative words depend on context:

rapat = meeting (typically formal, office, organizational)
pertemuan = meeting, gathering (more general)
sidang = formal session, court session, parliamentary session

In many modern, especially professional or academic contexts, sesi is completely normal:

Jika sesi diperpanjang sejenak fits well in a seminar/meeting context.

How is diperpanjang formed, and what kind of verb is it?

Diperpanjang is a passive verb form.

Breakdown:

Root: panjang = long
Active causative: memperpanjang = to make long / to extend
Passive form of memperpanjang: diperpanjang = to be extended

So:

memperpanjang sesi = to extend the session
sesi diperpanjang = the session is extended / is being extended

The di- prefix marks a passive, where:

the thing affected (here sesi) becomes the subject,
and the doer is either omitted or added with oleh:
- Sesi diperpanjang oleh panitia.
  = The session is extended by the committee.

In your sentence, the doer is not mentioned, which is very normal when it’s obvious or unimportant.

Could we say memperpanjang sesi instead of sesi diperpanjang? What’s the difference?

Yes, but it changes the voice (active vs passive) and slightly the focus.

Current sentence (passive):

Tidak ada yang menolak jika sesi diperpanjang sejenak.
Focus: the session being extended.

Active version:

Tidak ada yang menolak jika kita memperpanjang sesi sejenak.
= No one would object if we extended the session a bit.

Differences:

sesi diperpanjang (passive):
- Neutral about who extends the session.
- Common in formal or neutral descriptions.
kita memperpanjang sesi (active):
- Explicitly says we are the ones extending.
- Slightly more direct and personal.

Both are correct; choice depends on whether you want to highlight the action or the actor.

What does sejenak mean exactly, and how does it compare to sebentar?

Sejenak means for a moment / for a short while.

Nuance:

Often sounds a bit more literary or formal than sebentar.
Used for relatively short durations, but not extremely precise.

Compare:

sejenak
- for a moment / briefly
- Slightly more formal or stylistic.
sebentar
- for a moment / a short while
- Very common in everyday speech:
  - Tunggu sebentar. = Wait a moment.

In your sentence, both work:

… jika sesi diperpanjang sejenak.
… jika sesi diperpanjang sebentar.

Meaning is basically the same. Sejenak just feels a bit more polished or written-style.

Can the order of the clauses be reversed, like in English: If the session is extended for a moment, no one will object?

Yes, you can reverse the order. Both are natural:

Original order:
- Tidak ada yang menolak jika sesi diperpanjang sejenak.
Reversed:
- Jika sesi diperpanjang sejenak, tidak ada yang menolak.

This is just like English:

No one would object if the session were extended a bit.
If the session were extended a bit, no one would object.

In Indonesian, both orders are common. The meaning does not change; it’s more about emphasis and flow.

Is the whole sentence more formal or informal? Would it sound natural in everyday speech?

The sentence is neutral to slightly formal because of jika and sejenak:

Tidak ada yang menolak jika sesi diperpanjang sejenak.

In everyday conversation, people might say something like:

Kayaknya nggak ada yang bakal nolak kalau sesi kita diperpanjang sebentar.

Differences:

jika → everyday kalau
sejenak → everyday sebentar
tidak → colloquial nggak / gak
add particles like kayaknya (it seems) or bakal (will).

But your original sentence is perfectly natural in a meeting, presentation, or any relatively polite context.