Saya mencari sisir di laci kamar mandi, lalu memakai sampo baru sebelum berangkat.

Cari is the root word meaning to look for / search for.

Mencari is the active verb form built with the meN- prefix, which is very common in standard Indonesian. In full sentences, especially neutral or formal ones, learners will often see this prefixed form.

So:

• cari = root / dictionary base
• mencari = to look for, used as a normal active verb in a sentence

That is why Saya mencari sisir... sounds natural as I was looking for a comb... or I looked for a comb...

In casual speech, Indonesians may sometimes say Saya cari sisir..., but Saya mencari sisir... is more standard.

Both saya and aku can mean I, but they differ in tone.

• saya = more neutral, polite, standard
• aku = more informal, personal, often used with friends, family, or in casual situations

So Saya mencari... sounds like a safe, standard sentence for learners and for general writing.

If you changed it to Aku mencari sisir..., the meaning would stay the same, but the tone would become more casual.

Indonesian does not normally use articles like English a, an, and the.

So:

• sisir can mean a comb or the comb
• laci can mean a drawer or the drawer
• sampo baru can mean a new shampoo or the new shampoo

The exact meaning depends on context.

That is very normal in Indonesian. Learners often want to translate word-for-word from English, but Indonesian usually leaves this unspecified unless the speaker adds extra words for clarity.

For example, if someone really wanted to specify a comb, they might say sebuah sisir, but in ordinary speech that is often unnecessary.

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

So:

• di laci kamar mandi = in the bathroom drawer

A very important beginner point: this di is separate from the word after it because it is a preposition.

• di laci = in the drawer

This is different from the prefix di-, which is attached to a verb in passive forms.

Compare:

• di laci = in the drawer → preposition, written separately
• dipakai = is used / was used → passive verb prefix, written together

Indonesian often forms noun phrases by putting nouns together, with the later noun describing the earlier one.

So:

• laci = drawer
• kamar mandi = bathroom
• laci kamar mandi = bathroom drawer or the drawer in the bathroom

This kind of noun stacking is very common in Indonesian.

Similar examples:

• pintu kamar = bedroom door / room door
• meja makan = dining table
• air minum = drinking water

So di laci kamar mandi naturally means in the bathroom drawer.

In Indonesian, adjectives usually come after the noun they describe.

So:

• sampo baru = new shampoo
• rumah besar = big house
• buku bagus = good book

This is one of the most noticeable differences from English word order.

So sampo baru is completely normal Indonesian structure.

In this sentence, baru most naturally means new, so sampo baru = new shampoo.

However, baru can also have other meanings in different contexts, such as just or only just.

For example:

• Saya baru makan. = I just ate.
• Dia baru datang. = He/She just arrived.

But in memakai sampo baru, baru is attached to sampo, so it describes the shampoo itself. That makes new shampoo the natural reading.

Yes, both can often mean to use, but there is a slight difference in feel.

• memakai = use, wear, put on; very common in everyday language
• menggunakan = use; often sounds a bit more formal or technical

With things like shampoo, clothes, glasses, and everyday objects, memakai is very natural.

So:

• memakai sampo = to use shampoo

This verb is also used for wearing things:

• memakai baju = to wear clothes
• memakai kacamata = to wear glasses

So memakai is a very useful verb, but learners should remember it can mean both use and wear, depending on the object.

Lalu means something like then, after that, or next.

It connects the two actions:

1. Saya mencari sisir di laci kamar mandi
2. lalu memakai sampo baru sebelum berangkat

So the sequence is:

• first, looking for the comb
• then, using the new shampoo
• before leaving

It helps show the order of events.

Other common connectors with a similar function include kemudian and terus, but lalu is a very natural and common choice.

It could say lalu saya memakai..., but Indonesian often omits the subject when it is already clear from context.

So:

• Saya mencari sisir..., lalu memakai sampo baru...

is understood as:

• Saya mencari sisir..., lalu saya memakai sampo baru...

Because the subject is obviously still the same person, repeating saya is not necessary.

This kind of omission is very common in Indonesian and makes sentences sound more natural and less repetitive.

Sebelum means before.

Berangkat means to leave, to depart, or to set off.

So:

• sebelum berangkat = before leaving / before I left

Again, the subject is omitted because it is already understood from the earlier part of the sentence. The sentence is still talking about saya.

So this is basically:

• ...before I left

not

• ...before someone left

unless context suggested otherwise.

This is another common Indonesian feature: subjects are often left out when they are obvious.

Both can relate to going, but they are not exactly the same.

• pergi = to go
• berangkat = to leave / depart / set off

Berangkat focuses more on the act of leaving, especially the start of a trip or departure from a place.

So in sebelum berangkat, the idea is before leaving / before setting off, which fits very naturally.

If you used sebelum pergi, that could also work in many contexts, but berangkat often sounds a bit more specifically about departure.

Indonesian verbs do not change form for tense the way English verbs do.

So mencari, memakai, and berangkat do not themselves tell you whether the action is past, present, or future.

The time is usually understood from context, or from extra time words such as:

• kemarin = yesterday
• tadi = earlier
• sekarang = now
• besok = tomorrow

This sentence could be interpreted in different ways depending on context:

• I looked for a comb in the bathroom drawer, then used the new shampoo before leaving.
• I am looking for a comb... then using the new shampoo before leaving.

But without extra context, many learners will naturally read it as a past sequence in a narrative.

The comma helps separate the two parts of the sentence and makes the sequence easier to read:

• first clause: Saya mencari sisir di laci kamar mandi
• second clause: lalu memakai sampo baru sebelum berangkat

It is similar to how English often uses a comma before then in longer sentences.

In casual writing, punctuation in Indonesian can be somewhat flexible, but this comma is completely normal and helps clarity.

Yes. A more casual version might be:

• Aku cari sisir di laci kamar mandi, terus pakai sampo baru sebelum berangkat.

Changes:

• Saya → Aku for a more informal I
• mencari → cari in casual speech
• lalu → terus, a common conversational connector
• memakai → pakai, the shorter everyday form

The meaning stays basically the same, but the tone becomes more spoken and informal.

Yes. Sampo is the standard Indonesian spelling.

Indonesian often adapts foreign words to Indonesian spelling patterns, so English shampoo becomes sampo.

This is very common in Indonesian. Other borrowed words are also often adjusted to match Indonesian pronunciation and spelling.