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Teater kecil dekat kampus sering mementaskan naskah klasik dan genre modern secara bergantian.

Teater kecil dekat kampus sering mementaskan naskah klasik dan genre modern secara bergantian.
The small theater near campus often stages classical scripts and modern genres alternately.
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Questions & Answers about Teater kecil dekat kampus sering mementaskan naskah klasik dan genre modern secara bergantian.

Why is it teater kecil and not kecil teater, even though English says “small theater”?

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

  • teater kecil = small theater
    • teater = theater
    • kecil = small

So the pattern is:

  • Noun + Adjective
    • buku baru = new book
    • rumah besar = big house

Saying kecil teater would be wrong; it sounds like you’re starting a new phrase.

Does teater kecil mean “a small theater” or “the small theater”? There is no a/the in Indonesian.

Indonesian usually does not use articles like “a” or “the”.

teater kecil could mean:

  • a small theater (introducing it for the first time)
  • the small theater (if both speaker and listener know which one)

Definiteness is understood from context, not from a specific word like “the”. If you want to emphasize “that specific one”, you can add itu:

  • teater kecil itu = that small theater / the small theater (that one we both know)
Why is it dekat kampus and not di dekat kampus? Are both correct?

Both dekat kampus and di dekat kampus are grammatically correct, but there is a nuance:

  • dekat kampus

    • Literally “near campus”
    • Very common in speech and writing
    • dekat here functions almost like a preposition: “near”

  • di dekat kampus

    • Literally “at near campus” / “in the area near campus”
    • Sounds a bit more explicit or slightly more formal

In your sentence, Teater kecil dekat kampus… is totally natural and common. Teater kecil di dekat kampus… also works and has almost the same meaning.

Where can sering go in the sentence? Can I move it around like English “often”?

In Indonesian, sering (often) is usually placed before the verb it modifies:

  • Teater kecil dekat kampus sering mementaskan …

Other acceptable positions:

  • Teater kecil dekat kampus mementaskan … cukup sering. (… stages … quite often.)
  • Sering, teater kecil dekat kampus mementaskan … (Starting with “Often,” for emphasis / written style.)

But you cannot split sering from its verb in an awkward way like:

  • ✗ Teater kecil sering dekat kampus mementaskan … (wrong)

Safest pattern:

  • Subject + sering + Verb + (objects/adverbs)
What exactly does mementaskan mean? How is it different from just “to play” or “to show”?

mementaskan specifically means to stage / to perform something on a stage (usually a play, script, or performance piece).

Breakdown:

  • pentas = stage (as in a performance stage)
  • meN-
    • pentas
      • -kan → mementaskan = to put on stage / to stage

So:

  • mementaskan naskah klasik = to stage classical scripts/plays
  • It implies a theatrical performance, not just “showing” something in general.

By contrast:

  • memutar film = to play/show a movie
  • memainkan lagu = to play a song (on an instrument)
  • menayangkan acara = to broadcast/show a program (TV, media)
Is mementaskan a transitive verb? What is its object here?

Yes, mementaskan is transitive: it needs an object (what is being staged).

In the sentence:

  • mementaskan naskah klasik dan genre modern

The object is naskah klasik dan genre modern:

  • naskah klasik = classical scripts/plays
  • genre modern = modern genres

So the theater stages these things.

The phrase naskah klasik dan genre modern confuses me. Does klasik modify naskah and modern modify genre?

Exactly. The structure is:

  • naskah klasik = classical scripts/plays
  • genre modern = modern genres

And they are joined by dan (and):

  • naskah klasik dan genre modern
    = classical scripts and modern genres

Each noun has its own adjective:

  • naskah (script) + klasik (classical)
  • genre (genre) + modern (modern)
How do I know if naskah klasik and genre modern are singular or plural? There’s no -s.

Indonesian usually does not mark plural with an ending like -s. Number is inferred from context.

In this context—talking about what a theater often stages—it almost certainly means plural:

  • naskah klasik = classical scripts/plays (plural by context)
  • genre modern = modern genres (plural by context)

If you really want to stress plurality, you can say:

  • berbagai naskah klasik = various classical scripts
  • berbagai genre modern = various modern genres

But it’s optional; the original sentence is already natural and clear.

Is genre just an English word put into Indonesian? Is it pronounced the same?

genre is a loanword, originally from French, used both in English and Indonesian. It is standard in Indonesian now, especially in arts and literature contexts.

Pronunciation in Indonesian is usually similar to how many Indonesians say it in English, often approximated as:

  • /zhon-re/ or /jen-re/ (you’ll hear variation)

It’s written the same (genre), not italics or anything special, and is treated as a normal Indonesian noun:

  • genre modern, genre musik, genre film, etc.
What does secara bergantian literally mean, and how is it formed?

secara bergantian means alternately / in turns / alternately one after the other.

Breakdown:

  • ganti = to change/replace
  • berganti = to take turns / to change (repeatedly)
  • bergantian = in a way that alternates / by taking turns
    • ber-
      • ganti
        • -an (creates a noun-like/adverbial form)
  • secara = in a … way / in a manner

So secara bergantian literally is:

  • “in an alternating way”

It functions as an adverbial phrase modifying the verb:

  • They stage classical scripts and modern genres alternately.
Can secara bergantian be moved elsewhere in the sentence?

Yes, adverbial phrases like secara bergantian are relatively flexible. These are all acceptable:

  • Teater kecil dekat kampus sering mementaskan naskah klasik dan genre modern secara bergantian.
  • Teater kecil dekat kampus sering secara bergantian mementaskan naskah klasik dan genre modern. (less common, but possible)
  • Secara bergantian, teater kecil dekat kampus sering mementaskan naskah klasik dan genre modern. (for emphasis, more written style)

The most natural, neutral version is the original, with secara bergantian at the end.

What is the overall word order pattern in this sentence compared to English?

The sentence follows the typical Indonesian pattern:

  • Subject – Adverb (frequency) – Verb – Objects – Adverbial phrase

Applied to your sentence:

  • Teater kecil dekat kampus = Subject (the small theater near campus)
  • sering = Adverb of frequency (often)
  • mementaskan = Verb (stages)
  • naskah klasik dan genre modern = Objects (classical scripts and modern genres)
  • secara bergantian = Adverbial phrase (alternately)

So structurally it’s quite close to English “The small theater near campus often stages classical scripts and modern genres alternately,” except that adjectives come after nouns.