Sopir angkot berbelok pelan di perempatan.

The minibus driver turns slowly at the intersection.

Breakdown of Sopir angkot berbelok pelan di perempatan.

• di: at
• perempatan: the intersection
• sopir angkot: the minibus driver
• pelan: slow
• berbelok: to turn

Questions & Answers about Sopir angkot berbelok pelan di perempatan.

What does angkot mean, and is there an English equivalent?

Angkot is short for angkutan kota, literally city transportation. It refers to a small public minibus or van that runs on fixed routes in many Indonesian cities, especially in Java and Sumatra.

There is no perfect one-word English equivalent, but you could translate it as:

• public minivan
• public minibus
• sometimes just minibus or shared taxi, depending on context

In Indonesian, angkot is informal but very common in everyday speech. In more formal language (e.g. government documents), people might say angkutan kota instead of angkot.

What is sopir angkot exactly, and how is it different from other words for “driver”?

Sopir angkot means angkot driver (the person who drives the angkot).

Common related words:

• sopir – driver (very common in everyday speech)
• supir – an older or alternative spelling; you will still see it, but sopir is now the recommended form
• pengemudi – driver, more formal/standard, often used in news, official contexts
• driver – English loanword used informally in some contexts, especially in big cities

So:

• sopir angkot – normal, everyday way to say angkot driver
• pengemudi angkot – more formal, sounds like news or official language

Why is the verb berbelok and not just belok? What’s the difference?

The base word is belok = to turn (change direction).

berbelok is ber- + belok, and:

• functions as an intransitive verb: to turn, to be turning
• sounds slightly more complete/standard in sentences like this

In practice:

• Sopir angkot berbelok pelan di perempatan.
  The angkot driver turned slowly at the intersection. (very natural)
• Sopir angkot belok pelan di perempatan.
  Also understandable and used in casual speech, especially in conversation.

You will often see:

• belok in:
  • commands: Belok kiri! (Turn left!)
  • casual spoken Indonesian
• berbelok in:
  • narration, description
  • slightly more formal or neutral style

Both are valid; berbelok just feels a bit more “sentence-like” and is very natural in written examples.

What exactly does pelan mean here, and how is it different from pelan-pelan or perlahan?

pelan means slow or slowly, depending on context.

In this sentence:

• berbelok pelan = turned slowly

Related forms:

• pelan-pelan
  
  • literally: slow-slow
  • very common in speech; often means slowly / carefully / gently
  • a bit more expressive or emphatic: Jalan pelan-pelan, ya. (Walk slowly, okay.)
• perlahan
  
  • also means slowly, often a bit more formal or neutral
  • can sound slightly more bookish than pelan in some contexts

So you could say:

• Sopir angkot berbelok pelan di perempatan. (neutral, natural)
• Sopir angkot berbelok pelan-pelan di perempatan. (more emphasis on slowness, very spoken)
• Sopir angkot berbelok perlahan di perempatan. (slightly more formal/neutral)

All are correct; the original is the most neutral choice.

Can pelan go before the verb, like pelan berbelok?

You can say pelan berbelok, but it is less common and sounds a bit marked or poetic in most everyday contexts.

Typical neutral word order:

• Verb + manner adverb:
  berbelok pelan (turned slowly)
  berjalan cepat (walked quickly)
  berbicara keras (spoke loudly)

If you put pelan before the verb, it tends to:

• sound a bit literary or stylistic, or
• put extra emphasis on slowly:

Pelan ia berbelok di perempatan.
Slowly he turned at the intersection.

So, for normal speech or writing, berbelok pelan is the best default.

What does perempatan literally mean, and how is it different from other words for intersections?

Perempatan comes from:

• empat = four
• per- … -an = a noun-forming pattern

So perempatan literally means a place where four (roads) meet → a four-way intersection / crossroads.

Related words:

• pertigaan – a T-junction / 3-way intersection (tiga = three)
• persimpangan – a junction / intersection in general (not specifying 3 or 4)
• simpang – used regionally (e.g. in Sumatra, Malaysia); also means junction

In everyday Bahasa Indonesia:

• perempatan – strongly suggests a 4-way junction
• persimpangan – more general or slightly more formal

In many contexts, perempatan can be safely translated as intersection or crossroads in English, unless you specifically care about 3-way vs 4-way.

Why is di used before perempatan? How is di different from ke and dari?

di is the basic preposition for location: in / at / on (depending on context).

