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Setiap malam, saya mematikan bel pintu agar tidur keluarga tidak terganggu.

Setiap malam, saya mematikan bel pintu agar tidur keluarga tidak terganggu.
Every night, I turn off the doorbell so the family’s sleep is not disturbed.
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Questions & Answers about Setiap malam, saya mematikan bel pintu agar tidur keluarga tidak terganggu.

What does setiap malam mean exactly, and is it the same as tiap malam?

Setiap means every.
So setiap malam = every night.

You can almost always replace setiap with tiap:

  • setiap malam ≈ tiap malam = every night

Nuance:

  • setiap is slightly more formal and common in writing.
  • tiap is a bit more casual and very common in speech.

Both are correct here:
Setiap malam, saya mematikan bel pintu…
Tiap malam, saya mematikan bel pintu…

What is going on with the verb mematikan? How is it related to mati?

The base word is mati = dead / to die / off.

mematikan is formed by adding the prefix meN- and suffix -kan:

  • mati → mematikan = to turn off / to switch off / to make something dead/off

So:

  • mati: can be an adjective (dead) or verb (to die)
  • mematikan TV: to turn off the TV
  • mematikan lampu: to turn off the light
  • mematikan bel pintu: to turn off / deactivate the doorbell

The -kan here makes it causative: you cause something to become mati (off).

Why is it bel pintu and not pintu bel? How do these noun combinations work?

In Indonesian, the typical order is:

main noun + modifier

So:

  • bel pintu = door bell (literally: bell [of the] door)
  • kartu kredit = credit card (card of credit)
  • nomor telepon = telephone number

pintu bel would sound wrong, like saying “door of the bell”.

You could also just say bel if the context is clear, but bel pintu is more specific and natural here.

What does agar mean here, and how is it different from supaya or untuk?

agar is a conjunction meaning so that / in order that.

In the sentence:

  • agar tidur keluarga tidak terganggu
    = so that the family’s sleep is not disturbed

Comparison:

  • agar and supaya

    • Very similar; both mean so that / in order that.
    • agar feels a bit more formal or written.
    • supaya is very common in speech.
    • You can safely say:
      Setiap malam, saya mematikan bel pintu supaya tidur keluarga tidak terganggu.

  • untuk

    • Literally for / to, more like for the purpose of.
    • Usually followed by a verb in base form:
      • untuk tidur = to sleep
      • untuk menjaga tidur keluarga = to protect the family’s sleep
    • You wouldn’t normally say untuk tidur keluarga tidak terganggu. Instead you’d restructure it.

So in this exact structure (… agar … tidak terganggu), agar or supaya is the natural choice.

Is tidur here a verb (“to sleep”) or a noun (“sleep”)?

Here, tidur is functioning as a noun: sleep.

  • tidur keluarga = the family’s sleep

Indonesian often uses verb-like words as nouns without changing the form:

  • makan = to eat / eating / a meal
    • waktu makan = mealtime
  • tidur = to sleep / sleep
    • waktu tidur = bedtime
    • tidur siang = a nap / midday sleep

So in agar tidur keluarga tidak terganggu, tidur is more like sleep than to sleep.

Why is it tidur keluarga and not keluarga tidur or tidur keluarga saya?

Word order:

  • tidur keluarga = the family’s sleep
    • tidur (sleep) = main noun
    • keluarga (family) = modifier/possessor
      Pattern: main noun + owner/modifier

If you said keluarga tidur, that would mean:

  • keluarga = subject (family)
  • tidur = verb (sleeps/is sleeping)

which is a completely different structure: the family sleeps.

About possession:

  • tidur keluarga already implies our/the family’s sleep from context.
  • You can say tidur keluarga saya = my family’s sleep, but in many real-life sentences the possessive (saya / kami) is dropped when it’s obvious from context.
  • Here, keluarga can be understood as my family.

So:

  • tidur keluarga = the family’s sleep (natural, concise)
  • tidur keluarga saya = my family’s sleep (more explicit)

Both are grammatically fine.

What does terganggu mean, and how is it related to mengganggu?

Base word: ganggu = to disturb / bother.

