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Perawat jaga itu ramah; dia menjelaskan setiap langkah dengan sabar.

Perawat jaga itu ramah; dia menjelaskan setiap langkah dengan sabar.
That duty nurse is friendly; she explains every step patiently.
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Questions & Answers about Perawat jaga itu ramah; dia menjelaskan setiap langkah dengan sabar.

Why is itu placed after perawat jaga instead of before, like “itu perawat jaga”?

In Indonesian, itu (that/the) usually comes after the noun phrase when it’s used like a determiner (“that nurse”, “the nurse”):

  • perawat jaga itu = that/on-duty nurse, that nurse on duty
  • buku itu = that book / the book
  • rumah besar itu = that big house

When itu comes before the noun (e.g. itu perawat jaga), it usually works more like “that (is) the on-duty nurse”:

  • Itu perawat jaga. = That is the on-duty nurse.

So:

  • Perawat jaga itu ramah. = That/on-duty nurse is friendly.
  • Itu perawat jaga. = That is the on-duty nurse.
What exactly does perawat jaga mean? Is jaga a verb or an adjective here?
  • perawat = nurse
  • jaga = to guard / to watch / to be on duty

In perawat jaga, jaga functions like a modifier describing what kind of nurse: the nurse on duty (the one currently on shift, usually in a particular room or ward).

It’s similar to English phrases like:

  • “duty nurse”
  • “nurse on duty”

Grammatically, you can think of perawat jaga as a noun + modifier combination, commonly used in hospital contexts.

Is perawat male or female? How do you say “he” or “she” in Indonesian?

Perawat is gender‑neutral. It can refer to a male or female nurse.

Indonesian pronouns:

  • dia = he / she (no gender distinction)
  • ia = also he / she (more formal/literary, often subject-only)
  • beliau = he / she (very respectful, used for elders or important people)

In the sentence:

  • dia menjelaskan… = he/she explains…

Whether dia means “he” or “she” is determined only by context, not by the word itself.

Could you leave out dia and just say Menjelaskan setiap langkah dengan sabar?

In casual spoken Indonesian, subject pronouns are often dropped when the subject is clear from context. So in conversation you might hear:

  • Perawat jaga itu ramah, menjelaskan setiap langkah dengan sabar.

This would still be understood as “The on-duty nurse is friendly, (she) explains every step patiently.”

However:

  • In writing or more formal speech, including dia is clearer and more standard.
  • When you’re learning, it’s safer to keep the subject (dia) so your sentences are unambiguous and well‑formed.
What is the difference between dia and ia? Could we use ia here?

Both dia and ia mean he/she (gender-neutral).

Typical usage patterns:

  • dia

    • Very common in everyday speech.
    • Can be used as subject or object:
      • Dia datang. = He/She came.
      • Saya melihat dia. = I saw him/her.

  • ia

    • More formal or literary.
    • Mostly used as a subject, not as an object.
    • More common in written news, stories, essays:
      • Ia datang. = He/She came.

In your sentence:

  • Dia menjelaskan setiap langkah dengan sabar. = natural in speech and writing.
  • Ia menjelaskan setiap langkah dengan sabar. = also correct, feels a bit more formal/literary.

So yes, you can use ia here, but dia is more neutral and common in conversation.

How is menjelaskan formed, and how is it different from jelas?
  • jelas = clear (adjective), also “clear/understandable” (adverb-like)
  • menjelaskan = to explain, to make something clear

Formation:

  • base word: jelas
  • prefix: men-
  • suffix: -kan
  • men- + jelas + -kan → menjelaskan

Meaning shift:

  • jelas = clear
    • Penjelasannya sangat jelas. = The explanation is very clear.
  • menjelaskan = to explain / to make clear
    • Dia menjelaskan prosedurnya. = He/She explains the procedure.

So, menjelaskan always takes an object: you explain something.

In the sentence:

  • dia menjelaskan setiap langkah…
    • dia = subject
    • menjelaskan = verb (“explains”)
    • setiap langkah = object (“every step”)
Why is langkah singular after setiap? Shouldn’t it be plural?

In Indonesian, nouns usually don’t change form for plural. Instead, plurality is shown by words like:

  • setiap = each, every
  • banyak = many
  • beberapa = some

So:

  • setiap langkah literally = “each step” → every step
  • It already implies more than one step, so you don’t need a plural form.

Compare:

  • satu langkah = one step
  • dua langkah = two steps
  • banyak langkah = many steps
  • setiap langkah = every step

The noun langkah stays the same.

What does dengan sabar do in the sentence, and why not just sabar?
  • sabar = patient (adjective), also “to be patient” (verb-like in some contexts)
  • dengan sabar = patiently (adverbial phrase: in a patient way)

In the sentence:

  • dia menjelaskan setiap langkah dengan sabar.
    • dengan sabar tells how the explaining is done → “patiently”.

Why we use dengan here:

  • Indonesian often makes adverbial phrases with dengan + adjective:
    • dengan pelan = slowly
    • dengan hati-hati = carefully
    • dengan jelas = clearly
    • dengan sabar = patiently

You could say:

  • Dia sangat sabar. = He/She is very patient. (describing the person)
  • Dia menjelaskan dengan sabar. = He/She explains patiently. (describing how the action is done)

So sabar alone describes a person’s quality; dengan sabar describes the manner of the action.

Is there a difference between ramah and baik? Could we say Perawat jaga itu baik instead?

Both are positive, but they focus on different qualities:

  • ramah = friendly, warm in manner
    • Smiles, talks nicely, makes people feel comfortable.
  • baik = good, kind, nice (very general)
    • Can mean kind-hearted, helpful, morally good, or just “nice”.

Your sentence:

  • Perawat jaga itu ramah.
    Emphasizes that the nurse is friendly in attitude and behavior.

If you say:

  • Perawat jaga itu baik.
    It means the nurse is “good/kind/nice”, but not specifically “friendly”.

Both are correct; ramah is more precise for “friendly” in this context.

Is the semicolon ( ; ) natural in Indonesian here, or would a comma or period be more common?

In formal written Indonesian:

  • Using a semicolon here is acceptable:
    • Perawat jaga itu ramah; dia menjelaskan setiap langkah dengan sabar.
  • Many writers would simply use a period:
    • Perawat jaga itu ramah. Dia menjelaskan setiap langkah dengan sabar.

In informal writing (messages, chats), you’ll often see a comma instead, even though it’s not ideal by strict punctuation rules:

  • Perawat jaga itu ramah, dia menjelaskan setiap langkah dengan sabar.

So:

  • Most standard and simple: use a period and make two sentences.
  • Semicolon is also correct, especially if you want to show a close connection between the two clauses.
How would this sentence sound in more casual, everyday spoken Indonesian?

A natural casual version might be:

  • Perawat yang jaga itu ramah banget, dia jelasin tiap langkahnya pelan‑pelan.

Changes and their effects:

  • Perawat yang jaga → more colloquial way of saying “the nurse on duty”.
  • ramah banget = very friendly (slang: banget = “very”).
  • dia jelasin = shortened from dia menjelaskan, common in speech.
  • tiap = colloquial form of setiap.
  • langkahnya = “each step” + “-nya” showing “the steps (in that process)”.
  • pelan‑pelan = slowly/gently, emphasizing the careful manner.

Your original sentence is perfectly good standard Indonesian; this just shows how it might sound in everyday conversation.