Breakdown of Guru memerhati murid di perpustakaan.
di
at
guru
the teacher
perpustakaan
the library
murid
the pupil
Questions & Answers about Guru memerhati murid di perpustakaan.
What is the basic word order in this sentence, and is it similar to English?
The sentence Guru memerhati murid di perpustakaan follows S–V–O–(Place) order:
- Guru – subject (the teacher)
- memerhati – verb (observes / watches)
- murid – object ((the) student / students)
- di perpustakaan – prepositional phrase of place (in the library)
This is very similar to English: The teacher observes (the) student(s) in the library.
You can also move the place phrase to the front for emphasis:
- Di perpustakaan, guru memerhati murid. – In the library, the teacher observes the students.
What does memerhati mean exactly, and how is it different from melihat?
Both are related to seeing, but there is a nuance:
- melihat – to see, to look at (neutral, everyday “see”)
- memerhati – to observe, to watch carefully (more focused, like “to observe”)
So:
- Guru melihat murid. – The teacher sees/looks at the student(s).
- Guru memerhati murid. – The teacher is observing / watching closely the student(s).
In many everyday contexts, melihat is more common; memerhati can sound a bit more formal or careful/attentive.