Pembimbing kami menjelaskan rencana skripsi di perpustakaan.

Our supervisor explains the thesis plan at the library.

Breakdown of Pembimbing kami menjelaskan rencana skripsi di perpustakaan.

• di: at
• perpustakaan: the library
• menjelaskan: to explain
• kami: our
• rencana skripsi: the thesis plan
• pembimbing: the advisor

Questions & Answers about Pembimbing kami menjelaskan rencana skripsi di perpustakaan.

What exactly does pembimbing mean, and how is it different from guru or dosen?

Pembimbing literally means guide / supervisor. In an academic context, it usually means:

• pembimbing skripsi = thesis supervisor (often a lecturer assigned to you)
• more generally, pembimbing can be any mentor, coach, or guide.

Compared to other words:

• guru = school teacher (especially primary/secondary school)
• dosen = university/college lecturer
• pembimbing = the person who guides you in a particular task or project (for example: pembimbing skripsi, pembimbing praktikum, pembimbing lapangan).

So pembimbing kami here is likely “our (thesis) supervisor”, not just any random teacher.

Why is it pembimbing kami and not kami pembimbing for “our supervisor”?

In Indonesian, possession is usually:

[thing owned] + [possessor pronoun]

So:

• pembimbing kami = our supervisor
• rumah saya = my house
• adik mereka = their younger sibling

Putting the pronoun before the noun (kami pembimbing) is not how possession works and would sound ungrammatical or at least very odd.
Kami must follow pembimbing to show “our supervisor”.

Does pembimbing kami mean one supervisor or several supervisors?

It can mean either, depending on context. Indonesian often leaves number (singular/plural) unspecified.

Possible translations:

• Our supervisor (one person)
• Our supervisors (more than one)

If you need to make it clearly plural, you can say:

• para pembimbing kami (our supervisors – formal)
• pembimbing-pembimbing kami (our supervisors – grammatical but often sounds a bit heavy/repetitive in everyday speech).

What is the difference between kami and kita, and why is kami used here?

Both mean we / us, but:

• kami = we (not including the listener) – exclusive
• kita = we (including the listener) – inclusive

Here, pembimbing kami suggests “our supervisor” where “we” does not include the person being spoken to.
If the speaker wants to include the listener as part of the group, they could say pembimbing kita (“our supervisor, yours and mine”).

So kami is chosen because the default assumption is: the supervisor belongs to the speaker’s group, not necessarily to the listener’s group.

How is menjelaskan formed, and what is the connection to jelas?

The base word is jelas = clear.

menjelaskan is formed as:

• meN- + jelas + -kan → menjelaskan

Meaning: to explain / to make something clear.

• jelas = clear (adjective)
• menjelaskan = to explain (verb, transitive: it needs an object)

Example:

• Pembimbing kami menjelaskan rencana skripsi.
  → Our supervisor explained the thesis plan.
• Dia menjelaskan masalah itu.
  → He/She explained that problem.

What is the difference between menjelaskan and menerangkan? Can I use menerangkan here?

Both menjelaskan and menerangkan can mean to explain and are often interchangeable.

• menjelaskan (from jelas) – “to make clear”
• menerangkan (from terang) – originally “to make bright”, but commonly used as “to explain”

In this sentence, you can say:

• Pembimbing kami menjelaskan rencana skripsi di perpustakaan.
• Pembimbing kami menerangkan rencana skripsi di perpustakaan.

Both are acceptable and natural. In modern usage, menjelaskan is slightly more common in academic or formal contexts, but the difference is small in everyday speech.

Why is it rencana skripsi and not skripsi rencana for “thesis plan”?

In Indonesian noun–noun phrases, the pattern is usually:

[main noun / head] + [modifier noun]

Here:

• rencana = plan
• skripsi = (undergraduate) thesis

So rencana skripsi literally = plan (for) thesis → “thesis plan”.

If you say skripsi rencana, it sounds wrong or at least confusing, because it looks like “a thesis about plans” or just a broken phrase. The normal, idiomatic form is rencana skripsi.

What does skripsi mean exactly? Is it the same as “thesis”?

Skripsi is a specific Indonesian academic term:

• skripsi = usually the final written project/thesis at the undergraduate (S1) level
• tesis = thesis at the master’s (S2) level
• disertasi = dissertation at the PhD (S3) level

In English, skripsi is often translated as thesis, but context (undergraduate level) is implied in Indonesian culture.

Does rencana skripsi sound natural, or is it redundant?

It sounds natural and is commonly used. Rencana skripsi usually means:

• the proposal or outline of your thesis
• the plan of what you are going to write and research

It’s not redundant, because skripsi is the actual thesis, while rencana skripsi is the plan or proposal for that thesis, often before the full thesis is written.

How do we know if this sentence is past, present, or future? There is no tense marker.

Indonesian verbs do not change form for tense. Menjelaskan can be:

• past: explained
• present: is explaining
• future: will explain

The actual time is understood from context or from time words like:

• tadi (a while ago)
• kemarin (yesterday)
• sudah / telah (already)
• akan (will)
• nanti (later)

Examples:

• Tadi pembimbing kami menjelaskan rencana skripsi di perpustakaan.
  → Earlier, our supervisor explained the thesis plan in the library.

• Besok pembimbing kami akan menjelaskan rencana skripsi di perpustakaan.
  → Tomorrow, our supervisor will explain the thesis plan in the library.

Without such words, the tense is left open and usually interpreted as past or present depending on context.

What does di in di perpustakaan mean, and how is it different from ke?

di is a preposition meaning at / in / on (location).

• di perpustakaan = at the library / in the library

ke means to (movement toward a place):

• ke perpustakaan = to the library

Compare:

• Pembimbing kami menjelaskan rencana skripsi di perpustakaan.
  → The explaining happens in the library.

• Pembimbing kami pergi ke perpustakaan.
  → Our supervisor goes to the library.

Can di perpustakaan be moved to the beginning of the sentence?

Yes. Indonesian word order is flexible for adverbials like place and time. You can say:

• Pembimbing kami menjelaskan rencana skripsi di perpustakaan.
• Di perpustakaan, pembimbing kami menjelaskan rencana skripsi.

Both are correct. Putting di perpustakaan at the beginning can slightly emphasize the location (“In the library, our supervisor explained the thesis plan”), but the basic meaning is the same.

Can I say pembimbing kami menjelaskan tentang rencana skripsi di perpustakaan? When should I use tentang?

Yes, you can say:

• Pembimbing kami menjelaskan rencana skripsi di perpustakaan.
• Pembimbing kami menjelaskan tentang rencana skripsi di perpustakaan.

Both are acceptable. The nuance:

• menjelaskan rencana skripsi = “explained the thesis plan” (direct object)
• menjelaskan tentang rencana skripsi = “explained about the thesis plan” (slightly more explicit and a bit wordier)

In many cases after menjelaskan, Indonesians often omit tentang unless they want to emphasize “about”. In this sentence, the version without tentang sounds a bit more concise and natural.