Konsultan itu menjawab pertanyaan saya dengan sabar.

That consultant answered my question patiently.

Breakdown of Konsultan itu menjawab pertanyaan saya dengan sabar.

• itu: that
• dengan: with
• pertanyaan: the question
• menjawab: to answer
• sabar: patient
• saya: my
• konsultan: the consultant

Questions & Answers about Konsultan itu menjawab pertanyaan saya dengan sabar.

What does itu mean in konsultan itu? Is it “the consultant” or “that consultant”?

Itu literally means “that”, but after a noun it often works like “the” in English.

• konsultan itu
  
  • can mean “that consultant” (a specific one you’ve already mentioned or can point to), or
  • more loosely just “the consultant” when context already makes it clear who you mean.

Indonesian doesn’t have a separate word for “the”, so itu is commonly used after a noun to make it definite: orang itu (the/that person), buku itu (the/that book), konsultan itu (the/that consultant).

Why is it menjawab and not just jawab?

The base word is jawab (answer), and menjawab is the active verb form made with the prefix meN-.

• jawab – root; can appear in some fixed phrases or in very casual speech.
• menjawab – standard active verb: “to answer” (transitive; it takes an object).

So:

• Konsultan itu menjawab pertanyaan saya.
  = The consultant answered my question.

In very informal speech, speakers sometimes drop meN-:

• Dia jawab pertanyaan saya. (informal)

But in neutral/formal Indonesian, menjawab is the correct and expected form.

What exactly is pertanyaan, and what is the root word?

Pertanyaan means “question” (or “questions”, depending on context).

It’s formed from the root tanya (to ask) with the circumfix per- … -an:

• tanya → pertanyaan = “a thing that is asked” → question

Compare:

• jawab (to answer) → jawaban (answer)
• tanya (to ask) → pertanyaan (question)

So in the sentence:

• pertanyaan saya = my question.

How do I know if pertanyaan here is singular or plural? Could it mean “questions”?

Yes, pertanyaan by itself can mean “question” or “questions”. Indonesian nouns usually do not show plural with a special ending.

You understand singular vs plural from context or with extra words:

• pertanyaan saya – my question / my questions (context tells you which)
• banyak pertanyaan – many questions
• beberapa pertanyaan – several questions
• pertanyaan-pertanyaan – questions (plural emphasized by reduplication)

In your sentence, The consultant answered my question patiently is a natural reading, but questions is also grammatically possible if context says you asked more than one.

What does dengan sabar literally mean, and why do we need dengan?

Literally:

• dengan = with / in a … way
• sabar = patient

So dengan sabar is literally “with patience” or “in a patient way”, which corresponds to the adverb “patiently”.

A common pattern in Indonesian is:

• dengan
  • adjective → adverbial phrase
    
    • dengan hati-hati – carefully
    • dengan cepat – quickly
    • dengan sabar – patiently

You could also say, in some contexts:

• Dia sabar menjawab pertanyaan saya.
  Literally: “He/She is patient answering my question.”

But dengan sabar is a very clear, standard way to express “patiently”.

Can I move dengan sabar in the sentence? For example: Konsultan itu dengan sabar menjawab pertanyaan saya?

Yes. Indonesian word order is fairly flexible for adverbial phrases like dengan sabar.

All of these are acceptable, with slightly different emphasis:

1. Konsultan itu menjawab pertanyaan saya dengan sabar.
   (Neutral order: Subject – Verb – Object – Manner)

2. Konsultan itu dengan sabar menjawab pertanyaan saya.
   (Puts a bit more emphasis on the patiently part.)

3. Dengan sabar, konsultan itu menjawab pertanyaan saya.
   (Stronger focus on the adverb; often used in narrative or written style.)

All still mean “The consultant answered my question patiently.”

How does saya work here? Why is pertanyaan saya “my question” and not “I question”?

Saya is the first-person singular pronoun: I / me / my (formal or neutral).

Indonesian shows possession by putting the possessor after the noun:

• pertanyaan (question) + saya (I/me)
  → pertanyaan saya = my question

Other examples:

• buku saya – my book
• rumah saya – my house
• teman saya – my friend

So saya can mean “I” or “me” or “my” depending on position and function, but the structure noun + saya always means “my + noun”.

What’s the difference between saya and aku? Could I say pertanyaan aku?

Both mean “I / me / my”, but they differ in formality and style:

• saya – more formal, polite, neutral; good for talking to strangers, in work contexts, or in writing.
• aku – more informal/intimate; used with close friends, family, in songs, etc.

So:

• pertanyaan saya – my question (neutral/polite)
• pertanyaan aku – my question (informal, sounds like you’re talking to a close friend)

In a sentence mentioning a consultant, which suggests a semi-formal situation, saya is a more natural choice.

Can I drop itu or saya and still have a correct sentence?

Yes, but the nuance changes.

1. Dropping itu:

   • Konsultan menjawab pertanyaan saya dengan sabar.
     This is grammatically correct, but konsultan without itu sounds more like “consultants (in general)” or “a consultant” in a generic statement.
   • konsultan itu feels more like a specific consultant previously mentioned or known.

2. Dropping saya:

   • Konsultan itu menjawab pertanyaan dengan sabar.
     Now it’s just “answered the question patiently” with no explicit owner. It could be anyone’s question, or a question being discussed in context.

So you can drop them, but you then lose the specificity of “that consultant” and/or “my question.”

Is konsultan an Indonesian word? Does it show gender or plural?

Konsultan is a loanword (from English “consultant”, originally via Dutch), but it’s fully integrated into Indonesian.

Like most Indonesian nouns, it:

• does not show gender:
  
  • konsultan itu could be male or female.
• does not change for plural:
  
  • konsultan = consultant / consultants (context decides)

If you really want to stress the plural, you can use:

• para konsultan – (all) the consultants
• banyak konsultan – many consultants

How could I say this more politely or more casually?

More polite/formal:

• Beliau menjawab pertanyaan saya dengan sangat sabar.
  
  • beliau – respectful “he/she” (for someone of higher status / respect)
  • sangat sabar – very patient(ly)

More casual/informal:

• Dia jawab pertanyaan aku dengan sabar.
  
  • dropping men-: jawab instead of menjawab (common in speech)
  • dia – he/she (neutral, everyday)
  • aku – informal “I / me / my”

All versions keep the same basic meaning but adjust formality and style.