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Victorian School of Languages Distance Education

Department of Education, Victoria

VCE INDONESIAN
Tata Bahasa
(Grammar Supplement)
This grammar reference was written by members of the Indonesian faculty,
Victorian School of Languages Distance Education Section.
Edited by Tess Lee Ack.

© VICTORIAN SCHOOL OF LANGUAGES


Department of Education, Victoria, 2007
Produced by the Victorian School of Languages

Copyright protects this publication. Except for purposes permitted by the Copyright Act, reproduction
by whatever means is prohibited. However, limited photocopying for classroom use is permitted by
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should be addressed to the Copyright Officer, Legislative Services, Department of Education and
Training, GPO Box 4367, Melbourne 3001.

Victorian School of Languages Distance Education Section


Address: 315 Clarendon Street Thornbury 3071
Telephone: (03) 9474 0502 1800 675 872
Fax: (03) 9416 8598
Email: info@vsl.vic.edu.au
Websites: administration: http://www.vsl.vic.edu.au
course materials: http://www.languages.vic.edu.au
Contents
List of grammatical terms 1
Word order 3
ada and adalah 5
Negation: tidak and bukan 7
Classifiers 8
Affixation 9
ber- and me- prefixes 10
Summary of me- forms 13
Object Construction (Passive Voice) 14
yang 16
pe-; per- 17
memper- 19
-an 21
pe-an; per-an 22
ke-an 23
ter- 25
me-kan; me- 26
-kan meaning untuk 27
-kan and kepada 30
me-i 31
se- 33
pun and -lah 34
-nya 36
Interrogatives 39
Imperatives 40
Duplication 42
Prepositions 45
bahwa and yang 47
seperti and sebagai 47
supaya and sehingga 48
sambil and sedangkan 48
baik…maupun 48
kecuali and di samping (…juga) 48
atau…atau 49
bukan/tidak…melainkan 49
makin lama makin… 49
makin…makin… 50
demikian/begitu/demikian…sampai/sehingga 50
mentang-mentang 50
Expressing if and when in Indonesian 51
Commonly used phrases 52
Some common mistakes 53
Writing skills 54
Complex sentences: conjunctions 55
clauses with yang karena, sehingga, sampai 56
juga pun, meskipun, 57
untuk, dengan seperti, sebagai, seakan-akan, 58
makin…makin 58
Temporal and conditional relationships 59
Types of sentences 60
1

List of Grammatical Definitions

This is a very basic but particularly important part of any study of Indonesian, as any grammatical
explanation will contain terms such as those below, and unless you appreciate their meanings,
confusion may set in. The first essential question to ask yourself is: “What kind of work does this word
do in the sentence?” The answer should tell you what category the word belongs to.

Nouns
If a word gives a name to a person, place, object or idea it is called a noun. A simple test of whether a
word is a noun is to see if you can say the or a before it – for example: the teacher, the city, the book.
(The exception to this is so-called proper nouns, i.e. the names of people and places, such as Jane or
Indonesia.) There are various groupings of nouns, but the only one you need be aware of as a separate
entity is what we call abstract nouns.

Abstract nouns
Rather than a person or thing, these nouns denote quality, state or action, for example cleverness,
poverty, laughter, independence etc. These words are still nouns because you will notice they can all
have either the or a in front of them. It is important to recognise these words as nouns especially when
it comes to studying the ke-an forms, as some ke-an forms are nouns and others are verbs.

Pronouns
If a word refers to a person or thing without naming that person or thing the word is called a pronoun.
For example: he, she, it, them, etc.
There are five basic types of pronouns

1 Personal pronouns – I, you, he, she, etc.


2 Possessive pronouns – his, hers, theirs, mine, yours, etc.
3 Demonstrative pronouns – this, that, etc.
4 Relative pronouns – who, which, that, etc.
5 Interrogative pronouns – who? which? what? etc.

