Breakdown of Sebelum ujian, saya menenangkan diri dengan menarik napas dalam-dalam.
saya
I
dengan
with/by
sebelum
before
ujian
the exam
menarik napas
to take a breath
dalam-dalam
deeply
menenangkan diri
to calm oneself down
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Questions & Answers about Sebelum ujian, saya menenangkan diri dengan menarik napas dalam-dalam.
Why is there a comma after Sebelum ujian?
The comma marks a fronted time phrase (Sebelum ujian) before the main clause. It’s optional in many cases, but common and helpful for readability. You can also write it without a comma:
- Sebelum ujian saya menenangkan diri dengan menarik napas dalam-dalam.
Does sebelum have to be followed by a noun? Can it introduce a clause?
Sebelum can be followed by:
- a noun phrase: sebelum ujian = before the exam
- a clause (often with sebelum
- verb): sebelum ujian dimulai = before the exam starts Both are correct; the noun phrase is just shorter.
Why does it say saya instead of aku?
Saya is more neutral/formal and common in school/work contexts. Aku is more casual and intimate. In this sentence (about an exam), saya fits naturally.
How does menenangkan relate to tenang?
Tenang = calm (adj.)
With the prefix meN- and suffix -kan, it becomes a causative verb:
- menenangkan = to calm (something/someone), literally to make calm.
What does menenangkan diri mean exactly? Is it reflexive?
Yes, it’s effectively reflexive/idiomatic:
- menenangkan diri = to calm myself / to compose myself
Here diri functions like oneself. It’s a common collocation.
What’s the difference between diri and sendiri?
- diri = self (often in set phrases): menenangkan diri, mengenal diri, mengendalikan diri
- sendiri = self/alone (emphasis or “by oneself”): saya sendiri = I myself; sendirian = alone You typically say menenangkan diri, not menenangkan sendiri.
What does dengan mean here, and can it be replaced?
Dengan here means by / through (doing something), introducing the method:
- menenangkan diri dengan menarik napas... = calm myself by taking breaths... Common alternatives (depending on style):
- melalui (more formal): melalui menarik napas... (less natural)
- or just omit it and rephrase: Saya menarik napas dalam-dalam untuk menenangkan diri.
Why is it menarik napas (literally “pull breath”)? Is that normal Indonesian?
Yes. menarik napas is the standard phrase for to inhale / to take a breath. Another common verb is:
- mengambil napas = to take a breath
Both are used; menarik napas is very common.
What does dalam-dalam mean, and why is it repeated?
That’s reduplication for emphasis/intensity:
- dalam = deep
- dalam-dalam = deeply (really deep)
So menarik napas dalam-dalam = take deep breaths / inhale deeply.
Why is dalam-dalam hyphenated?
In standard Indonesian spelling, reduplication is written with a hyphen: dalam-dalam, pelan-pelan, baik-baik. In informal texting you may see it without a hyphen, but the hyphen is the norm.
Is napas the only spelling? I’ve seen nafas too.
Both appear, but napas is the standard spelling in modern Indonesian. Nafas is an older/variant spelling influenced by Arabic transliteration and is still seen.
Where is the past/future tense? Does this mean “Before the exam, I calmed myself…” or “I calm myself…”?
Indonesian doesn’t mark tense on the verb the way English does. This sentence is time-framed by Sebelum ujian and context. It can translate as:
- Before the exam, I calmed myself… (most natural)
- Before an exam, I calm myself… (habitual, if the context is general) If you want to force “habitual,” you could add biasanya: Sebelum ujian, saya biasanya menenangkan diri...