Saya menyimpan helm di dekat pintu supaya tidak lupa memakainya setiap kali berkendara.

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Questions & Answers about Saya menyimpan helm di dekat pintu supaya tidak lupa memakainya setiap kali berkendara.

Why is saya used here? Could I also say aku?

Both saya and aku mean I / me, but they differ in formality and context.

  • saya

    • More formal and neutral.
    • Safe for talking to strangers, in the workplace, or in writing.
    • Works in almost any situation.
  • aku

    • Informal and more intimate.
    • Used with friends, close family, people your own age.
    • Sounds casual or even childish in some contexts.

So you could say Aku menyimpan helm… with friends or in a casual setting.
In a textbook or neutral written Indonesian, saya is the better choice.


What is the nuance of menyimpan here? Why not menaruh or meletakkan?

All three can be translated as to put (something) somewhere, but there are nuances:

  • menyimpan

    • Basic idea: to keep / to store / to put away (for later use).
    • Often suggests intention: you put it there on purpose, to keep it safe or easy to find.
    • Fits nicely with the idea: put the helmet near the door so you won’t forget it.
  • menaruh

    • More general to put / place (something).
    • Focuses less on long-term “keeping” and more on just placing it somewhere.
    • Saya menaruh helm di dekat pintu is correct, just a bit more neutral.
  • meletakkan

    • Similar to menaruh, slightly more formal or descriptive.
    • Often used when you focus on the act of putting something down.

In this sentence, menyimpan emphasizes that the speaker stores/keeps the helmet there as a habit and for a reason (not to forget it).


Is helm just the Indonesian version of the English word helmet? Is there any difference?

Yes, helm is a loanword from Dutch/German/English, and it means helmet.

  • helm
    • Everyday word for a motorcycle helmet or similar.
    • Saya memakai helm = I wear a helmet.

There’s no separate common word like helmet vs hard hat here; helm is used broadly for protective helmets (motorcycle helmet, bicycle helmet, construction helmet, etc.), and context clarifies the type.


Why do we say di dekat pintu and not just dekat pintu or di pintu?
  • di dekat pintu = near/close to the door

    • di = at / in / on
    • dekat = near
    • Together they mean “in the area near the door.”
  • dekat pintu

    • Often understood, especially in speech, but grammatically more complete as di dekat pintu.
    • On its own, dekat pintu can sound slightly elliptical in careful written Indonesian.
  • di pintu

    • Means at the door / by the door (more literally at the door’s location).
    • This could suggest it’s right at the door, maybe even hanging on the door or just next to it.

In your sentence, di dekat pintu is natural because it expresses a general location near the door, not necessarily right on it.


What is the function of supaya here? Is it the same as agar or biar?

supaya introduces a purpose or intended result. It can be translated as:

  • so that, in order that, so (that)

In the sentence, supaya tidak lupa memakainya = so that I don’t forget to wear it.

Comparison:

  • supaya

    • Neutral, very common in speech and writing.
  • agar

    • Synonym of supaya, but sounds a bit more formal or bookish.
    • You could say …agar tidak lupa memakainya with almost the same nuance.
  • biar

    • Colloquial version; more casual.
    • …biar tidak lupa memakainya sounds friendly and informal.

All three can work here; the original supaya is a good neutral choice.


Why is it tidak lupa memakainya and not tidak lupa untuk memakainya? Is untuk optional?

Yes, untuk is optional after lupa in this kind of structure.

  • tidak lupa memakainya

    • Literally: not forget to wear it.
    • Very natural and common.
  • tidak lupa untuk memakainya

    • Also correct.
    • untuk roughly corresponds to to or in order to, but in many verb + verb patterns in Indonesian, untuk can be omitted.

With lupa (to forget), both patterns are common:

  • Saya lupa membawa dompet.
  • Saya lupa untuk membawa dompet.

Meaning is the same; with lupa, leaving out untuk is very normal and may sound a little more natural and fluent in speech.


What does the -nya in memakainya refer to, and why is it attached to the verb?

The -nya is a clitic pronoun that usually means his/her/its/their or it. Here, it means it, referring back to helm.

  • memakai = to wear / to use
  • memakai
    • nya = memakainya = to wear it

In Indonesian, object pronouns often attach to the end of the verb:

  • membacanya = read it
  • melihatnya = see it
  • membelinya = buy it

You could also say:

  • supaya tidak lupa memakai helm = so I don’t forget to wear a/the helmet
  • supaya tidak lupa memakai helm itu = so I don’t forget to wear that helmet

But memakainya is the most compact and natural because helm has already been mentioned in the same sentence.