Adjectives
If a word describes or adds meaning to a noun it is called an adjective, for example: white horse, old
house.

™ There is an important distinction to be made between this as an adjective and “this” as a pronoun.
In “this book”, this is being used as an adjective, so in Indonesian it would go after the noun, i.e.,
buku ini. In “this is a book”, this is being used as a substitute for a noun, i.e. as a pronoun, so in
Indonesian it will go in front of the noun, i.e. ini buku.

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Verbs
If a word is referring to an action – a doing word – it is called a verb. For example, in the sentence
“John hit the ball”, John and the ball are nouns here whereas hit is a verb. There are three basic types
of verbs you must know.

1 Transitive verbs
A transitive verb is one where the action is being done to some person or thing.
For example, in the sentence “John hit the ball”, the ball is the object of the action – it gets hit.
At this stage it is worth pointing out that transitive verbs (those that take an object) can have
two sentence constructions – one where the subject (doer of the action) comes first (active
voice) e.g, “John hit the ball” or one where the object comes first (passive voice or object
construction) e.g. “The ball was hit by John”. Note that it is this latter construction that
corresponds to the Indonesian Object Construction.

2 Intransitive verbs
An intransitive verb is one that takes no object, i.e. the action stops with the doer
For example: John sleeps. The volcano erupted. The sun is shining.

3 Auxiliary verbs
These are verbs that help other verbs to indicate tense (time) or to create a mood or indicate an
intention. For example: John will hit the ball. She is reading. They were running quickly. We
must help them. They can come. etc.

Prepositions
If a word expresses some relationship between two persons or things (i.e., shows what the one has to
do with the other) the word is a preposition. For example: I live in this house. There are many
common words in this group: in, at, on, about, from, with, for etc.

Conjunctions
If a word joins one sentence to another so as to make a longer sentence, or if it joins one part of speech
to another, it is called a conjunction. For example: They were happy because they had passed the
exam. John fed the dog and the cat.
Other examples of conjunctions are: although, while, when, whereas, but etc.

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Adverbs
If a word adds meaning to or qualifies a verb or an adjective, it is an
adverb. For example: Budi patted the cat gently.

These are the main categories of adverbs.

1 Quality or Manner – She acted stupidly.


2 Quantity or Degree – She is very clever.
3 Number – He often laughed.
4 Time – He has already left.
5 Place – She must sleep here.

Perhatian!
This is a very simple and brief survey of grammatical terms, but hopefully it
will aid you in understanding the following summary of the major grammatical
points covered in VCE Indonesian. During the course, we will go over these
concepts in more detail.

Word order

The first cardinal rule in Indonesian is that describing words go after the words described.
There are three possible types of describing words:

1 Demonstratives – ini and itu (this and that)


Examples: rumah ini – this house
rumah itu – that house
Note the difference between rumah ini – this house and ini rumah – this is a house.

2 Adjectives
Examples: rumah besar – big house
rumah mahal – expensive house

You can combine an adjective and a demonstrative.


Example: rumah besar ini – this big house

But you cannot have two adjectives together – they must be separated by dan or yang.
Examples: rumah ini besar dan gelap – this house is big and dark
rumah yang besar ini gelap – this big house is dark

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3 Possessives
Possessive pronouns include saya, (my), saudara, kamu, engkau, Anda (your), -nya (his, her,
their, its) etc.

You can combine a possessive and an adjective…


Examples: rumah saya – my house
rumah besar saya – my big house

…or proper names (John, Bendigo, etc)


Example: rumah Jane – Janes’s house

…or more extensive constructions like:


rumah adik saya – my younger brother’s house

Where the phrase is a complex one and the noun has many words describing it, it is necessary to
place itu/ini at the end of the phrase to round it off.
Examples: rumah kecil orang itu – that person’s small house
rumah yang berwarna kuning ini – this yellow coloured house.

