Robot kecil itu memakai dua sensor cahaya di depan.

Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Indonesian grammar and vocabulary.

Start learning Indonesian now

Questions & Answers about Robot kecil itu memakai dua sensor cahaya di depan.

Why is kecil placed after robot, not before it like in English?

In Indonesian, adjectives usually come after the noun they describe.

  • robot kecil = small robot
  • rumah besar = big house
  • mobil baru = new car

So robot kecil is the normal word order.
*kecil robot is wrong in standard Indonesian.


What exactly does itu mean here? Is it “that” or “the”?

Itu literally means “that”, but it also works a lot like “the” in English when you are talking about a specific, known thing.

So:

  • robot kecil itu can be:
    • “that small robot” (physically or contextually “that one”)
    • “the small robot” (the specific one we already know about)

In many contexts, itu just marks that the noun is definite/specific, not just any robot.


Why is itu at the end (robot kecil itu) instead of before the noun like English “that small robot”?

Indonesian demonstratives (ini = this, itu = that) usually come after the noun phrase:

  • robot kecil itu = that small robot / the small robot
  • buku merah ini = this red book
  • mobil baru itu = that new car / the new car

So the pattern is: noun + adjective(s) + ini/itu.


What is the difference between ini and itu here? Could I say robot kecil ini instead?

Yes, you can say robot kecil ini; it just changes the reference:

  • robot kecil ini = this small robot (closer to the speaker, or the one just introduced)
  • robot kecil itu = that small robot / the (known) small robot (often more distant, or already known in the context)

Both can also just mark definiteness, but ini usually feels “closer” and itu “farther / already known”.


Does memakai mean “to wear” or “to use”? Why is it used with sensors?

Memakai can mean both “to wear” and “to use”, depending on context:

  • Dia memakai baju merah. = She is wearing a red shirt.
  • Dia memakai komputer baru. = He uses a new computer.

With robots and sensors, memakai is often understood as “uses / is equipped with”:

  • Robot kecil itu memakai dua sensor cahaya di depan.
    That small robot uses / is equipped with two light sensors at the front.

You could also say menggunakan instead of memakai; it’s slightly more formal/technical, but both are correct here.


Would menggunakan sound more natural than memakai in this sentence?

Both are fine:

  • memakai dua sensor cahaya
  • menggunakan dua sensor cahaya

Nuance:

  • memakai – everyday word, very common, feels a bit more general and informal.
  • menggunakan – slightly more formal/technical; common in explanations, manuals, academic writing.

For describing a robot’s components, menggunakan might sound a bit more technical, but memakai is still perfectly acceptable.


Why isn’t there a word like “is” or “does” (such as adalah) in this Indonesian sentence?

Indonesian usually doesn’t need a separate word like “is / am / are / does / do” when there is already a main verb in the sentence.

  • Robot kecil itu memakai dua sensor…
    memakai is the verb (uses/wears), so nothing like “is” or “does” is needed.

Words like adalah are used mainly for equating two nouns or noun-like phrases, not when there is a normal verb:

  • Ini adalah robot. = This is a robot.
  • Robot itu adalah prototipe. = That robot is a prototype.

But with a verb like memakai, you just say the verb directly.


Why is it dua sensor and not something like duas sensors or sensor-sensor?

Indonesian nouns do not change form for plural. There is no -s ending like in English.

  • satu sensor = one sensor
  • dua sensor = two sensors
  • banyak sensor = many sensors

You can make a plural by repeating the noun (sensor-sensor), but you usually don’t do that when there is already a clear number like dua:

  • dua sensor (normal, natural)
  • dua sensor-sensor (unnatural / redundant)

Do I need a classifier like buah before sensor, for example: dua buah sensor cahaya?

You can use buah here, but it’s optional:

  • dua sensor cahaya – very natural, especially in technical or casual contexts
  • dua buah sensor cahaya – also correct; buah is a generic classifier, adds a bit of formality or emphasis on “units”

In everyday speech about devices or components, Indonesians very often omit the classifier:

  • dua sensor, tiga kamera, empat roda, etc.

What exactly does sensor cahaya mean? Why is the word order like that?

Sensor cahaya is a noun phrase meaning “light sensor”.

In Indonesian, compound nouns are typically head noun + modifier noun:

  • sensor cahaya = sensor (of) lightlight sensor
  • sensor gerak = motion sensor
  • sensor suhu = temperature sensor

So English “light sensor” becomes Indonesian “sensor cahaya”, not cahaya sensor.


What does di depan mean exactly here? Is it “in front” or “at the front (of the robot)”?

Di depan literally means “in front” or “at the front”, and context clarifies the rest.

In this sentence it can mean:

  • the sensors are on the front part of the robot, or
  • they are positioned in front of it.

If you want to be very explicit that they’re on the front part of the robot’s body, you could say:

  • …memakai dua sensor cahaya di bagian depan.
    = …uses two light sensors on the front part.

But di depan alone is commonly used and understood as “on/at the front (side)” in descriptions of objects.


Could the sentence also be Robot kecil itu mempunyai dua sensor cahaya di depan? What would change?

Yes, you can say that. The nuance changes slightly:

  • memakai dua sensor cahaya = uses / is equipped with two light sensors
  • mempunyai dua sensor cahaya = has / possesses two light sensors

So:

  • Robot kecil itu memakai dua sensor cahaya di depan.
    → Focus on the use or functional equipment of the robot.
  • Robot kecil itu mempunyai dua sensor cahaya di depan.
    → Focus on possession: the robot has two light sensors at the front.

Both are grammatically correct; choose based on what you want to highlight.


Can the word order be changed, for example: Di depan, robot kecil itu memakai dua sensor cahaya?

Yes, that is also grammatical:

  • Robot kecil itu memakai dua sensor cahaya di depan.
  • Di depan, robot kecil itu memakai dua sensor cahaya.

Moving di depan to the front puts a bit more emphasis on “at the front”, but the basic meaning is the same.

Indonesian word order is relatively flexible, as long as the internal order of each phrase (like robot kecil itu, dua sensor cahaya) stays correct.


What is the difference between itu and tersebut if I say robot kecil tersebut?

Both itu and tersebut can refer to something already known, but their tone is different:

  • robot kecil itu – neutral, very common in speech and writing.
  • robot kecil tersebut – more formal, often used in written reports, news articles, academic or legal texts; sounds like “the aforementioned small robot”.

In casual conversation, itu is much more natural.


How do you pronounce cahaya and what sound does c make in Indonesian?
  • c in Indonesian is always pronounced like English “ch” in “chair”.
  • cahaya is pronounced approximately: cha-ha-ya
    • ca → “cha”
    • ha → “ha”
    • ya → “ya”

So cahaya[cha-ha-ya], meaning “light”.