Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Dalam kompetisi debat, juri meminta presentasi ringkas. - In the debate competition, the judges ask for a concise presentation.

dalam is used for contexts, situations, time frames, or abstract “within”
e.g. dalam rapat (in a meeting), dalam hidupnya (in his/her life).
di is used for physical places
e.g. di sekolah (at school), di meja (on the table).

You could say di kompetisi debat, but dalam kompetisi debat sounds a bit more like “within the framework of the competition,” so it fits written / formal style well.

Why is it kompetisi debat and not debat kompetisi?

In Indonesian, when you combine two nouns, the main noun usually comes first, then the noun that describes or specifies it:

kompetisi debat = a competition (main noun) of debate (modifier)
→ debate competition
lomba renang = competition of swimming
→ swimming competition
perang dunia = war of the world
→ world war

So:

kompetisi is the head (“competition”),
debat explains what kind of competition.

Debat kompetisi would sound wrong or confusing; it would be like saying “competition debate” instead of “debate competition.”

Can I say lomba debat instead of kompetisi debat? Is there a difference?

Yes, lomba debat is also natural and common.

Nuance:

kompetisi debat – slightly more formal / technical, feels closer to the English loanword competition.
lomba debat – very common in everyday Indonesian, schools, local events; still perfectly fine in serious contexts.

In many situations they’re interchangeable. If you’re talking about a school or university debate event, both kompetisi debat and lomba debat sound normal.

How can I tell whether juri is singular or plural, and where is “the” or “a”?

Indonesian does not use articles like “the” or “a/an”, and many nouns don’t show plural unless you mark it.

So juri by itself can mean:

a judge
the judge
judges
the judges

You get the exact meaning from context, or you make it explicit:

seorang juri = a judge (one judge)
para juri = (the) judges (emphasizes plural people)
dewan juri = the panel of judges

In this sentence, juri is most naturally understood as “the judge(s)” involved in that competition.

Why is it meminta and not just minta? What’s the difference?

Both meminta and minta come from the same root minta (“to ask for / to request”).

meminta is the standard, more formal form.
e.g. Juri meminta presentasi ringkas.
minta on its own is more casual / spoken.
e.g. Juri minta presentasi yang ringkas.

Grammatically, both can take an object:

meminta bantuan (ask for help)
minta bantuan (ask for help)

In written or formal contexts (like describing a competition), meminta sounds more appropriate.

What exactly does juri meminta presentasi ringkas mean? Are they asking “for” something or “to do” something?

Literally, juri meminta presentasi ringkas means:

“the judge(s) request a concise presentation.”

The verb meminta (“to request / to ask for”) takes an object:

meminta presentasi ringkas = ask for a concise presentation.

Depending on context, this can imply:

They want the whole presentation itself to be concise, or
They are telling the participants to present concisely.

If you want to make the “ask [someone] to do [something]” structure very explicit, you could say:

Juri meminta peserta untuk memberikan presentasi yang ringkas.
“The judges asked the participants to give a concise presentation.”

Why is it presentasi ringkas and not ringkas presentasi?

In Indonesian, adjectives usually come after the noun they modify:

presentasi ringkas = concise presentation
rumah besar = big house
buku baru = new book

So it’s:

noun + adjective → presentasi ringkas

Putting the adjective first (ringkas presentasi) is ungrammatical in standard Indonesian (except for a few special adjectives like mantan, para, etc., which behave differently, e.g. mantan presiden).

What is the difference between ringkas, singkat, and pendek?

All three can relate to “short,” but with different nuances:

ringkas = concise / compact but complete
Focus on no unnecessary details, efficient wording.
- presentasi ringkas = concise presentation (compact yet complete).
singkat = short (in duration or length)
Focus on how long something is.
- pidato singkat = a short speech (not long in time).
pendek = short (physical length or height)
Used for physical measures:
- rok pendek = a short skirt
- orang pendek = a short person

For a presentation, both ringkas and singkat are possible, but:

presentasi ringkas emphasizes conciseness, no extra fluff.
presentasi singkat emphasizes short time / short length.

Can I move dalam kompetisi debat to the end of the sentence, and does the comma matter?

Yes, you can move it:

Dalam kompetisi debat, juri meminta presentasi ringkas.
Juri meminta presentasi ringkas dalam kompetisi debat.

Both are grammatically correct.

Differences:

At the beginning, dalam kompetisi debat sets the context first (“In a debate competition, …”). This sounds natural in written explanation.
At the end, it can sometimes sound more like it’s specifying where that presentation is given (“asked for a concise presentation in the debate competition”), but in most contexts the meaning is still clear.

About the comma:

A comma after a short initial phrase like Dalam kompetisi debat is optional but common in writing.
Without a comma, it’s still correct: Dalam kompetisi debat juri meminta presentasi ringkas.

What is the difference between presentasi ringkas and ringkasan presentasi?

They mean different things:

presentasi ringkas = a concise presentation
→ the presentation itself is given briefly and efficiently.
ringkasan presentasi = a summary of the presentation
→ a summary (ringkasan) about the presentation; not the full presentation, just a shorter description of it.

So:

If the judges want the way the participants present to be concise, you say presentasi ringkas.
If they want a written or spoken summary of a presentation, you say ringkasan presentasi.

Are the words in this sentence formal, informal, or neutral in tone?

Most of the words are neutral to formal and fit well in academic or official contexts:

dalam – neutral
kompetisi – a bit formal/technical (loanword), but common
debat – neutral/formal
juri – neutral (common in contests, competitions)
meminta – neutral/formal; more formal than minta
presentasi – neutral/formal (loan from “presentation”)
ringkas – slightly formal word for “concise”

Overall, the sentence sounds natural in written Indonesian and is appropriate for describing an official or school/university debate competition.