What is the difference between setiap kali, setiap, and tiap kali?

All involve the idea of every time / each:

  • setiap kali

    • Literally every time.
    • setiap kali berkendara = every time (I) drive/ride.
    • Very clear and natural.
  • setiap

    • Means each / every.
    • You’d usually pair it with a noun: setiap hari (every day), setiap minggu (every week).
    • You can also say setiap berkendara, but setiap kali berkendara sounds more explicit and is very common.
  • tiap kali

    • Colloquial variant of setiap kali.
    • tiap is a shorter, more casual form of setiap.
    • tiap kali berkendara = setiap kali berkendara in meaning, just slightly more informal.

In the original, setiap kali is a clear, neutral choice.


What exactly does berkendara mean? How is it different from mengemudi or naik motor / naik mobil?
  • berkendara

    • From kendaraan (vehicle).
    • Means to drive/ride a vehicle in general.
    • Intransitive: you just berkendara, you don’t say berkendara mobil.
  • mengemudi

    • Means to drive (actively operating the vehicle).
    • Typically used for cars, etc.: mengemudi mobil.
  • naik motor / naik mobil

    • Literally to ride a motorbike / to ride a car (to go by motorbike/car).
    • Focuses on using that vehicle as transportation, not necessarily on who is driving.
    • Saya naik motor can mean “I go by motorbike” (I might be the driver or the passenger, context decides).

In this sentence, berkendara is general:
…setiap kali berkendara = every time I use a vehicle (drive/ride), presumably for transportation, often understood as driving/riding a motorbike or car.


Why do we say menyimpan helm, not menyimpan sebuah helm? Where is the equivalent of a / the?

Indonesian does not have dedicated articles like a / an / the.

  • helm can mean a helmet, the helmet, or helmets depending on context.

You only add something if you specifically need to highlight number or definiteness:

  • sebuah helm = a single helmet (one helmet, countable, often for emphasis or contrast).
  • helm itu = that (specific) helmet / the helmet (you and the listener both know which one).

In your sentence, context already makes it clear: it’s my usual helmet. So menyimpan helm is natural and sufficient; adding sebuah would sound unnecessary or a bit too explicit.


What does the me- prefix do in menyimpan and memakai, and what about ber- in berkendara?
  • me- (with different assimilated forms like men-, mem-, etc.)
    • Common verbal prefix.
    • Typically marks an active verb.
    • simpan (root) → menyimpan (to keep/store)
      • me- becomes meny- before s (a regular sound change).
    • pakai (root) → memakai (to wear/use)
      • me- becomes mem- before p.

In everyday Indonesian, you rarely use the bare root simpan as a finite verb in a full sentence; you use the me- form:

  • Saya menyimpan uang di bank.

  • ber-

    • Another verbal prefix, often meaning to do / to be engaged in / to have something.
    • With kendara(an) it forms berkendara = to ride/drive a vehicle.
    • You don’t typically use kendara by itself as a free root.

So, these prefixes are how Indonesian builds most active verbs from roots.


Could I drop saya and just say Menyimpan helm di dekat pintu supaya tidak lupa memakainya…?

In informal spoken Indonesian, subjects are often dropped when context is clear.

  • Menyimpan helm di dekat pintu supaya tidak lupa memakainya setiap kali berkendara.

This can sound like:

  • A general instruction (like a tip or advice) = (You should) Keep the helmet near the door so you don’t forget…
  • Or a note about one’s own habit, if the context is clear that you’re talking about yourself.

However, in neutral or written Indonesian, especially in a textbook example, it is clearer and more standard to include saya.


What is the overall tone/register of this sentence? Is it formal, casual, or something in between?

The sentence is neutral and polite, suitable for:

  • Everyday conversation in a polite context.
  • Written explanations, textbooks, or general advice.

Features that contribute to this neutral register:

  • saya instead of aku (more neutral/formal).
  • supaya instead of biar (less colloquial).
  • Standard vocabulary (menyimpan, berkendara) without slang.

If you wanted a more casual version for chatting with friends, it might look like:

  • Aku taruh helm di dekat pintu biar nggak lupa makainya tiap kali naik motor.

The given sentence sits comfortably in standard, neutral Indonesian.