Sebelum tidur siang, saya menutup gorden supaya kamar tidak terlalu terang.

Before taking a nap, I close the curtains so the room is not too bright.

Breakdown of Sebelum tidur siang, saya menutup gorden supaya kamar tidak terlalu terang.

• saya: I
• tidak: not
• kamar: the room
• terlalu: too
• terang: bright
• sebelum: before
• supaya: so that
• gorden: the curtain
• menutup: to seal/close
• tidur siang: to take a nap

Questions & Answers about Sebelum tidur siang, saya menutup gorden supaya kamar tidak terlalu terang.

Why does the sentence start with Sebelum tidur siang, ... and why is there a comma?

Sebelum tidur siang is a time phrase meaning before (taking) a nap. Indonesian often puts time phrases at the beginning to set the scene.
The comma is optional but common in writing when a fronted phrase is followed by the main clause:

• Sebelum tidur siang, saya menutup gorden ... = Before my nap, I close the curtains ...
  In casual writing/speech, you may also see it without the comma.

Does tidur siang literally mean “sleep noon”? Is it always a nap?

Yes: tidur = sleep, siang = daytime / midday to afternoon. Together, tidur siang means a daytime nap (not a full night’s sleep).
If you want to be extra clear it’s a short nap, you can say tidur sebentar (sleep a bit) or tidur siang sebentar.

Why is it saya menutup and not just saya tutup?

Both are possible, but they differ in style and nuance:

• Saya menutup gorden. uses meN- (active verb prefix) and sounds more “standard/neutral” for formal Indonesian.
• Saya tutup gorden. is very common in everyday speech and can feel a bit more direct/casual.

How does menutup work grammatically? What is the root word?

The root is tutup (to close). With the active prefix meN-, it becomes menutup (to close [something]).
Pattern: meN- + verb root → active verb, typically followed by an object:

• menutup gorden = close the curtains

Is gorden the only word for “curtain”? What’s the difference with tirai?

Both mean “curtain,” but:

• gorden is very common in everyday Indonesian and comes from Dutch influence.
• tirai can sound slightly more “literary” or neutral and is also common (you’ll see tirai jendela = window curtains).
  In most contexts, they’re interchangeable.

Why is it menutup gorden without the or plural marking? Is it “a curtain” or “the curtains”?

Indonesian usually doesn’t require articles like a/the, and nouns often don’t mark plural unless needed. So gorden here can mean:

• the curtain / the curtains / curtains (in general)
  Context supplies the specificity. If you really want to emphasize plural, you can say gorden-gorden, but that’s often unnecessary.

What does supaya do here? How is it different from agar or biar?

supaya introduces a purpose/result clause: so that / in order that.
Similar options:

• agar = also so that, often slightly more formal/neutral in writing
• biar = more colloquial; can also mean let (it be) depending on context
  In this sentence, supaya, agar, and biar can all work, with style differences.

Why does the second clause not repeat the subject? Why not supaya kamar saya tidak terlalu terang?

Indonesian often omits a repeated subject when it’s clear from context. Here, the subject of the second clause is simply kamar (the room), not “I.”
You can add possession if you want to be explicit:

• ... supaya kamar saya tidak terlalu terang. = so that my room isn’t too bright
  Without saya, it still commonly implies “my room” because the speaker is talking about their own actions and environment.

Why is it kamar tidak terlalu terang and not kamar jangan terlalu terang?

Because this is describing a state, not giving a command.

• tidak terlalu terang = not too bright (a condition you want)
• jangan terlalu terang = don’t be too bright (sounds like you’re ordering the room/light, which is odd unless you’re speaking to someone controlling the light)
  If speaking to someone, you might say: Tolong jangan terlalu terang. (Please don’t make it too bright.)

What does terlalu mean, and where does it go in the sentence?

terlalu means too / excessively. It typically goes before an adjective or adverb:

• terlalu terang = too bright
  So tidak terlalu terang literally is not too bright.

Could I say gelap instead of tidak terlalu terang?

You could, but it changes the meaning:

• tidak terlalu terang = not too bright (maybe still somewhat bright)
• gelap = dark (much stronger)
  A closer alternative might be lebih redup (dimmer) or tidak terlalu silau (not too dazzling/glary), depending on what you mean.

How is this sentence typically pronounced, and are there any tricky parts?

Main things learners notice:

• Sebelum: stress is fairly even; vowels are clear: se-be-lum
• tidur siang: siang is usually one syllable-like syang (not see-ang)
• menutup: the e in me- is often a schwa-like sound (mənutup)
• gorden: commonly pronounced gor-den
  Also, Indonesian r is often tapped/flipped, not the English “r.”