Alat itu disimpan di lemari dekat dapur.

That tool is stored in the cupboard near the kitchen.

Breakdown of Alat itu disimpan di lemari dekat dapur.

• itu: that
• di: in
• dapur: the kitchen
• dekat: near
• lemari: the cupboard
• disimpan: to be stored
• alat: the device

Questions & Answers about Alat itu disimpan di lemari dekat dapur.

What exactly does alat mean here? Is it tool, equipment, or device?

Alat is a general word meaning tool, instrument, device, or equipment, depending on context.

• If it’s something you hold and use (a hammer, screwdriver), tool fits.
• If it’s a machine or electronic thing, device may sound better.
• For more general or uncountable things (lab equipment), equipment can work.

Indonesian doesn’t force you to choose as strictly as English does; alat is quite broad, and the exact English word is decided from context.

Why is itu after alat (in alat itu) instead of before it, like that tool in English?

In Indonesian, demonstratives like ini (this) and itu (that) normally come after the noun:

• alat itu = that tool / the tool
• alat ini = this tool / the tool here

So alat itu is the natural order.
Putting itu before the noun (itu alat) is possible but sounds more like that is a tool (a full sentence), not that tool as a noun phrase.

Does alat itu mean that tool or the tool?

It can mean either, depending on context.

• If you’re contrasting distance or something just mentioned vs something else, that tool is a natural translation.
• If everyone already knows which tool you’re talking about and there’s no need to stress distance, the tool works well.

Indonesian doesn’t sharply separate that vs the the way English does. Itu often functions like a definite article (the) plus a slight sense of that.

What is disimpan and how is it formed?

Disimpan is the passive form of the verb simpan (to store, to put away, to keep).

• Root verb: simpan = store / keep / put away
• Passive with prefix di-: disimpan = is stored / is kept / was stored

So alat itu disimpan literally means that tool is stored/kept.
The di- here is a passive prefix, not the preposition di (at, in, on).

Why is the passive (disimpan) used instead of an active form like menyimpan?

The passive in Indonesian is very common when:

• The doer (subject) is unknown, unimportant, or obvious from context.
• You want to focus on the object (here: alat itu) rather than who stored it.

Compare:

• Seseorang menyimpan alat itu di lemari.
  = Someone stores/stored the tool in the cupboard. (focus on someone)

• Alat itu disimpan di lemari.
  = The tool is/was kept in the cupboard. (focus on the tool)

In your sentence, the important information is where the tool is, not who put it there, so the passive disimpan is natural.

How can I tell the difference between di- as a passive prefix and di as a preposition?

In this sentence you see both:

• disimpan → di- attached to a verb: passive prefix
• di lemari → di
  • noun: preposition (in / at / on the cupboard)

To distinguish them:

1. Passive prefix: glued directly to a verb, no space
   
   • di
     • simpan → disimpan
2. Preposition: separate word before a noun or noun phrase
   
   • di lemari, di rumah, di dapur

So if di is written together with a verb, it’s the passive prefix; if it’s a separate word followed by a noun, it’s the preposition.

Does di lemari mean in the cupboard, on the cupboard, or at the cupboard?

Literally, di is quite broad and can mean in / on / at, depending on the noun and real‑world logic.

For lemari (cupboard, cabinet, wardrobe), we normally imagine things being inside it, so:

• di lemari is best translated as in the cupboard.

If you specifically want to stress “inside”, you can also say di dalam lemari, which is a bit more explicit: in(side) the cupboard.

What does lemari mean exactly? Is it the same as cabinet, cupboard, or wardrobe?

Lemari is a general word for a storage furniture item with doors, often with shelves. The best English translation depends on what kind of lemari it is:

• In the kitchen: cupboard or kitchen cabinet
• In the bedroom for clothes: wardrobe or closet
• In an office: cabinet

Indonesian usually just says lemari, and the surrounding context tells you what type of furniture it is.

How does dekat dapur work? Why not di dekat dapur or dekat dengan dapur?

In di lemari dekat dapur, dekat dapur is describing lemari:

• lemari dekat dapur ≈ the cupboard near the kitchen

You could make it more explicit in a few ways:

• di lemari yang dekat dapur
• di lemari di dekat dapur
• di lemari dekat dengan dapur

All are grammatically possible.
The original di lemari dekat dapur is just a slightly compressed version where dekat dapur directly modifies lemari (the cupboard that is near the kitchen).

In di lemari dekat dapur, is it the tool or the cupboard that is near the kitchen?

It’s the cupboard that is near the kitchen. The structure is:

• alat itu → that tool
• disimpan → is kept
• di lemari dekat dapur → in the cupboard near the kitchen

So the phrase dekat dapur attaches to lemari, giving lemari (yang) dekat dapur = cupboard near the kitchen.

What tense is disimpan? Does it mean is kept or was kept?

Indonesian verbs, including disimpan, don’t change form for tense. Disimpan by itself doesn’t say whether it’s present, past, or future.

It can be translated as:

• is kept / is stored (present)
• was kept / was stored (past)

Context or time expressions would clarify it, e.g.:

• Kemarin alat itu disimpan di lemari… = Yesterday the tool was kept…
• Sekarang alat itu disimpan di lemari… = Now the tool is kept…

Why doesn’t the sentence use words like a or the, as in English?

Indonesian has no articles like a/an or the. Definiteness is usually shown by:

• Context (shared knowledge)
• Demonstratives like itu / ini
• Sometimes word order or additional words

In alat itu, the itu serves a similar role to the or that, so we understand it as the tool or that tool without needing a separate article.