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Gaun sederhana itu tetap cantik.

Gaun sederhana itu tetap cantik.
That simple dress is still beautiful.
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Questions & Answers about Gaun sederhana itu tetap cantik.

Why is there no word for “is” in this sentence?

Indonesian normally does not use a separate word for “is/are/am” when linking a noun and an adjective.

  • English: The simple dress is still beautiful.
  • Indonesian: Gaun sederhana itu tetap cantik.
    (literally: dress simple that still beautiful)

There is no verb like “to be” here; the structure [noun] + [adjective] already means “noun is adjective.”

If you add adalah, it usually links to a noun phrase, not an adjective:

  • Gaun itu adalah hadiah dari ibuku.
    “That dress is a gift from my mother.”

So: no “is” is needed before cantik in this sentence.

What does itu mean here?

Itu literally means “that”, but in this position it works like “the” / “that” to make the noun more specific/definite.

  • gaun – a dress (could be any dress; very general)
  • gaun itu – that dress / the dress (a specific one the speakers know)

In gaun sederhana itu, itu comes after the noun phrase and marks it as specific:

  • gaun sederhana itu = “that simple dress” / “the simple dress”

If you said gaun sederhana without itu, it would be more like “a simple dress” (non‑specific, just describing a type of dress).

Why are the adjectives sederhana and cantik placed after the noun gaun?

In Indonesian, adjectives almost always come after the noun they describe.

  • English: simple dress
    Indonesian: gaun sederhana (dress simple)

  • English: beautiful house
    Indonesian: rumah cantik (house beautiful)

So:

  • gaun sederhana itu = that simple dress
    (literally: dress simple that)

And at the end:

  • tetap cantik = still beautiful

Putting adjectives before nouns (like in English) is not standard Indonesian; you should keep noun + adjective order:

  • ✅ gaun sederhana
  • ❌ sederhana gaun (ungrammatical in standard Indonesian)
What exactly does tetap mean here, and how is it different from masih (“still”)?

Both tetap and masih can be translated as “still”, but they’re used differently.

tetap emphasizes remaining in the same state despite changes, difficulties, or expectations:

  • Gaun sederhana itu tetap cantik.
    “That simple dress is still beautiful (even though you might not expect it / even after time or changes).”
  • Dia tetap tenang.
    “He/She remains calm.”

masih means still, yet; the situation continues (more neutral, about continuity):

  • Gaun itu masih cantik.
    “The dress is still beautiful” (it hasn’t stopped being beautiful).
  • Dia masih di kantor.
    “He/She is still at the office.”

In your sentence, tetap cantik suggests a sense of “even though it’s simple, it remains beautiful.” It can carry a slight nuance of contrast or persistence.

Could I say “Gaun itu sederhana tapi tetap cantik” instead? What would be the difference?

Yes, that’s a natural and common sentence.

  • Gaun sederhana itu tetap cantik.
    Focus: The simple dress (as a whole noun phrase) remains beautiful. The simplicity is just part of describing which dress.

  • Gaun itu sederhana tapi tetap cantik.
    “The dress is simple but still beautiful.”
    Here, sederhana and cantik are more clearly contrasted using tapi (“but”). You’re highlighting that in spite of being simple, the dress is still beautiful.

So:

  • Without tapi: descriptive, more neutral.
  • With tapi: explicit contrast: simple BUT still beautiful.
Can cantik be used for things (like a dress), or only for people?

Cantik is commonly used for both people (usually female) and things that are considered visually attractive.

Examples:

  • Dia cantik. – “She is beautiful.”
  • Gaun ini cantik. – “This dress is beautiful.”
  • Pemandangan di sana cantik. – “The view there is beautiful.”

There are other words for “beautiful” too:

  • indah – beautiful in a more poetic/aesthetic sense, often for nature, art, language
    • pemandangan yang indah – beautiful scenery
  • bagus – good, nice, of good quality
    • gaun ini bagus – this dress is nice / good (quality or style)

In this sentence, cantik is very natural for a dress because you are talking about its visual attractiveness.

How would I say “That dress is simple but beautiful” without the idea of “still”?

You can drop tetap and just use tapi (“but”):

  • Gaun itu sederhana tapi cantik.
    = “That dress is simple but beautiful.”

Structure:

  • Gaun itu – that dress
  • sederhana – simple
  • tapi – but
  • cantik – beautiful

This keeps the contrast (simple vs beautiful) but removes the nuance of “still / remains” that tetap adds.

What is the difference between gaun sederhana itu and gaun itu sederhana?

They are both grammatical but used differently.

  1. Gaun sederhana itu tetap cantik.

    • gaun sederhana itu is one noun phrase: “that simple dress”.
    • sederhana directly describes the noun gaun.
    • Focus: describing which dress (the simple one).

  2. Gaun itu sederhana.

    • Literally: “That dress is simple.”
    • gaun itu = “that dress” (subject)
    • sederhana = predicate (like “is simple”)

If you said:

  • Gaun itu sederhana, tapi tetap cantik.
    “That dress is simple, but still beautiful.”

So:

  • gaun sederhana itu: “that simple dress” (adjective inside the noun phrase)
  • gaun itu sederhana: “that dress is simple” (adjective as the sentence’s predicate)
Is gaun the usual word for “dress”? Is it formal or casual?

Gaun means “dress”, and it’s commonly used, especially for:

  • dresses in a somewhat formal or semi‑formal context
  • dresses you might wear to a party, event, etc.

Other related words:

  • baju – very general: clothes/top/shirt; in casual speech, many people say baju for common clothing.
  • rok – skirt.
  • gaun pengantin – wedding dress.
  • gaun pesta – party dress / evening gown.

In this sentence, gaun is fine and neutral, but it can slightly suggest a dressy garment rather than just any casual piece of clothing.

How would I change this sentence to plural, like “Those simple dresses are still beautiful”?

Indonesian usually shows plural meaning from context, not by changing the form of the noun.

You can say:

  • Gaun-gaun sederhana itu tetap cantik.
    Literally: the simple dresses remain beautiful.

Notes:

  • gaun-gaun – reduplication can mark plurality (dresses), but is not always necessary in everyday speech.
  • Many speakers would just say:
    Gaun sederhana itu tetap cantik.
    and the context (talking about more than one dress) makes it plural.

So both are possible:

  • Gaun sederhana itu tetap cantik. (context gives plural)
  • Gaun-gaun sederhana itu tetap cantik. (explicitly plural)
Is itu always after the noun like this, or can it come before like English “that dress”?

In standard Indonesian, itu normally comes after the noun (or the noun phrase):

  • gaun itu – that dress / the dress
  • rumah itu – that house
  • gaun sederhana itu – that simple dress

You don’t normally say:

  • ❌ itu gaun (not standard as a noun phrase meaning “that dress”)

However, itu can also be used:

  • as a demonstrative pronoun:
    Itu apa? – “What’s that?”
  • or at the beginning of a sentence talking about something previously mentioned:
    Itu karena dia sibuk. – “That’s because he/she is busy.”

But when directly modifying a noun like “that dress,” it comes after the noun: gaun itu.

What is the typical word order of the whole sentence in literal English?

Literal word‑by‑word order:

  • Gaun – dress
  • sederhana – simple
  • itu – that
  • tetap – still / remains
  • cantik – beautiful

So literally: > “Dress simple that still beautiful.”

Natural English: > “That simple dress is still beautiful.”