A1 Collocation Neutral

Jalan raya

Main road

Phrase in 30 Seconds

Jalan raya refers to a major public road designed for high-volume traffic between cities or districts.

  • Means: A main road or highway used by many vehicles.
  • Used in: Giving directions, describing traffic, or planning a trip.
  • Don't confuse: 'Jalan tol' (toll road/freeway) with 'jalan raya' (general main road).
Car + Asphalt + Big Road = Jalan Raya

Explanation at your level:

Jalan raya is a big road for cars and buses. You use it when you want to talk about the main street in a city or town. It is very common and easy to use.
Jalan raya refers to a major public road. It is the standard term used to distinguish main thoroughfares from small residential alleys. When you are giving directions or describing where a building is located, this is the most appropriate term to use.
In Indonesian, 'jalan raya' serves as the primary descriptor for arterial roads. Unlike 'gang' (alley) or 'jalan tol' (toll road), 'jalan raya' is the generic term for a public road that facilitates significant traffic flow. It is essential for navigation and urban description.
The term 'jalan raya' is a compound noun denoting a major public thoroughfare. It is frequently employed in both colloquial and formal registers to describe infrastructure. Understanding the distinction between 'jalan raya' and specialized road types like 'jalan tol' or 'jalan arteri' is crucial for precise communication in urban planning or logistics contexts.
Linguistically, 'jalan raya' functions as a lexicalized collocation. The etymological fusion of the Malay 'jalan' and the Sanskrit-derived 'raya' reflects the historical development of Indonesian infrastructure. It serves as a semantic anchor in spatial discourse, contrasting with micro-level residential paths to define the macro-level connectivity of the Indonesian urban fabric.
The term 'jalan raya' exemplifies the intersection of indigenous Malay spatial terminology and Sanskrit-derived prestige markers. Within the cognitive framework of Indonesian urban navigation, it acts as a prototype for 'major road'. Its usage is governed by a clear binary opposition to 'gang' (the residential periphery), establishing a hierarchical structure in the mental map of the Indonesian speaker. Its stability across registers underscores its status as a foundational element of the Indonesian lexicon.

Significado

A major public road.

🌍

Contexto cultural

The 'jalan raya' is often the site of 'kaki lima' (street food vendors). Many 'jalan raya' follow the historic 'Jalan Raya Pos' (Great Post Road) built in the 19th century. Traffic jams on the 'jalan raya' are a common topic of conversation. In rural areas, the 'jalan raya' is the only paved road connecting villages.

💡

Context is key

Always use 'jalan raya' for main roads and 'gang' for alleys to sound like a local.

💬

Street food

Remember that 'jalan raya' is where you find the best street food!

Significado

A major public road.

💡

Context is key

Always use 'jalan raya' for main roads and 'gang' for alleys to sound like a local.

💬

Street food

Remember that 'jalan raya' is where you find the best street food!

Ponte a prueba

Fill in the blank with the correct term.

Mobil itu melaju cepat di ____.

✓ ¡Correcto! ✗ No del todo. Respuesta correcta: jalan raya

Cars drive on roads, and 'jalan raya' is the correct term for a main road.

Which of these is a synonym for 'jalan raya'?

Pilih sinonim yang tepat.

✓ ¡Correcto! ✗ No del todo. Respuesta correcta: jalan utama

'Jalan utama' means main road, which is similar to 'jalan raya'.

🎉 Puntuación: /2

Ayudas visuales

Preguntas frecuentes

2 preguntas

It is neutral and used in all contexts.

Yes, it is a general term for any main road.

Frases relacionadas

🔗

Jalan tol

specialized form

Toll road

🔗

Jalan kecil

contrast

Small road

🔗

Gang

contrast

Alley

🔗

Jalan protokol

similar

Main city street

Dónde usarla

📍

Asking for directions

Tourist: Permisi, di mana jalan raya?

Local: Belok kiri di depan, itu jalan raya.

neutral
🚗

Reporting traffic

Friend: Jalan raya macet sekali hari ini.

You: Ya, saya akan lewat jalan lain.

neutral
🏠

Giving an address

Client: Kantor kami ada di jalan raya utama.

You: Baik, saya akan ke sana.

formal
⚠️

Safety warning

Parent: Jangan lari ke jalan raya!

Child: Baik, Bu.

neutral
🗺️

Describing a location

Friend: Rumahmu dekat jalan raya?

You: Iya, sangat dekat.

neutral
🚌

Planning a trip

Guide: Kita akan naik bus lewat jalan raya.

Tourist: Oke, siap.

neutral

Memorize It

Mnemonic

Think of a 'Ray' of light on a big road. The 'Raya' road is the big, bright one.

Visual Association

Imagine a massive, wide, sunny road filled with colorful cars and street food carts.

Rhyme

Jalan raya, tempat kita berkarya.

Story

Budi wanted to go to the market. He walked down the small alley, but it was too long. He finally reached the big road, the jalan raya, where he caught a bus to the city center.

Word Web

jalanrayajalan tolgangkendaraanlalu lintasmacet

Desafío

Identify three 'jalan raya' in your neighborhood and describe them in one sentence each.

In Other Languages

Spanish high

Carretera principal

Spanish uses 'carretera' while Indonesian uses 'jalan'.

French high

Grande route

French uses 'route' as the base noun.

German moderate

Hauptstraße

German is a single compound word.

Japanese moderate

幹線道路 (Kansen dōro)

Japanese is more formal/technical.

Arabic high

طريق رئيسي (Tariq ra'isi)

Arabic uses 'ra'isi' (main) instead of 'raya' (great).

Chinese high

大路 (Dàlù)

Chinese is a two-character compound.

Korean high

큰길 (Keun-gil)

Korean uses native roots.

Portuguese high

Estrada principal

Portuguese uses 'estrada'.

Easily Confused

Jalan raya vs Jalan tol

Both are big roads.

Jalan tol is for highways with tolls; jalan raya is for general main roads.

Preguntas frecuentes (2)

It is neutral and used in all contexts.

Yes, it is a general term for any main road.

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