Dokter spesialis menanyakan gejala yang saya rasakan sejak dua hari lalu.

The specialist doctor asks about the symptoms I have felt for the last two days.

Breakdown of Dokter spesialis menanyakan gejala yang saya rasakan sejak dua hari lalu.

• saya: I
• hari: the day
• yang: that
• dua: two
• sejak: since
• menanyakan: to ask about
• dokter spesialis: the specialist doctor
• gejala: the symptom
• merasakan: to feel
• lalu: ago

Questions & Answers about Dokter spesialis menanyakan gejala yang saya rasakan sejak dua hari lalu.

Why is spesialis placed after dokter, while in English we say “specialist doctor” with specialist before doctor?

In Indonesian, modifiers like adjectives or classifier-type words usually come after the noun they describe.

• dokter spesialis = specialist doctor
  
  • literally: doctor specialist
• Other examples:
  
  • rumah sakit = hospital (literally “house sick”)
  • baju merah = red shirt (literally “shirt red”)

So the pattern is: Noun + Modifier, not Modifier + Noun as in English. That’s why it is dokter spesialis, not spesialis dokter.

What’s the difference between dokter, dokter spesialis, and just spesialis?

• dokter = doctor (general word; could be a GP, any doctor)
• dokter spesialis = specialist doctor (a doctor with a specialty: cardiologist, dermatologist, etc.)

• spesialis by itself can be used as a noun in casual speech:

  • Saya mau ke spesialis kulit. = I want to go to a skin specialist.

  In more formal or clear speech, dokter spesialis is safer and more explicit, as in your sentence.

Why is menanyakan used instead of bertanya?

Both come from the root tanya (to ask), but they’re used differently:

• bertanya = to ask (intransitive; doesn’t directly take an object)
  • Dokter bertanya. = The doctor asked.
  • Dokter bertanya tentang gejala saya. = The doctor asked about my symptoms.
• menanyakan = to ask about (something) (transitive; takes a direct object)
  • Dokter menanyakan gejala saya. = The doctor asked about my symptoms.

In your sentence, gejala is the direct object, so menanyakan gejala is natural, compact, and slightly more formal than bertanya tentang gejala.

What does the suffix -kan add to the verb menanyakan?

The root is tanya (ask). With different affixes you get different patterns:

• bertanya – to ask (no direct object; just the act of asking)
• menanyai [someone] – to ask someone (focus on the person questioned)
  • Dokter menanyai saya. = The doctor asked me.
• menanyakan [something] – to ask about something (focus on the topic)
  • Dokter menanyakan gejala. = The doctor asked about the symptoms.

So in menanyakan gejala, -kan helps make gejala the thing being asked about.

Could I say “Dokter spesialis bertanya tentang gejala…” instead? Is it correct?

Yes, it’s correct:

• Dokter spesialis bertanya tentang gejala yang saya rasakan sejak dua hari lalu.

This means essentially the same thing. The nuance:

• menanyakan gejala – a bit more compact and somewhat more formal.
• bertanya tentang gejala – slightly more neutral, conversational.

Both are fine in most contexts.

Is gejala singular or plural here? Why isn’t it gejala-gejala?

Indonesian usually does not mark plural on the noun. Gejala can mean symptom or symptoms depending on context.

• In your sentence, gejala yang saya rasakan is naturally interpreted as “the symptoms I have felt”.

Reduplication (gejala-gejala) is possible, but:

• It’s often stylistic or emphasizes variety/multiplicity.
• In many everyday sentences it sounds unnecessary or even a bit stiff.

So gejala alone is the normal choice for both singular and plural in this context.

What is the role of yang in gejala yang saya rasakan?

Yang introduces a relative clause, similar to “that/which” in English.

• gejala = symptoms
• yang saya rasakan = that I feel / that I have been feeling

So gejala yang saya rasakan = “the symptoms that I feel / that I have felt.”

Structure:

• [noun] + yang + [clause]

It’s a very common way to attach extra information to a noun in Indonesian.