Note how complex these constructions can become.


rumah hijau adik perempuan saya – my younger sister’s green house

Certain words such as banyak, kurang, sedikit and numbers do not follow this pattern but rather
precede the words they qualify.
Example: dua orang menempati rumah ini – two people live in this house

Note the following examples:


ini buku – this is a book
buku ini – this book
buku besar ini – this big book
buku besar saya – my big book
ini buku besar saya – this is my big book

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Ada and Adalah

Most Indonesian sentences do not require the verb to be.


Example: Rumah ini besar. – This house is big.

The only exception is in the case of equational sentences (A = B), i.e. between two nouns.
Example: Ayah saya petani. – My father is a farmer.

In this case the word adalah is not really necessary and its use should be avoided.

However, once the subject (that part of the sentence coming before the verb) or the predicate (that part
of the sentence coming after the verb) exceeds three words you should incorporate the use of
adalah/ialah. Note that ialah should only be used with the third person (he, she, it, they or names).
Examples: Sumpah pemuda adalah ungkapan cita-cita bangsa Indonesia.
The youth oath was an expression of the ideals of the Indonesian nation.
Orang yang berdiri dekat pintu belakang itu ialah ibunya.
The woman standing near the rear door is their mother.

Adalah/ialah cannot however be used after yang. In those cases where yang is used with an abstract
noun, merupakan may be used.
Example: Bermain tennis yang merupakan kebiasaan seharihari baginya harus
diadakan selema musin panas saja.
Playing tennis, which is a daily habit for him/her, must only be done during
summer.

Do not confuse adalah and ada. Ada implies exists or is present.


It does not mean just is, so it cannot be used in place of adalah.

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There are four basic uses of ada, the first three of which should be familiar to you.

1 ada meaning there is or there are.


Examples: Ada tamu di rumah saya.
There is a guest in my house.
Di kota Oodnadatta ada rumah sakit.
In Oodnadatta there is a hospital.

2 ada meaning to be present.


Examples: Ayah saya ada di kantor.
My father is in the office.
Ibu saya ada di Sydney.
My mother is in Sydney.

3 ada meaning to exist.


Examples: Tuhan itu ada.
God exists.
Sebelum rumah itu dibangun pohon itu sudah ada.
Before the house was built the tree was already there.

4 ada (colloquially) meaning to have. (The word commonly used for this is
mempunyai.)
Examples: Kami ada sedikit urang.
We have a little money.
Mereka tidak ada waktu.
They have no time.

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Tidak and Bukan

Tidak is used to negate adjectives (describing words) and verbs (doing words).
It cannot be used in equational sentences, i.e. between two nouns.
Examples: Tempat kerja ayah saya tidak jauh dari sini.
Where my father works is not far from here.
Orang yang adiknya masuk universitas tidak kaya.
The person whose younger sister got into university is not wealthy.

Tidak is also used as a denial of a preceding statement as long as it is referring to a verb or an


adjective.
Examples: Rupanya murid itu pandai sekali.
Tidak, dia gagal ujiannya.
It seems that pupil is very smart.
No, he failed his exam.
Apakah rumahnya kecil?
Tidak, rumahnya besar sekali.
Is his house small?
No, his house is very big.

Bukan is used as a negative in equational sentences, i.e. between two nouns. Note that bukan is the
negative equivalent to adalah and ialah but these latter words are omitted when bukan is used.
Examples: Yang mencuci pakaian di sungai itu ialah ibu saya.
The one washing the clothes in the river is my mother.
Yang mencuci pakaian di sungai itu bukan ibu saya.
The one washing the clothes in the river is not my mother.

Bukan can also be used to contradict for a previous statement, when a correction of that statement
either mentioned or implied.
Examples: Ia bukan belajar tetapi membaca buku saja.
He is not studying, just reading a book.
Yang berdiri di sana bukanlah ayah saya melainkan kakak saya .
The one standing over there is not my father but my older brother.

