Wartawan itu menulis artikel singkat tentang karakter utama dan alur cerpen saya.

That journalist writes a short article about the main character and the plot of my short story.

Breakdown of Wartawan itu menulis artikel singkat tentang karakter utama dan alur cerpen saya.

• sebuah: a
• itu: that
• menulis: to write
• dan: and
• tentang: about
• singkat: short
• saya: my
• utama: main
• artikel: the article
• cerpen: the short story
• karakter: the character
• wartawan: the journalist
• alur: the plot

Questions & Answers about Wartawan itu menulis artikel singkat tentang karakter utama dan alur cerpen saya.

What does itu mean in wartawan itu, and why is it placed after the noun?

Itu is a demonstrative that usually means that or sometimes functions like the.

• wartawan = journalist
• wartawan itu = that journalist / the journalist (that we both know or is already mentioned)

In Indonesian, demonstratives (ini/itu) usually come after the noun:

• wartawan itu = that/the journalist
• wartawan ini = this journalist

So itu here points to a specific journalist, not just any journalist in general.

Could we say just wartawan without itu? What would the difference be?

Yes, you can say just wartawan, but the meaning changes slightly:

• wartawan itu = that / the journalist (a particular one, known from context)
• wartawan (alone) = a journalist / journalists (in general)

Example differences:

• Wartawan itu menulis artikel singkat...
  → a specific journalist we have in mind.

• Wartawan menulis artikel singkat...
  → journalists (in general) write short articles...
  or
  → some journalist(s) wrote a short article (more generic / less specific).

How do we know the tense of menulis here? Is it “wrote”, “is writing”, or “will write”?

Indonesian verbs like menulis do not change form for tense. Menulis just means to write / writing.

The tense is understood from context or from extra time/aspect words:

• sedang menulis = is writing (right now)
• sudah menulis = has written / already wrote
• tadi menulis = wrote earlier
• akan menulis = will write

In your sentence, menulis by itself could be translated as wrote or is writing, depending on the broader context.

What is the difference between menulis, tulis, and menuliskan?

All three are related to write, but their usage differs:

• tulis

  • Base form/root: write
  • Often used in imperatives or dictionary entries.
  • Example: Tulis namamu di sini. = Write your name here.

• menulis

  • Standard active verb: to write / writing
  • Used in normal sentences with a subject.
  • Example: Dia menulis artikel. = He/She writes/wrote an article.

• menuliskan

  • Often used when emphasizing writing something for someone or writing something down.
  • Can sound a bit more formal or slightly more “extended” in meaning.
  • Example: Dia menuliskan alamat saya di kertas. = He/She wrote my address down on the paper.

In your sentence, menulis is the most natural, neutral choice.

Why is it artikel singkat and not singkat artikel? Where do adjectives go?

In Indonesian, adjectives usually come after the noun:

• artikel singkat = short article
• karakter utama = main character
• cerpen bagus = good short story

So the pattern is:

• noun + adjective
  not adjective + noun (unlike English).

Singkat artikel would sound ungrammatical or very strange.

Can we say artikel pendek instead of artikel singkat? Is there a difference?

Both are understood, but there is a nuance:

• singkat = short in the sense of brief, concise (focused on content/length of text)
• pendek = short in a more physical or literal sense (length, height, duration)

For written text:

• artikel singkat is the more natural phrase for a brief article.
• artikel pendek is understandable but less idiomatic; it might sound like you’re talking about “short in length” rather than “brief/concise” in style.

What does tentang mean here, and can it be replaced with other words?

Tentang means about / regarding / concerning.

• artikel singkat tentang karakter utama dan alur cerpen saya
  = a short article about the main character and the plot of my short story.

Common near-synonyms:

• mengenai = about, regarding (a bit more formal)
• soal = about, on the topic of (more casual/colloquial)

Examples:

• artikel tentang politik
• artikel mengenai politik
• artikel soal politik

All are possible; tentang is neutral and very common.

In karakter utama dan alur cerpen saya, does saya apply to both the main character and the plot, or only to the plot?

Grammatically, the structure is:

• karakter utama
• dan
• alur cerpen saya

So saya directly modifies cerpen (short story), and both karakter utama and alur are understood as belonging to that cerpen saya.

Natural interpretation:

• karakter utama (dari) cerpen saya
  and
• alur (dari) cerpen saya

= the main character and the plot of my short story.

If you wanted to say my main character and my plot (in general), not tied to a short story, you would typically repeat saya:

• karakter utama saya dan alur saya
  (though that sounds odd without more context; normally you’d still anchor them to some work).

If you wanted to be extra explicit that both belong to your short story, you could also say:

• tentang karakter utama dan alur dari cerpen saya

What exactly does cerpen mean? Is it just an abbreviation, and is it formal enough?

Cerpen is a common contraction of cerita pendek, meaning short story.

• cerita = story
• pendek = short
• cerita pendek → cerpen

Cerpen is widely used in both spoken and written Indonesian, including newspapers, books, and school contexts. It is considered standard, not slang, and is perfectly fine in neutral and semi-formal contexts.

Why is it cerpen saya and not saya cerpen to mean “my short story”?

In Indonesian, possessives using saya follow this pattern:

• [thing] + saya = my [thing]

So:

• cerpen saya = my short story
• rumah saya = my house
• teman saya = my friend

Putting saya before the noun (saya cerpen) is wrong in standard Indonesian and doesn’t mean my short story.

Saya can come first only when it’s the subject pronoun of a clause:

• Saya menulis cerpen. = I write/wrote a short story.

Can I say cerpenku or cerita pendek saya instead of cerpen saya?

Yes, but there are register and nuance differences:

• cerpen saya

  • Neutral, polite, standard.
  • Good for most situations (spoken or written).

• cerpenku

  • Uses the possessive suffix -ku = my.
  • Feels more informal/intimate or literary (often in stories, blogs, songs).
  • Example: Aku bangga dengan cerpenku.

• cerita pendek saya

  • Just the full form instead of the abbreviation.
  • Slightly more formal or explicit, but still very normal.

So all three are correct; cerpen saya is the safest neutral choice.

Is it necessary to have a separate subject pronoun like dia here, or is wartawan itu enough?

Wartawan itu is already the subject, so you do not add dia:

• Wartawan itu menulis artikel singkat... = The/That journalist wrote/is writing a short article...

You would not say:

• ✗ Wartawan itu dia menulis artikel singkat... (sounds wrong/redundant)

In Indonesian, a full noun phrase (like wartawan itu) is normally used alone as the subject, without adding a separate pronoun.