Questions & Answers about Plak menempel pada gigi.
What does plak mean in Indonesian? Is it the same as English plaque?
Yes. In this sentence, plak refers to dental plaque—the sticky film that builds up on teeth.
It is a loanword used in health and dental contexts. In everyday Indonesian, especially in medical or dental explanations, plak gigi means dental plaque.
What does menempel mean here?
Menempel means to stick, to cling, or to adhere.
So in this sentence, it describes plaque as being attached to the teeth.
A useful related pair is:
- menempel = to stick / be stuck / adhere
- menempelkan = to stick something onto something
For example:
- Plak menempel pada gigi. = plaque sticks to the teeth
- Dia menempelkan poster di dinding. = he/she sticks a poster on the wall
Why is it menempel and not tempel?
Tempel is the base word. Adding the prefix meN- makes it menempel.
This is a very common Indonesian pattern. When meN- is added to a root beginning with t, the t usually drops:
- tempel → menempel
- tulis → menulis
- tarik → menarik
So menempel is the normal derived form from tempel.