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Note the following phrases using tidak:

setidak-tidaknya = at least
tidak boleh tidak = inevitably
tidak lagi = no longer

Also note the long list of ketida…an words in the dictionary which are equivalent to the English
un…/in… prefixes (usually indicating the opposite of the un-prefixed word).
Examples: ketidakpastian = indefiniteness,
ketidakadilan = injustice,
ketidaksamaan = inequality.

Classifiers

You have no doubt noticed that the distinction between the definite article (the) and the indefinite
article (a, an) is a little vague in Indonesian. Ini, itu, and –nya can all be used to mean the, and a is
created by se– and a word called classifier. These classifiers can also be used with numbers. The list of
classifiers is very long, with different classifiers for all sorts of different shapes and objects. There are
however four main ones you should be aware of.

orang for people seorang petani = a farmer


dua orang dokter = two doctors

ekor for animals seekor anjing = a dog


tiga ekor babi = three pigs

buah for most things sebuah rumah = a house

helai for flat things sehelai kertas = a piece of paper

The classifier is by no means compulsory unless you specifically want to say a/an but you should be
able to recognise it in your reading. It would be just as correct to say dua dokter or tiga babi.

Here is a short list of some of the other classifiers you may come across.
batang – used for cylindrical objects e.g. sebatang rokok = a cigarette
keping – used for thin things e.g. sekeping mata uang = a coin
potong – used for slices of things e.g. dua potong roti = two slices of bread

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Affixation

This is one of the most important aspects of Indonesian and should be studied with care.
Just as in English the meaning of a base word can be altered by the addition of a prefix or suffix, so
too with Indonesian. Have a look at this English word and words which can be formed from it by
adding prefixes and/or suffixes.

respect respectable – adjective


respectability – noun
respectably – adverb
disrespect – noun
disrespectful – adjective

Now see how similarly an Indonesian word can change.

jalan – base word


berjalan – to walk – instransitive verb (i.e. no object)
menjalankan – to drive – transitive verb (i.e. takes an object)
pejalan kaki – pedestrian – noun
perjalanan – trip – noun
jalanan – road – noun

Perhatian!
We are about to look at the various prefixes and suffixes are and how they
change the meaning and function of the base word.
But always remember what the base word is because it is this word that you
will have to look up in the dictionary.

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Ber-/Me-

The majority of verbs in Indonesian take a ber– or me– prefix, and many can take either depending
upon whether they are to be used transitively or intransitively. There are however 70 or so verbs that
take neither prefix and most of these are intransitive (i.e. take no object). Here is a list of the most
common ones.

bangun – to wake up mau – to want


bisa –to be able masuk – to enter
boleh – to be allowed menang – to win
dapat – to be able minta – to ask for
datang – to come minum – to drink
jatuh – to fall naik – to ascend, go by
duduk – to sit patah – to be broken
harus – must pergi – to go
hendak – to want, wish pindah – to move
hidup – to live pulang – go home
hilang – to lose punya – to have
hinggap – to alight sampai – to reach
ingat – to remember sembahyang – to pray
ingin – to want tahu – to know
ikut – to join in suka – to like
kawin – to be married terbit – to arise
kembali – to return terbang – to fly
lupa – to forget tiba – to arrive
maju – to advance timbul – to rise up
makan – to eat tidur – to sleep
mandi – to wash tinggal – to stay or remain
masak – to cook tumbuh – to grow
mati – to die turun – to descend

Note that some of these verbs can and do take a me-prefix, depending on the context.
Examples: memasak, meminum, meminta, mengingat, meninggal.

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Ber- prefix

1 Ber- attached to verbs.


Verbs with ber– are almost always intransitive (i.e. take no object).
The exceptions to this are belajar, berbicara and bermain.

Examples: Dia berjalan ke sekolah.


S/he walks to school.
Yang berdiri dekat pintu itu ialah Anwar.
The one standing near the door is Anwar.

BUT
Dia belajar bahasa Indonesia.
S/he studies Indonesian.