Why is it “yang saya rasakan” and not “yang saya merasa”?

Because of the verb types:

• merasa = to feel (intransitive)
  • Usually: Saya merasa sakit. = I feel sick.
• merasakan [something] = to feel/experience something (transitive)
  • Saya merasakan sakit di kepala. = I feel pain in my head.

In gejala yang saya rasakan, gejala is the “something” being felt, so the verb needs a direct object form: merasakan (here used as rasakan after yang saya).

You cannot say yang saya merasa because merasa doesn’t take gejala directly as an object in that structure.

What is the difference between merasa and merasakan in general?

Both come from rasa (feeling, taste), but:

• merasa
  
  • Often just “to feel” a state or emotion:
    • Saya merasa lelah. = I feel tired.
    • Saya merasa senang. = I feel happy.
• merasakan [object]
  
  • Emphasizes feeling/experiencing something:
    • Saya merasakan sakit di perut. = I feel pain in my stomach.
    • Dia merasakan perubahan. = He/she felt a change.

In gejala yang saya rasakan, merasakan sounds natural and a bit more precise/formal for bodily sensations or symptoms.

How does sejak dua hari lalu work? Does it mean “since two days ago” or “for the last two days”?

Literally:

• sejak = since (starting point in time)
• dua hari lalu = two days ago

So sejak dua hari lalu = since two days ago.

In natural English, we usually say “for the last two days” or “for the past two days”, which is how this is often translated.

Meaning: the symptoms started two days ago and continue up to now.

Can I use selama dua hari instead of sejak dua hari lalu? What’s the difference?

Yes, but the nuance is different:

• sejak dua hari lalu
  
  • Focuses on the starting point two days ago and implies it continues until now.
  • Closer to “since two days ago / for the last two days”.
• selama dua hari
  
  • Focuses on duration: “for two days”.
  • It might or might not include “up to now” depending on context.

In your sentence (ongoing symptoms up to the present), sejak dua hari lalu is the most precise way to say it.

Is there a difference between “dua hari lalu” and “dua hari yang lalu”?

The meaning is basically the same: two days ago.

• dua hari lalu – very common, slightly more concise.
• dua hari yang lalu – a bit more explicit/formal; the yang can be seen as adding a small pause/emphasis in speech.

In everyday conversation and writing, dua hari lalu is more typical, as in your sentence.

There is no past tense marker on menanyakan. How do we know this happened in the past?

Indonesian verbs do not change form for tense (past/present/future). Time is usually shown by:

• Time expressions: kemarin (yesterday), tadi, nanti, sejak dua hari lalu, etc.
• Optional aspect words: sudah (already), belum (not yet), sedang (currently), akan (will).

In your sentence:

• sejak dua hari lalu gives the time frame.
• Context tells us the doctor asked about symptoms that started two days ago.

So menanyakan itself is tenseless; the time phrase and context make it past/perfect-like in English.

How would the meaning or tone change if I used aku instead of saya in gejala yang saya rasakan?

• saya – neutral, polite, appropriate in formal or semi-formal situations (with doctors, strangers, at work, in writing).
• aku – more informal/intimate, used with friends, family, or people of similar age/status in relaxed contexts.

So:

• gejala yang saya rasakan – suitable for talking to a doctor; sounds polite and standard.
• gejala yang aku rasakan – sounds more casual, like speaking to a close friend about your symptoms.

With a doctor, saya is usually the better choice unless you’re very close and the atmosphere is informal.

Can I move sejak dua hari lalu to another position in the sentence?

Yes. Indonesian time expressions are flexible. All of these are acceptable:

1. Dokter spesialis menanyakan gejala yang saya rasakan sejak dua hari lalu.
2. Sejak dua hari lalu, dokter spesialis menanyakan gejala yang saya rasakan.
3. Dokter spesialis, sejak dua hari lalu, menanyakan gejala yang saya rasakan. (more written/formal style)

Version 1 is the most natural and neutral. Putting the time at the front (version 2) adds emphasis to the duration.