Bagian belakang kursi itu retak.

In Indonesian, bagian belakang means the back part or the rear section.

• bagian = part
• belakang = back, rear

The head word usually comes first, and the describing word comes after it. So bagian belakang is literally part back, meaning the back part.

If you said belakang bagian, it would sound unnatural in this context.

It means the back part of that chair.

You can break it down like this:

• bagian belakang = back part
• kursi = chair
• kursi itu = that chair

So:

• bagian belakang kursi itu = the back part of that chair

Indonesian often links nouns together without using a word like of. English says the back part of that chair, but Indonesian just places the nouns in sequence.

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

So:

• kursi itu = that chair
• kursi ini = this chair

This is different from English, where we say that chair with that before the noun.

Usually it means that chair, but in some contexts it can also feel like the chair if both speaker and listener already know which chair is being discussed.

So itu often marks something as identifiable or already known, not just physically distant.

In this sentence, the most direct translation is still that chair.

Indonesian often leaves out the verb to be when describing something.

So:

• Bagian belakang kursi itu retak.
• literally: The back part of that chair cracked/broken.
• natural English: The back of that chair is cracked.

This is very normal in Indonesian. When the predicate is an adjective or a descriptive word, you often do not need adalah.

Here, retak functions like an adjective meaning cracked.

So the sentence describes the condition of the chair’s back part.

However, Indonesian words can be flexible. Retak can also relate to the idea of cracking depending on context. In this sentence, it is clearly describing a state:

• retak = cracked, having a crack

Yes, you might hear that, but it can be slightly less precise depending on context.

• bagian belakang kursi itu = the back part of that chair
• belakang kursi itu = the back of that chair

Both can work, but bagian belakang sounds a bit more explicit, as if you are referring specifically to one section or part of the chair.

So the original sentence is very natural if the speaker wants to emphasize the rear section.

The structure is:

• Bagian belakang kursi itu = subject
• retak = predicate/description

So it works like:

• [Subject] + [description]

Indonesian often forms simple descriptive sentences this way, without a separate word for is.

A simple approximate pronunciation for an English speaker is:

• bah-GEE-an
• beh-LAH-kahng
• KOOR-see
• EE-too
• ruh-TAK

A few helpful notes:

• g in bagian is a hard g, like in go
• ng in belakang is like the final sound in sing
• r is usually tapped or lightly rolled
• the final k in retak may sound unreleased or very light in many accents

Because Indonesian usually expresses relationships between nouns very simply by putting them next to each other.

So instead of something like:

• that chair has a back part which is cracked

Indonesian more naturally says:

• Bagian belakang kursi itu retak.

This is compact and natural. Using punya would sound less elegant and usually unnecessary here.

Not usually. Retak specifically suggests cracked rather than fully broken apart.

So if something is retak, it has a crack or fracture, but it is not necessarily destroyed.

That is why retak fits well for something like wood, glass, walls, or furniture surfaces.