Indonesian · BIPA 1 (A1) · Chapter 41
Gajah sebesar rumahAn elephant is as big as a house
We talk about nature and animals, and learn to compare two things as "equal". Vocabulary: hewan, gajah, kelinci, burung, monyet, harimau, gunung, laut, sungai, pohon, alam, kuat. Key grammar: the equal comparison with the prefix "se-". "se- + adjective" = as ... as: "Gajah sebesar rumah" (the elephant and the house are equally big), "Harimau sekuat singa" (a tiger is as strong as a lion). In ch26 you learned "lebih ... daripada" (more) and "paling" (superlative); this chapter is about being "equally big / equally tall": use the prefix "se-". For two things at once you can also say "sama + adjective + -nya": "Dua burung ini sama kecilnya" (these two birds are equally small). Note: English speakers used to "lebih ... daripada" often say "lebih besar" when they mean "sama besar" → use "se-" for equality.
Dialogue
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Di kebun binatang— At the zoo
- BudiMike, menurutku harimau dan singa sama kuatnya.Mike, I think a tiger and a lion are equally strong.
- MikeYa! Harimau lebih kuat daripada singa.Yeah! A tiger is stronger than a lion. (slip: for "as strong as", use the prefix "se-": sekuat singa, not "lebih ... daripada" which means "stronger than")
- BudiAh, kalau setara, pakai awalan "se-", bukan "lebih ... daripada". Katakan "sekuat singa".Ah, if they're equal, use the prefix "se-", not "lebih ... daripada". Say "sekuat singa".
- MikeAh, aku paham. "Harimau sekuat singa."Ah, I get it. "Harimau sekuat singa" (a tiger is as strong as a lion).
- BudiTepat! Lalu, hewan mana yang paling besar di kebun binatang?Exactly! So, which animal is the biggest in the zoo?
- MikeGajah paling besar! Gajah sebesar rumah. Tapi aku paling suka monyet.The elephant is the biggest! An elephant is as big as a house. But I like monkeys the most.
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Alam Indonesia— Indonesia's nature
- SariMike, kamu suka gunung atau laut?Mike, do you like mountains or the sea?
- MikeAku suka keduanya sama besarnya! Alam Indonesia sangat indah.I like both equally! Indonesia's nature is very beautiful.
- SariBenar. Di Indonesia ada banyak gunung. Gunung Semeru setinggi awan!True. In Indonesia there are many mountains. Mount Semeru is as tall as the clouds!
- MikeWah! Lalu lautnya bagaimana?Wow! And the sea?
- SariLautnya sangat indah. Airnya sebening kaca.The sea is very beautiful. The water is as clear as glass.
- MikeAku ingin sekali pergi! Aku mau memotret burung dan pohon.I really want to go! I want to photograph birds and trees.
Vocabulary
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- hewan
nounanimal
- gajah
nounelephant
- kelinci
nounrabbit
- burung
nounbird
- monyet
nounmonkey
- harimau
nountiger
- gunung
nounmountain
- laut
nounsea
- sungai
nounriver
- pohon
nountree
- alam
nounnature
- kuat
adjectivestrong
Grammar
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Equal comparison: the prefix "se-"
Explanation
In ch26 you learned the "lebih" comparison ("lebih besar daripada", bigger than) and the superlative "paling". This chapter teaches how to say that two things are "equal". The most concise way is the prefix "se-" attached to the adjective: "se- + adjective" = as ... as. "Gajah sebesar rumah" (the elephant and the house are equally big), "Harimau sekuat singa" (a tiger is as strong as a lion), "Gunung ini setinggi gunung itu" (this mountain is as tall as that one). The prefix "se-" is written joined to the adjective. For two things at once you can also say "sama + adjective + -nya": "Dua burung ini sama kecilnya" (equally small). Note: English speakers used to "lebih ... daripada" from ch26 often slip and say "lebih besar" (bigger) when they mean "sama besar" (sebesar, as big). For equality, use "se-", not "lebih".
Examples
- Gajah sebesar rumah.An elephant is as big as a house.
- Harimau sekuat singa.A tiger is as strong as a lion.
- Dua burung ini sama kecilnya.These two birds are equally small.
- Gunung ini setinggi gunung itu.This mountain is as tall as that mountain.
- Apakah kelinci secepat kuda?Is a rabbit as fast as a horse?
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