Kain itu basah, jadi Ibu menjemurnya di balkon.

Indonesian often does not use a verb like to be in simple descriptive sentences.

So:

• Kain itu basah = The cloth is wet
• literally: cloth that wet

This is completely normal in Indonesian. When you describe something with an adjective, you usually just put the adjective after the noun.

More examples:

• Rumah itu besar = That house is big
• Airnya dingin = The water is cold

In this sentence, itu means that or the depending on context.

• kain itu = that cloth / the cloth

In Indonesian, demonstratives like ini and itu usually come after the noun:

• rumah ini = this house
• buku itu = that book

English learners often expect that cloth, but Indonesian says cloth that.

Also, in natural translation, kain itu can sometimes sound like the cloth if the object is already known from context.

Kain is a general word for cloth, fabric, or piece of cloth.

Depending on context, it could refer to:

• cloth
• fabric
• clothing material
• a textile item

So in this sentence, kain itu basah could mean something like the cloth/fabric was wet.

If the speaker wanted to be more specific, they might use another word, for example:

• baju = shirt/clothes
• handuk = towel
• selimut = blanket

But kain is broader and more general.

Here, jadi means so, therefore, or as a result.

It connects the two clauses:

• Kain itu basah = The cloth was wet
• jadi = so
• Ibu menjemurnya di balkon = Mother dried it on the balcony

So the whole sentence means:

• The cloth was wet, so Mother hung it out to dry on the balcony.

Be aware that jadi can also have other meanings in Indonesian, such as become in different contexts:

• Dia jadi guru = He became a teacher

But in this sentence, it is clearly a connector meaning so.

Ibu can mean different things depending on context:

1. mother / mom
2. Mrs. / ma’am as a polite form of address

In this sentence, Ibu most naturally means Mother or Mom.

It is capitalized because it is being used like a name or title, similar to English Mom in:

• Mom is cooking

Compare:

• Ibu menjemurnya di balkon = Mom/Mother dried it on the balcony
• ibu saya = my mother (usually lowercase in the middle of a sentence)

So the capitalization helps show it is being used as a title.

Menjemurnya has two parts:

• menjemur = to dry something by hanging it in the sun / air out
• -nya = it (in this sentence)

So:

• menjemurnya = dry it / hang it out to dry

This comes from the root:

• jemur = dry in the sun

With the prefix meN-, it becomes an active verb:

• menjemur = to dry something in the sun

Then adding -nya gives the object:

• menjemurnya = to dry it

No. -nya has several uses in Indonesian.

In this sentence, -nya means it, referring back to kain itu.

So:

• menjemurnya = to dry it

But -nya can also mean:

• his/her/their
• the
• a kind of softening or nominalizing element in some contexts

Examples:

• bukunya = his/her book, or the book
• rumahnya besar = his/her house is big
• membacanya = read it

So learners should not assume -nya only means his or her. Here it is best understood as it.

It could be. Indonesian often avoids repeating a noun if it is already clear.

Both are possible:

• Ibu menjemur kain itu di balkon = Mother dried/hung the cloth on the balcony
• Ibu menjemurnya di balkon = Mother dried/hung it on the balcony

Using -nya sounds natural because kain itu was just mentioned in the first clause. English does the same thing:

• The cloth was wet, so Mother dried it on the balcony.

Instead of repeating the cloth, Indonesian uses -nya.

It usually means specifically to dry by putting something out, often in the sun or open air.

So menjemur is not the same as a very general English dry in all situations.

For example:

• menjemur pakaian = hang clothes out to dry
• menjemur kasur = air out / sun a mattress

In this sentence, because the cloth is put di balkon, the idea is likely hanging it out to dry, probably in sunlight or fresh air.

So a very natural translation is:

• The cloth was wet, so Mother hung it out to dry on the balcony.

Di is a preposition meaning in, at, or on, depending on context.

Here:

• di balkon = on the balcony

So:

• Ibu menjemurnya di balkon = Mother hung it out to dry on the balcony

A very important point for learners:

• di as a preposition is written separately
• di- as a passive verb prefix is written attached

Compare:

• di balkon = on the balcony
• dijemur = is dried / is hung out to dry

This spelling difference is very important in Indonesian.

This follows the normal Indonesian word order:

• Subject + Verb + Object + Place

So:

• Ibu = subject
• menjemurnya = verb + object
• di balkon = place

This is very similar to English:

• Mother dried it on the balcony

Indonesian is often quite straightforward in its basic sentence order.

You could move some parts for emphasis in conversation, but this sentence uses the most standard and neutral structure.

Balkon is a loanword, ultimately from European languages, and it means balcony.

Indonesian contains many borrowed words, including from:

• Dutch
• Sanskrit
• Arabic
• Portuguese
• English

So balkon is a normal Indonesian noun meaning balcony.

In the sentence:

• di balkon = on the balcony

Yes, depending on the situation.

A more casual spoken version might be something like:

• Kainnya basah, jadi Ibu jemur di balkon.
• Kain itu basah, jadi Ibu jemur di balkon.

In casual speech, Indonesians often shorten or simplify things when the meaning is obvious.

But the original sentence:

• Kain itu basah, jadi Ibu menjemurnya di balkon.

is clear, grammatical, and natural, especially in standard written Indonesian.