Kakek memakai pegangan ketika sendinya terasa nyeri.

Kakek literally means grandfather, but in Indonesian it can also refer to an old man depending on context.

In a sentence like Kakek memakai pegangan ketika sendinya terasa nyeri, it most naturally means Grandfather if the speaker is talking about their grandfather, but it could also be understood as the old man in the right context.

A few related words:

• kakek = grandfather / old man
• nenek = grandmother / old woman

Yes, memakai often means to wear, especially with clothes:

• memakai baju = to wear clothes

But it also has a broader meaning: to use. That is the meaning here.

So:

• memakai pegangan = to use a support / to use a handhold / to hold onto something for support

This is a very common feature of Indonesian: one verb can cover several meanings that English separates.

Pegangan comes from the root pegang, which means to hold.

Pegangan can mean:

• something to hold onto
• a handle
• a handhold
• a support
• sometimes even a guideline or principle in other contexts

In this sentence, it refers to something used for support, such as:

• a handrail
• a handle
• a walking support, depending on context

So the exact English translation depends on the situation shown to the learner.

Sendi means joint in the body, and -nya here usually means his/her/their or sometimes the depending on context.

So sendinya most naturally means:

• his joints
• her joints
• or the joints if the possessor is already obvious

Since the subject is kakek, sendinya is understood as his joints.

This kind of possessive marking is very common in Indonesian:

• tangannya = his/her hand, hands
• kakinya = his/her leg, legs
• rumahnya = his/her house

In Indonesian, nouns do not have to change form for singular vs. plural the way English does.

So sendi can mean:

• joint
• joints

The context tells you whether it is singular or plural.

That means sendinya can be:

• his joint
• his joints

If the intended meaning is multiple joints, Indonesian often leaves it unmarked unless there is a reason to emphasize plurality.

You could make the plural explicit with reduplication:

• sendi-sendinya = his joints

But in natural Indonesian, sendinya is often enough.

This is an excellent question because learners often confuse them.

• merasa = to feel
• terasa = to feel / to be felt / to feel as if, often describing a sensation that is experienced

In this sentence:

• sendinya terasa nyeri = his joints feel painful / his joints feel sore

Why not merasa? Because merasa is usually used when the subject is the experiencer:

• Kakek merasa nyeri di sendinya = Grandfather feels pain in his joints

But here the subject is sendinya:

• sendinya terasa nyeri = his joints feel painful

So terasa fits the structure better.

Yes, ketika means when in this sentence.

It introduces a time clause:

• ketika sendinya terasa nyeri = when his joints feel painful

It is somewhat neutral to slightly formal in tone. Other common options are:

• saat = when
• waktu = when
• kalau = if / when, more conditional or conversational depending on context

So this sentence could also be phrased with saat in many situations, but ketika is perfectly good Indonesian.

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

• sakit = sick, ill, painful, hurt
• nyeri = pain, painful, sore, aching; often more specific or slightly more formal/medical

So:

• sendinya terasa nyeri sounds a bit more specific to physical pain or soreness in the joints
• sendinya terasa sakit is also understandable and common, but slightly less specific

You will often see nyeri in health-related contexts:

• nyeri punggung = back pain
• nyeri sendi = joint pain

The word order is very normal.

The sentence is structured like this:

• Kakek = subject
• memakai = verb
• pegangan = object
• ketika sendinya terasa nyeri = time clause

So literally:

• Grandfather uses a support when his joints feel painful.

Indonesian often puts time clauses either at the beginning or the end.

Both are possible:

• Kakek memakai pegangan ketika sendinya terasa nyeri.
• Ketika sendinya terasa nyeri, kakek memakai pegangan.

The meaning is basically the same.

Yes. English usually requires that possessive to sound natural, while Indonesian often leaves it more compact.

In Indonesian:

• sendinya already includes the idea of his/her/the

Because the subject is kakek, we naturally understand:

• sendinya = his joints

So when translating into English, adding his is usually necessary for natural English, even though Indonesian does not use a separate word like English does.

It is understandable, but whether it sounds fully natural depends on the exact context.

Why? Because pegangan is a fairly broad word. Indonesians might also say more specific things such as:

• berpegangan = to hold on
• memegang pegangan = to hold the handle/handhold
• menggunakan tongkat = to use a cane
• berpegangan pada pegangan = to hold onto a handrail/handle

So memakai pegangan can work if the intended meaning is using some support, but in real-life speech a more specific expression may sometimes sound more natural.

This is less about grammar being wrong and more about vocabulary choice depending on the situation.

Yes, that is normal.

Indonesian often uses family terms as nouns by themselves:

• Ibu memasak. = Mother is cooking. / Mrs. ... is cooking.
• Ayah bekerja. = Father is working.
• Kakek duduk di sana. = Grandfather is sitting there.

So Kakek can stand alone as the subject without needing a personal name.

Yes. Depending on the nuance, some everyday alternatives might be:

• Kakek berpegangan ketika sendinya terasa nyeri.
• Kakek memegang pegangan saat sendinya terasa nyeri.
• Saat sendinya terasa nyeri, kakek memakai alat bantu.

These versions shift the meaning slightly:

• berpegangan focuses on holding on
• memegang pegangan focuses on grabbing the handhold
• alat bantu means assistive device / aid

So the best version depends on what the original meaning is supposed to be.