Sopir itu hampir menabrak pagar karena jalanan licin.

That driver almost hit the fence because the road was slippery.

Breakdown of Sopir itu hampir menabrak pagar karena jalanan licin.

• adalah: to be
• sebuah: a
• itu: that
• karena: because

Questions & Answers about Sopir itu hampir menabrak pagar karena jalanan licin.

What does itu mean in sopir itu?

In this sentence, itu works like that or the one we’re talking about.

So sopir itu means:

• that driver
• or, depending on context, the driver

In Indonesian, itu often comes after the noun:

• sopir itu = that driver
• rumah itu = that house
• mobil itu = that car

So the order is different from English.

Why is the order sopir itu, not itu sopir?

Because when itu is a determiner meaning that, it usually follows the noun.

Examples:

• orang itu = that person
• buku itu = that book
• anak itu = that child

If you say itu sopir, it would usually mean something more like that is a driver or it would need special context. So in your sentence, sopir itu is the normal pattern.

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

Hampir means almost.

It usually comes before the verb or action:

• = almost hit / almost crashed into