Guru menjelaskan grafik sederhana di papan tulis.

The teacher explains the simple graph on the board.

Breakdown of Guru menjelaskan grafik sederhana di papan tulis.

• guru: the teacher
• di: on
• sederhana: simple
• menjelaskan: to explain
• papan tulis: the board
• grafik: the graph

Questions & Answers about Guru menjelaskan grafik sederhana di papan tulis.

Why are there no words like a or the in Guru menjelaskan grafik sederhana di papan tulis?

Indonesian usually does not use articles like a/an or the. Nouns stand alone without them.

In this sentence:

• guru can mean a teacher or the teacher
• grafik sederhana can mean a simple graph or the simple graph

The context decides whether it’s specific or general. If you really need to be explicit:

• seorang guru = a teacher / one teacher (emphasizes one person)
• guru itu = that teacher / the teacher (already known)
• grafik itu = that graph / the graph

Does guru mean “teacher” in general, or a specific teacher?

It can mean both; Indonesian is flexible here.

• Guru menjelaskan grafik sederhana di papan tulis.
  → Could mean The teacher explains a simple graph on the board (in a particular classroom now)
  → Or A teacher explains a simple graph on the board (telling a story, describing a scene)

To be more specific:

• Seorang guru menjelaskan… → A teacher explains…
• Guru itu menjelaskan… → That teacher / the teacher explains…
• Para guru menjelaskan… → The teachers explain… (plural)

What exactly is going on in the verb menjelaskan? Why not just jelas?

The root is jelas = clear (an adjective).

With affixes:

• menjelaskan = to explain / to make something clear
  
  • meN-
    • jelas
      • -kan
  • pattern: meN- + adjective + -kan → to make [adjective]
  • literally: to make (something) clear

Other related forms:

• menjelas → wrong/unnatural; you need the -kan
• penjelasan = an explanation (noun)
• menjadi jelas = to become clear

So menjelaskan grafik = to explain the graph / to make the graph clear.

Why is it grafik sederhana, not sederhana grafik?

In Indonesian, adjectives usually come after the noun they describe.

• grafik = graph
• sederhana = simple

So the normal order is:

• grafik sederhana = simple graph
• rumah besar = big house
• buku baru = new book

Putting the adjective first, like sederhana grafik, is ungrammatical in standard Indonesian (except in some fixed expressions or poetic/literary style, which you don’t need to worry about yet).

What does di mean here? Why can it mean on the board and not just in/at?

di is a general location preposition in Indonesian. Depending on context, it often translates to:

• in
• at
• on

Examples:

• di rumah = at home
• di meja = on the table
• di sekolah = at school
• di papan tulis = literally at the whiteboard/blackboard, but in English we say on the board

Indonesian doesn’t split this into three different basic prepositions like English. di just marks a location; the exact English preposition is chosen based on the noun and usual usage.

Is papan tulis one word or two? And why do we need both papan and tulis?

It is written as two words: papan tulis.

• papan = board / plank
• tulis = write

Together, papan tulis is a compound noun meaning writing board, i.e. blackboard/whiteboard.

Differences:

• papan alone → just a board / plank, not necessarily for writing
• tulis alone → the verb to write or the root in words like menulis (to write), tulisan (writing)

So di papan tulis means at/on the writing board, which is naturally translated as on the board.

Can this sentence talk about past, present, or future? There’s no tense marking like in English.

Yes. Indonesian verbs do not change form for tense. Menjelaskan stays the same for past, present, and future. Context (or extra words) shows the time.

Guru menjelaskan grafik sederhana di papan tulis can mean:

• The teacher explained a simple graph on the board. (past)
• The teacher is explaining a simple graph on the board. (present)
• The teacher explains a simple graph on the board. (present, habitual)
• The teacher will explain a simple graph on the board. (future, if context makes this clear)

You can add time words to be explicit:

• tadi / kemarin / tadi pagi → past
• sekarang → now
• nanti / besok → future

How do I make it clear that the action is happening right now, like “is explaining”?

You can add the aspect marker sedang to show an ongoing action.

Most natural placement:

• Guru sedang menjelaskan grafik sederhana di papan tulis.
  → The teacher is explaining a simple graph on the board.

Other valid but less common/less neutral variations:

• Sedang, guru menjelaskan… → sounds more stylistic/emphatic
• You generally do not put sedang after the verb here.

So for everyday speech, remember:

• [Subject] sedang [Verb] [Object] [Place].

Can I change the order and say Guru menjelaskan di papan tulis grafik sederhana?

You usually should not put the place phrase between the verb and its object like that. The most natural and neutral order is:

1. Subject
2. Verb
3. Object
4. Place / time information (optional)

So:

• ✅ Guru menjelaskan grafik sederhana di papan tulis.
• ✅ Guru menjelaskan grafik sederhana di papan tulis setiap pagi.
• ✅ Pagi ini, guru menjelaskan grafik sederhana di papan tulis. (time can move to the front)

These are odd or unnatural in normal speech:

• ❌ Guru menjelaskan di papan tulis grafik sederhana.
• ❌ Guru di papan tulis menjelaskan grafik sederhana. (sounds like the teacher is located on the board)

Keep grafik sederhana together as the object, and let di papan tulis come after it.

Since menjelaskan is transitive, is it okay to drop the object and just say Guru menjelaskan di papan tulis?

Grammatically, it is possible, but it feels incomplete or vague without context.

• Guru menjelaskan di papan tulis.
  → The teacher is explaining at the board. (What is being explained? It’s not said.)

This might be acceptable if:

• the object is very obvious from context (for example, you’re looking at a specific graph or exercise)
• the focus is on the activity, not the content

But in neutral, clear sentences, native speakers usually include what’s being explained:

• Guru menjelaskan grafik di papan tulis.
• Guru menjelaskan materi pelajaran di papan tulis. (= the lesson material)

Could I say sebuah grafik sederhana instead of just grafik sederhana? What’s the difference?

Yes, you can say sebuah grafik sederhana.

• grafik sederhana = a simple graph / the simple graph (number is not emphasized)
• sebuah grafik sederhana = one simple graph / a (single) simple graph

sebuah is a general classifier/measure word for many inanimate objects, often used like a / one:

• sebuah buku = one book / a book
• sebuah rumah = one house / a house
• sebuah grafik = one graph / a graph

So:

• Guru menjelaskan grafik sederhana di papan tulis.
  → neutral; just mentions a simple graph
• Guru menjelaskan sebuah grafik sederhana di papan tulis.
  → hints that it’s one particular graph (maybe among several)

Is there any important difference between menjelaskan and verbs like menerangkan or mengajar in a sentence like this?

Yes, they are related but not identical:

• menjelaskan = to explain / make clear

  • Focus: making a specific thing clear (a graph, a concept, a rule)
  • Guru menjelaskan grafik sederhana… → The teacher explains the graph.

• menerangkan = also to explain / to clarify, very close in meaning

  • Often interchangeable with menjelaskan here:
    • Guru menerangkan grafik sederhana di papan tulis. → also natural

• mengajar = to teach

  • Broader: the whole act of teaching a subject or lesson
  • Guru mengajar matematika. → The teacher teaches math.
  • You would not normally say Guru mengajar grafik sederhana di papan tulis; that sounds like the graph itself is the subject being taught, which is unusual phrasing.

In this exact sentence, menjelaskan (or menerangkan) is the most natural verb.