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Usulan itu disetujui oleh guru di perpustakaan.

Usulan itu disetujui oleh guru di perpustakaan.
That proposal is approved by the teacher in the library.
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Questions & Answers about Usulan itu disetujui oleh guru di perpustakaan.

What is the basic word order of this sentence, and how does it compare to English word order?

The sentence is:

Usulan itu disetujui oleh guru di perpustakaan.

Literally, in order:

  • Usulan itu – that / the proposal
  • disetujui – was approved
  • oleh guru – by the teacher
  • di perpustakaan – in the library

So the structure is:

Subject – Passive Verb – Agent (by …) – Place

In English, we would say:

The proposal was approved by the teacher in the library.

The order is actually very similar to English passive sentences: Subject – was approved – by X – in Y.

What does itu do in usulan itu?

Itu is a demonstrative, similar to that or the in this context.

  • usulan = proposal
  • usulan itu = that proposal / the proposal (a specific one already known in the context)

Indonesian often uses itu (that) or ini (this) where English would just use the, so itu can work like a definite marker here.

Why is disetujui used instead of just setuju?

Setuju is an adjective/verb meaning to agree or agreeing.
Disetujui is the passive verb form: to be agreed to / to be approved.

Breakdown:

  • setuju – to agree
  • menyetujui – to approve (active: someone approves something)
  • disetujui – to be approved (passive: something is approved)

In this sentence, the proposal is the thing being approved, so we use the passive form disetujui.

What does the prefix di- mean in disetujui?

The di- prefix is commonly used to form passive verbs in Indonesian.

  • setuju – agree
  • menyetujui usulan – to approve a proposal (active)
  • usulan disetujui – the proposal is approved (passive)

So di- + setujui indicates: was approved / is approved (depending on context; Indonesian often doesn’t mark tense explicitly).

Why is oleh used here, and can it be omitted?

Oleh means by (introducing the agent in a passive sentence), just like in English:

  • disetujui oleh guru = approved by the teacher

Yes, oleh can often be omitted, especially in less formal or spoken Indonesian, if the meaning is still clear:

  • Usulan itu disetujui guru di perpustakaan.

This is still natural and means the same thing. In formal writing, oleh is more commonly kept.

Is oleh guru di perpustakaan ambiguous? Does it mean the teacher is in the library, or that the approval happened in the library?

Yes, there is natural ambiguity, just like in English:

  • approved by the teacher in the library

This could mean:

  1. The teacher is located in the library (the teacher who is in the library), or
  2. The approval took place in the library.

Indonesian normally relies on context. If you want to be more explicit, you can rephrase:

  1. To stress the teacher is in the library:

    • Usulan itu disetujui oleh guru yang ada di perpustakaan.
      (The proposal was approved by the teacher who is in the library.)

  2. To stress the approval happened in the library:

    • Usulan itu disetujui oleh guru, di perpustakaan. (spoken, with a pause)
    • Or: Di perpustakaan, usulan itu disetujui oleh guru.
Could this sentence be expressed in an active form? How would it change?

Yes. The active version would be:

  • Guru di perpustakaan menyetujui usulan itu.

Structure:

  • Guru di perpustakaan – the teacher in the library (subject)
  • menyetujui – approved (active verb)
  • usulan itu – that proposal (object)

Meaning: The teacher in the library approved the proposal.

The difference:

  • Passive: Usulan itu disetujui (oleh guru …) – focus on the proposal.
  • Active: Guru … menyetujui usulan itu – focus on the teacher as the doer.
Is usulan the same as saran, or is there a difference?

They are related but not identical:

  • usulan – proposal, suggestion put forward more formally / as an item on an agenda; often something to be officially considered or approved.
  • saran – advice, suggestion, recommendation; often more personal or informal.

In this sentence, disetujui (approved) fits better with usulan, because we typically approve a proposal, not “approve” advice.

Why is there no word for “was” in disetujui? How do we know it’s past tense?

Indonesian usually does not mark tense (past/present/future) on the verb itself. Disetujui can mean:

  • is approved
  • was approved
  • will be approved (in some contexts)

The tense is understood from context or from time expressions, for example:

  • Kemarin, usulan itu disetujui oleh guru.
    (Yesterday, the proposal was approved by the teacher.)

Here, kemarin (yesterday) tells you it is past. Without such a word, the time is left vague and understood from the surrounding situation.

Could I say Usulan itu sudah disetujui oleh guru di perpustakaan? What’s the difference if I add sudah?

Yes, that’s correct and very natural.

  • sudah means already / has been (completed action)

So:

  • Usulan itu disetujui oleh guru di perpustakaan.
    = The proposal is/was approved by the teacher in the library. (neutral about completion, context decides)

  • Usulan itu sudah disetujui oleh guru di perpustakaan.
    = The proposal has already been approved by the teacher in the library.

Adding sudah emphasizes that the approval is already completed.

Is di always used for places, like di perpustakaan?

Di is the basic preposition for location:

  • di perpustakaan – in the library / at the library
  • di rumah – at home
  • di sekolah – at school
  • di meja – on the table (location on/at the table)

For movement toward a place, Indonesian prefers ke:

  • ke perpustakaan – to the library
  • ke rumah – to (someone’s) house/home

So di perpustakaan clearly marks location, not direction.

Is guru definite (the teacher) or indefinite (a teacher)? Why no article?

Indonesian has no articles like “a” or “the”. Guru can be:

  • the teacher
  • a teacher

Context decides. Here, since usulan itu is specific (that proposal), it’s natural in many contexts to interpret guru as referring to a particular teacher involved in the situation, often translated as the teacher in English.

If you really wanted to emphasize a specific teacher, you might say:

  • guru itu – that/the specific teacher
    But this is not required for it to be interpreted as “the teacher” in context.