Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Murid-murid membaca kalimat itu satu per satu di kelas. - The students read that sentence one by one in class.

Reduplication (murid-murid) is one common way to show that a noun is plural in Indonesian.
However, Indonesian does not need to mark plural every time:

murid = student / students (singular or plural, depending on context)
murid-murid = clearly students (emphasizes “more than one”)

So:

murid membaca could mean “a student reads” or “the students read”
murid-murid membaca has to mean “the students read”

Plural marking is often optional and guided by context, numbers, or quantifiers (e.g. banyak murid, tiga murid, para murid).

Could we just say murid instead of murid-murid here? Would the sentence still be correct?

Yes, Murid membaca kalimat itu satu per satu di kelas is grammatically correct.
In real use, context would usually make it clear that murid here means “students” and not just one student, especially with satu per satu (“one by one”), which strongly suggests there is more than one.

Using murid-murid simply makes the plurality explicit and a bit more emphatic.

What’s the difference between murid-murid and para murid?

Both refer to “the students,” but with a slight nuance:

murid-murid – neutral, very common in both spoken and written Indonesian.
para murid – a bit more formal or literary, often used in speeches, writing, or when addressing a group politely/respectfully.

Example:

Para murid diminta duduk dengan tenang.
“The students are asked to sit quietly.” (sounds a bit formal)

How do we know whether membaca is past, present, or future here?

Indonesian verbs like membaca don’t change form for tense.
Murid-murid membaca kalimat itu… can mean:

“The students read that sentence…” (past)
“The students are reading that sentence…” (present)
“The students will read that sentence…” (future), if the context makes it clear.

To show time more clearly, Indonesian uses time words:

tadi (earlier), kemarin (yesterday) → past
sedang (currently), sekarang (now) → present/ongoing
nanti, besok (tomorrow) → future

For example:
Tadi murid-murid membaca kalimat itu satu per satu di kelas.
“Earlier, the students read that sentence one by one in class.”

Why is it membaca and not just baca?

Baca is the basic root form “to read.”
Membaca is formed with the prefix meN- + baca, which creates an active verb form:

meN-
- baca → membaca

In standard Indonesian sentences with a clear subject, we normally use the meN- form:

Murid-murid membaca kalimat itu. (standard)
Murid-murid baca kalimat itu. (more informal / conversational)

The bare root baca is common in:

commands: Baca kalimat itu! – “Read that sentence!”
casual speech, especially after pronouns: Saya baca dulu, ya.

In kalimat itu, why does itu come after kalimat, not before like in English “that sentence”?

In Indonesian, demonstratives like ini (“this”) and itu (“that”) usually come after the noun:

kalimat itu = that sentence
buku ini = this book

Putting itu before a noun (itu kalimat) is unusual and usually only occurs in special emphatic or poetic styles. The normal pattern in everyday Indonesian is:

[Noun] + ini / itu

Is itu here more like “that” or more like “the”?

Literally, itu means “that,” but in many contexts it also functions like a marker of definiteness, similar to English “the” for something known/specific.

kalimat itu can be understood as:

“that sentence” (the one we’ve mentioned or can point to), or
“the sentence” (the specific sentence everyone knows we are talking about)

So itu signals that the sentence is specific, not just any random sentence.

What exactly does satu per satu mean, and how is it different from satu-satu?

Both can mean “one by one,” but there’s a nuance:

satu per satu – a bit more standard/neutral, often used in narration and formal or written contexts.
satu-satu – also “one by one,” but can sound slightly more casual or sometimes like “one at a time” in everyday speech.

In your sentence, satu per satu emphasizes that the students take turns reading, one after another in sequence.
You could say:

Murid-murid membaca kalimat itu satu per satu di kelas.
Murid-murid membaca kalimat itu satu-satu di kelas. (more casual)

What does per mean in satu per satu? Is it the same as English “per”?

Yes, per is a loanword and works similarly to English “per,” especially in:

tiga kali per minggu – three times per week
60 kilometer per jam – 60 kilometers per hour

In satu per satu, it literally looks like “one per one,” but it’s a fixed expression meaning “one by one” or “one at a time.”

Can we move di kelas to another position, like the beginning of the sentence?

Yes. Adverbials like di kelas (in class) are quite flexible in Indonesian. All of these are acceptable:

Murid-murid membaca kalimat itu satu per satu di kelas.
Di kelas, murid-murid membaca kalimat itu satu per satu.
Murid-murid di kelas membaca kalimat itu satu per satu.
(this can subtly emphasize “the students in the class” as a group)

The basic core order is Subject–Verb–Object (Murid-murid – membaca – kalimat itu), and phrases like di kelas can move around as long as the meaning stays clear.

Why do we use di with kelas? What about di kelas vs di dalam kelas?

Di is the usual preposition for “at / in / on” a place:

di rumah – at home
di sekolah – at school
di kelas – in class / in the classroom

Di dalam kelas literally means “inside the classroom.” The difference is mainly nuance:

di kelas – neutral; in class / in the classroom (most common phrasing)
di dalam kelas – emphasizes being inside the classroom (contrasted with outside, hallway, etc.)

In your sentence, di kelas is completely natural and usually preferred.

Could we say Setiap murid membaca kalimat itu di kelas instead of using satu per satu? What’s the difference?

Yes, you can say:

Setiap murid membaca kalimat itu di kelas.
“Each student reads that sentence in class.”

Differences:

satu per satu – focuses on the sequence / turn-taking (one after another).
setiap murid – focuses on each individual doing the action, but doesn’t explicitly say they do it in order.

So satu per satu paints a clearer picture of a queue or order: first student A reads, then B, then C, and so on.

Is there any difference in nuance if we say kalimat tersebut instead of kalimat itu?

Yes. Both point to a specific sentence, but:

kalimat itu – neutral, common in everyday speech and writing.
kalimat tersebut – more formal and “written-sounding,” often used in news articles, reports, or academic texts.

So:

Murid-murid membaca kalimat itu satu per satu di kelas. – perfectly natural in spoken and written Indonesian.
Murid-murid membaca kalimat tersebut satu per satu di kelas. – sounds more formal, like something from a report or exercise instructions.