From that:

  • mengganggu = to disturb (something/someone)
    • Active voice:
      • Suara itu mengganggu saya. = That sound disturbs/bothers me.
  • terganggu = disturbed / bothered (state or passive-like)
    • Often means in a state of being disturbed:
      • Tidur saya terganggu. = My sleep is disturbed.

In the sentence:

  • tidak terganggu = not disturbed

So the structure is:

  • tidur keluarga (the family’s sleep)
  • tidak terganggu (is not disturbed)

ter- here gives a kind of stative or passive meaning: the state of having been affected.

Why is it agar tidur keluarga tidak terganggu and not something like agar keluarga tidak terganggu tidurnya?

Both are valid, but they highlight different things.

  1. agar tidur keluarga tidak terganggu

    • Literal: so that the family’s sleep is not disturbed
    • Subject: tidur keluarga (the family’s sleep)
    • Predicate: tidak terganggu (is not disturbed)
      → Focuses on sleep as the thing being protected.

  2. agar keluarga tidak terganggu tidurnya

    • Literal: so that the family is not disturbed in their sleep
    • Subject: keluarga (the family)
    • Predicate: tidak terganggu tidurnya (is not disturbed in their sleep)
      → Focuses on the family as the one being protected.

Both are grammatical and natural; the original simply chooses to treat sleep (tidur keluarga) as the subject.

Can I use supaya instead of agar here without changing the meaning?

Yes.

You can say:

  • Setiap malam, saya mematikan bel pintu agar tidur keluarga tidak terganggu.
  • Setiap malam, saya mematikan bel pintu supaya tidur keluarga tidak terganggu.

The meaning is effectively the same: so that the family’s sleep is not disturbed.

Nuance:

  • agar: a bit more formal/written.
  • supaya: very common in spoken Indonesian, slightly more casual.

In everyday conversation, supaya might even be more frequent.

Is the comma after Setiap malam necessary?

It’s optional but recommended.

Setiap malam is a fronted time expression (a time adverb at the beginning). In Indonesian writing:

  • With comma (more standard):
    Setiap malam, saya mematikan bel pintu…
  • Without comma (very common in informal writing):
    Setiap malam saya mematikan bel pintu…

Both are acceptable, especially in informal contexts. In more careful or formal writing, the comma is preferred.

Can I drop saya and just say Setiap malam, mematikan bel pintu agar…?

Normally, no. You need a clear subject here.

Indonesian can drop the subject when it’s very obvious from context, but:

  • Setiap malam, mematikan bel pintu agar tidur keluarga tidak terganggu.

sounds incomplete or like a sentence fragment. It makes the reader think: “Who turns off the doorbell?”

Better options:

  • Setiap malam, saya mematikan bel pintu… (most natural)
  • If the subject is we, and context is clear, you could use:
    • Setiap malam, kami mematikan bel pintu…

Subject omission is much more natural in imperatives or follow-up sentences, e.g.:

  • Tolong matikan bel pintu agar tidur keluarga tidak terganggu.
    (Here the subject is understood as you.)
Can I use aku instead of saya here? What would change?

Grammatically, yes:

  • Setiap malam, aku mematikan bel pintu agar tidur keluarga tidak terganggu.

Difference is in formality and relationship:

  • saya

    • Polite, neutral, standard.
    • Used in most formal and semi-formal situations, and also fine in many casual ones.

  • aku

    • More intimate/casual.
    • Used with friends, family, or people of same/lower status in informal settings.

In a textbook or neutral written example, saya is the default choice. In a casual story where the speaker is talking to a close friend, aku could sound more natural.

What is the basic structure of agar tidur keluarga tidak terganggu?

You can break it down like this:

  • agar = so that / in order that
  • tidur keluarga = the family’s sleep (subject)
    • tidur (sleep) = main noun
    • keluarga (family) = modifier/possessor
  • tidak = not
  • terganggu = disturbed

So the pattern is:

agar + [subject] + tidak + [stative/predicate]
agar + tidur keluarga + tidak + terganggu

Rough English structure:

so that + the family’s sleep + is not + disturbed

This [noun] + tidak + [stative verb] pattern is very common in Indonesian:

  • pintu tidak tertutup = the door is not closed
  • makanan tidak terbuang = the food is not wasted
  • rencana kami tidak terganggu = our plan is not disturbed/interrupted