Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Juri memberi komentar singkat setelah pertandingan. - The judges give a brief comment after the match.

Indonesian does not use articles like a, an, or the. Nouns such as juri and komentar stand alone, and context tells you whether they are definite or indefinite.

To make things more specific, Indonesian uses other words instead of articles, for example:

seorang juri = a judge / one judge
juri itu = that/the judge
komentar itu = that/the comment

But in many cases, like this sentence, you simply say juri and komentar without any article.

What does juri mean here, and is it singular or plural?

Juri usually refers to a judge in a contest or competition, or sometimes a panel of judges.

In this sentence, juri could mean:

the judge (one person), or
the judges (a group), depending on context.

Indonesian does not mark plural on nouns by default. If you want to be clear:

seorang juri = one judge
para juri = the judges (as a group)
dewan juri = the panel of judges

This sentence alone does not say whether it’s one judge or several.

What is the root form of memberi, and how is this verb formed?

The root verb is beri, which means to give.

memberi = meN- prefix + beri
The meN- prefix is a common verb-forming prefix. With beri, it becomes memberi, which:

is an active transitive verb, and
usually has the pattern:
memberi [something] (kepada) [someone]

In this sentence, memberi komentar = to give a comment.

Can we use memberikan instead of memberi here? What’s the difference?

Yes, you can also say:

Juri memberikan komentar singkat setelah pertandingan.

In many everyday contexts, memberi and memberikan are interchangeable, especially with abstract objects like komentar.

Nuance (not very strong in this sentence):

memberi tends to focus slightly more on the receiver (give [something] to [someone]).
memberikan tends to focus slightly more on the object being given.

But for memberi/memberikan komentar, both are very common and natural.

Why is singkat placed after komentar? Can it go before the noun?

In Indonesian, adjectives normally come after the noun:

komentar singkat = short comment
rumah besar = big house
baju baru = new clothes

Putting the adjective before the noun (singkat komentar) is not normal Indonesian and would sound wrong in this structure.

You can, however, make a different sentence with a different structure:

Komentar itu singkat. = The comment is short.

There, singkat comes after the copula (implicit adalah) and functions as a predicate, not as a modifier in a noun phrase.

How do we know the tense of memberi here? Could it mean “gives” or “will give”?

Indonesian verbs do not change form for tense. memberi can mean gave, gives, or will give, depending on context.

Here, setelah pertandingan (“after the match”) suggests a time sequence. Common interpretations:

The judge gave a short comment after the match. (a past event)
Or in a more general description: The judge gives a short comment after the match. (habitual)

To mark time more clearly, Indonesian uses time words:

Past: tadi, kemarin, sudah, telah
- Juri sudah memberi komentar singkat setelah pertandingan.
Future: nanti, akan, besok
- Juri akan memberi komentar singkat setelah pertandingan.

What is the difference between setelah, sesudah, and habis? Can we replace setelah?

All three relate to “after,” but with slightly different flavors:

setelah – neutral, common in both spoken and written Indonesian.
- setelah pertandingan = after the match
sesudah – essentially a synonym of setelah; also common, maybe slightly more formal in some ears, but both are acceptable.
- sesudah pertandingan = after the match
habis – more colloquial, literally “finished/used up,” and often used as “when X is over.”
- habis pertandingan = after the match / when the match is over (more casual)

You can replace setelah with sesudah:

Juri memberi komentar singkat sesudah pertandingan.

Using habis is okay in casual speech:

Habis pertandingan, juri memberi komentar singkat.

Why is pertandingan used here? How is it different from permainan or lomba?

pertandingan comes from tanding (to compete in a match) and usually refers to a sports match or contest between two sides:

pertandingan sepak bola = a football match
pertandingan tinju = a boxing match

Other related words:

permainan = game/play, more general. Can be a game that is not a formal competition.
- permainan anak-anak = children’s game
lomba = competition/contest (can be sports, singing, writing, etc.), not necessarily a “match” between two teams.
- lomba menyanyi = singing contest

In a sports context where English would say match, pertandingan is the natural choice.

Can we move setelah pertandingan to the beginning of the sentence? Does it change the meaning?

Yes, you can:

Setelah pertandingan, juri memberi komentar singkat.

The meaning stays the same. Indonesian allows time/place phrases to move around quite freely:

Juri memberi komentar singkat setelah pertandingan.
Setelah pertandingan, juri memberi komentar singkat.

Both are correct. A comma after Setelah pertandingan is common in writing but not strictly required.

If there were several judges, how would we say “The judges gave short comments”?

Several natural options:

Para juri memberi komentar singkat setelah pertandingan.
- para juri = the judges (as a group)
To emphasize that each gave their own comment, you can make both nouns plural (still optional):
- Para juri memberikan komentar-komentar singkat setelah pertandingan.

You could also say juri-juri, but for professional roles like judges, para juri is more idiomatic.

Is there a passive version of this sentence? How would we say “A short comment was given by the judge after the match”?

Yes, a common passive version is:

Komentar singkat diberikan (oleh) juri setelah pertandingan.

Notes:

diberikan = passive form of memberikan (di- + berikan).
oleh = by (the agent). Often dropped in spoken Indonesian when the agent is clear:
- Komentar singkat diberikan juri setelah pertandingan.

You can also move the time phrase:

Setelah pertandingan, komentar singkat diberikan juri.

All mean roughly “A short comment was given by the judge after the match.”

What’s the difference between singkat, pendek, and ringkas when talking about comments or speeches?

All can relate to “short,” but they have different nuances:

singkat – short in duration/length; neutral and very common for speech, comments, explanations.
- komentar singkat, pidato singkat
pendek – literally short in length/height (physical or measurable). Can be used for time/speech, but more basic/physical in feel.
- cerita pendek (short story – fixed term)
- jawaban pendek (a short answer)
ringkas – concise, compact, without unnecessary detail. It implies not only short, but to the point.
- penjelasan ringkas = concise explanation
- laporan singkat dan ringkas = short and concise report

In this sentence, komentar singkat is the most natural; komentar ringkas is also possible if you want to emphasize “concise.”