Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Ibu membeli mesin cuci baru supaya tidak perlu mencuci pakaian dengan tangan. - Mother buys a new washing machine so she doesn’t need to wash clothes by hand.

“Mother / Mom” – When talking about your own mother (or someone’s mother) in a neutral/polite way.
A polite way to address an adult woman – Similar to “Ma’am” or “Madam” in English.
“Mrs.” or “Ms.” – As a title before a name, e.g. Ibu Sari (“Mrs. Sari”).

In a stand‑alone sentence like Ibu membeli mesin cuci baru…, without more context it’s usually understood as “(My/our/the) mother bought a new washing machine…” or “The lady / the woman bought…” depending on the story context.

Indonesian often omits possessive pronouns, so Ibu can imply my mother or our mother without saying ibu saya. Context decides which interpretation is right.

Why is it membeli and not just beli? What does the meN- prefix do here?

Beli is the base verb meaning “to buy.”
Membeli is the active transitive form with the prefix meN- (mem- in front of b):

beli → base form
mem+beli → membeli

In standard Indonesian:

membeli = to buy (something), used in normal, complete sentences:
- Ibu membeli mesin cuci baru. = Mother buys / bought a new washing machine.
beli alone is:
- used in very casual speech: Ibu beli mesin cuci baru. (common in conversation), or
- used in certain patterns, e.g. commands: Beli roti! = Buy bread!

So membeli is the more formal/standard form; beli is colloquial but very common in speech.

Is mesin cuci literally “wash machine”? How does this compound work?

Yes, mesin cuci is a compound noun:

mesin = machine
cuci = to wash

So literally it’s “washing machine” or “wash machine,” just like English sometimes says “washing machine.”

In Indonesian, you often form compound nouns by putting two nouns (or a noun plus a verb functioning as a noun) side by side:

mesin cuci = washing machine
kartu kredit = credit card
kamar mandi = bathroom (lit. “bath room”)

You do not need a word like “of” or “for” between them; the relationship is understood from context and usual usage.

Why is baru placed after mesin cuci instead of before it, like in English (“new washing machine”)?

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

mesin cuci baru = new washing machine
rumah besar = big house
mobil merah = red car

So the pattern is typically:

noun + adjective

Not:

adjective + noun, as in English.

That’s why we say mesin cuci baru, not baru mesin cuci (the latter is unusual or needs a special context for emphasis).

What’s the function of supaya here? How is it different from agar, untuk, or jadi?

Supaya introduces a purpose or desired result, similar to “so that” or “in order that” in English:

Ibu membeli mesin cuci baru supaya tidak perlu mencuci pakaian dengan tangan.
= Mother bought a new washing machine so that she doesn’t have to wash clothes by hand.

Comparison:

supaya / agar – very similar; both mean “so that / in order that” (purpose).
- agar is slightly more formal; supaya is neutral and very common in speech.
untuk – often “for / to (do something)”, more like a plain purpose marker:
- Ibu membeli mesin cuci baru untuk mencuci pakaian.
  = Mother bought a new washing machine to wash clothes.
  Here you’re just stating the purpose, not the result or benefit.
jadi – usually means “so / therefore / as a result” (indicates consequence, not purpose):
- Ibu tidak suka mencuci pakaian dengan tangan, jadi dia membeli mesin cuci baru.
  = She doesn’t like washing clothes by hand, so she bought a new washing machine.

In your sentence, supaya is best, because you’re expressing a reason with a desired outcome.

What does tidak perlu mean exactly, and how is it different from tidak usah or jangan?

Tidak perlu literally means “not necessary” and is used like “don’t need to / doesn’t have to”:

tidak perlu mencuci pakaian dengan tangan
= does not need to wash clothes by hand / doesn’t have to wash clothes by hand.

Compare:

tidak perlu – no need to, focusing on necessity.
- Kamu tidak perlu datang. = You don’t need to come.
tidak usah – very similar to tidak perlu, but more colloquial and often a bit more like advice or suggestion.
- Kamu tidak usah datang. = You don’t need to come / Don’t bother coming.
jangan – means “don’t (do something)” and is used for prohibitions / commands:
- Jangan datang! = Don’t come!
- Jangan mencuci pakaian dengan tangan. = Don’t wash the clothes by hand.

In your sentence, tidak perlu fits because it talks about no longer having the necessity to do something, not about giving an order.

Why do we repeat mencuci instead of just saying something like “supaya tidak perlu (lagi)” and omitting the verb?

Indonesian often repeats the verb to keep the meaning clear and explicit, especially when the second clause could be ambiguous without it.

…supaya tidak perlu mencuci pakaian dengan tangan.
The verb mencuci is stated again so we clearly know what action is no longer needed.

You can omit repeated verbs in very casual speech if the meaning is obvious from context, but in a neutral/standard sentence like this, repeating mencuci is natural and clear.

Also, note the form:

base verb: cuci (wash)
with meN- prefix: mencuci (to wash [something], active)

The prefix meN- is used because this is a normal, active verb taking an object (pakaian).

What’s the nuance of pakaian here? Why not just say baju?

Both pakaian and baju relate to “clothes,” but with different feels:

pakaian – more general/formal, “clothing / garments” in a broad sense. Used in writing, instructions, and more formal contexts.
baju – more casual, often associated with “shirt” but commonly used in everyday speech to mean “clothes.”

In this sentence:

mencuci pakaian dengan tangan
suggests washing clothes in general, in a somewhat neutral or slightly formal style.

You could say mencuci baju dengan tangan in conversation and it would sound very natural; it just feels more colloquial.

Why is it dengan tangan and not something like pakai tangan or pakai tangan saja? Are they different?

They are very close in meaning, but there are small differences in nuance:

dengan tangan – literally “with (the) hands.”
- Slightly more neutral/formal.
- Often used in written text or more careful speech.
pakai tangan – literally “use hands / using hands.”
- Feels more casual/colloquial, often heard in everyday conversation.
pakai tangan saja – “just use your hands / only with your hands,”
- Adds the meaning of “only” or “just,” emphasizing only hands, nothing else.

In your sentence, dengan tangan sounds natural and neutral. You could say:

…supaya tidak perlu mencuci pakaian pakai tangan.
That’s also correct, just a bit more casual in feel.

How do we know the tense of this sentence? Does it mean “buys,” “bought,” or “is going to buy”?

Indonesian does not mark tense with verb changes like English does. The verb membeli stays the same for present, past, and future. The exact time is understood from context or from additional words.

Your sentence by itself could be:

Mother buys a new washing machine so she doesn’t have to… (habitual / present)
Mother bought a new washing machine so she doesn’t/won’t have to… (past action, present/future result)
Mother is buying / will buy a new washing machine so she won’t have to… (future implication)

To make time explicit, you add time words:

Kemarin ibu membeli mesin cuci baru… = Yesterday mother bought a new washing machine…
Besok ibu akan membeli mesin cuci baru… = Tomorrow mother will buy a new washing machine…

Without such markers, Indonesian speakers rely on context to interpret the tense.