• di perempatan = at the intersection

Compare:

• di = at, in, on (location)
• ke = to, towards (destination)
• dari = from (origin)

Examples:

• Sopir angkot berbelok pelan di perempatan.
  The angkot driver turned slowly at the intersection.
• Sopir angkot menuju ke perempatan.
  The angkot driver was heading to the intersection.
• Sopir angkot datang dari perempatan.
  The angkot driver came from the intersection.

In this sentence, we are describing where the turning happened, so di perempatan is correct.

There’s no word for “the” or “a” in sopir angkot berbelok pelan di perempatan. How do we know if it’s “the driver” or “a driver”?

Indonesian generally does not use articles like the / a / an. Sopir angkot by itself can mean:

• an angkot driver
• the angkot driver depending on context.

To make it clearer, you can add words:

• seorang sopir angkot = an angkot driver (emphasizes “one driver / a driver”)
• sopir angkot itu = that angkot driver / the angkot driver (definite, known one)
• sopir angkot ini = this angkot driver

So:

• Sopir angkot berbelok pelan di perempatan.
  Could be translated as An angkot driver turned slowly at the intersection or
  The angkot driver turned slowly at the intersection, depending on context.
• Sopir angkot itu berbelok pelan di perempatan.
  More clearly The angkot driver turned slowly at the intersection.

How do we know the sentence is past tense (“turned”) when Indonesian doesn’t mark tense?

Indonesian verbs do not change form for past, present, or future.
berbelok can mean:

• turn(s)
• is turning
• turned
• will turn (if context says so)

The tense is understood from:

• time words (e.g. tadi, kemarin, sekarang, besok)
• context (the surrounding sentences, situation)

If you want to make the past more explicit, you can add markers:

• tadi = earlier, just now
  Tadi sopir angkot berbelok pelan di perempatan.
• kemarin = yesterday
  Kemarin sopir angkot berbelok pelan di perempatan.
• sudah / telah = already (often but not always past)
  Sopir angkot sudah berbelok pelan di perempatan.

But the base verb berbelok itself stays the same.

Is the word order berbelok pelan di perempatan fixed, or can it be changed?

The given order is very natural:

1. Verb (berbelok)
2. Manner adverb (pelan)
3. Place phrase (di perempatan)

You can change the order somewhat, but some options sound more natural than others:

Natural:

• Sopir angkot berbelok pelan di perempatan.
• Sopir angkot berbelok di perempatan dengan pelan. (correct, but more wordy and less common)
• Di perempatan, sopir angkot berbelok pelan. (fronting the place for emphasis or narrative style)

Less natural in everyday speech:

• Sopir angkot pelan berbelok di perempatan.
  Understandable, but the adverb normally comes after the verb, so this feels marked.

As a rule of thumb:

• Keep Verb + manner together: berbelok pelan
• Then add place: di perempatan

Could we replace perempatan with something like “corner” or “bend” in Indonesian? What would those be?

Yes, there are more specific words for different kinds of places on the road:

• perempatan – 4-way intersection / crossroads
• pertigaan – T-junction / 3-way intersection
• tikungan – a bend / curve in the road
• sudut jalan – the corner of the street

So for:

• turned slowly at the bend
  → Sopir angkot berbelok pelan di tikungan.
• turned slowly at the street corner
  → Sopir angkot berbelok pelan di sudut jalan.

In the original sentence, perempatan specifically evokes a 4-way intersection, not just any bend.

Is this sentence formal, informal, or neutral? In what kind of context would it be used?

The sentence Sopir angkot berbelok pelan di perempatan. is:

• neutral in tone
• fine for:
  • narrative writing (stories, descriptions)
  • news reports
  • language textbooks
  • everyday explanation

The only slightly informal element is angkot (short for angkutan kota), but angkot is so common that it is often used even in relatively formal contexts when talking about that specific type of vehicle.

If you wanted a more strictly formal version (e.g. in a traffic report), you might see something like:

• Pengemudi angkutan kota berbelok pelan di perempatan.

How would I turn this into a yes/no question in Indonesian?

Use apakah or just question intonation, and keep the word order largely the same.

Two common options:

1. With apakah (more neutral/formal):

   • Apakah sopir angkot berbelok pelan di perempatan?
     = Did the angkot driver turn slowly at the intersection?

2. Without apakah (informal, spoken; rely on intonation):

   • Sopir angkot berbelok pelan di perempatan?
     (Rising intonation at the end)

Word order stays the same as in the statement; you do not invert subject and verb like in English.