2 Ber- attached to nouns.


The ber– prefix attached to nouns has a variety of effects.

a) meaning to have or to possess (similar to mempunyai or dengan):


Examples: Mobil saya beroda empat.
My car has four wheels.

Ibu saya beranak dua.


My mother has two children.

Take note of these three ways of writing the sentence:


“The bag containing important letters has been lost.”
Tas yang berisi surat-surat penting hilang.
Tas dengan isi surat–surat penting hilang.
Tas yang isinya surat-surat penting hilang.

b) meaning to wear (similar to memakai).


Examples: berpakaian = to wear clothes
bersepatu = to wear shoes
bertopi = to wear a hat

c) meaning to ride something (similar to naik).


Examples: Ia bersepeda ke sekolah = He rides a bike to school.
Ia berkuda ke gereja = He rides a horse to church.

d) meaning to emit or produce something


(similar to menghasilkan or mengeluarkan).
Examples: bertelur = to lay an egg
berpidato = to give a speech

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e) meaning to carry out (similar to mengadakan).


Examples: berperang = to carry out a war
bertransmigrasi = to conduct a transmigration programme

f) bersekolah – to attend school.


N.B. pergi ke sekolah means to go to school,
but in the sense of the physical act of travelling.
Example: Dia pergi ke sekolah naik bis.

3 Ber-attached to numerals.
Examples: kita berdua = the two of us
mereka bertiga = the three of them

Note that many of these ber – intransitive verbs can be turned into transitive verbs by
the addition of me–kan or me–i to the base word.
Examples: berpikir = to think, memikirkan = to think about
berhenti = to stop, menghentikan = to stop something

Me- prefix

Nearly all transitive verbs (i.e verbs which take an object) have a me– prefix. This prefix may take the
form of me-, meng-, men-, or meny– depending upon the first letter of the base word to which it is
attached. On the next page is a list of these changes that occur.

Perhatian!
It is important to remember these and in particular which letters are dropped
with the addition of the me– prefix, as it is the base word without its
prefixes that you will have to look up in the dictionary.
For example, menulis would be listed under tulis and mengirim would be
listed under kirim.

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Summary of me- and pe- forms

Base words beginning with l, m, or r:


l (lukis) melukis = to paint; pelukis = a painter
m (masak) memasak = to cook; pemasak = a cook
r (rampok) merampok = to rob; perampok = a robber

Base words beginning with a vowel, h, or g:


a (anter) mengantar = to deliver; pengantar = a courier
e (eja) mengeja = to spell; pengeja = a speller
i (impor) mengimpor = to import; pengimpor = an importer
o (olah) mengolah = to cultivate; pengolah = a cultivator
u (ukur) mengukur = to measure; pengukur = a surveyor
h (hibur) menghibur = to entertain; penghibur = an entertainer
g (gosok) menggosok = to rub, polish; penggosok sepatu = a shoeshine boy

Base words beginning with b:


b (beli) membeli = to buy; pembeli = a buyer

Base words beginning with p:


p (pinjam) meminjam = to borrow; peminjam = a borrower

Base words beginning with d, j, or c:


d (duduk) menduduki = to occupy; penduduk = an inhabitant, population
j (jaga) menjaga = to guard; penjaga = a guard
c (cari) mencari = to look for, to search; pencari = a searcher

Base words beginning with t and s:


t (tulis) menulis = to write; penulis = a writer
s (simpan) menyimpan = to store, keep, penyimpan = a person who saves his money
save;

Base words beginning with k:


k (kirim) mengirim = to send pengirim = sender

Refer to this summary whenever you are in doubt about the changes in pe– and me-.

™ Note that some transitive verbs can be used intransitively.


Examples: Saya melihat dua orang. I see two people.
Saya dapat melihat. I can see.

™ But intransitive verbs – with the exceptions of belajar, bermain and berbicara – cannot be
used transitively.

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Object Construction

Most of you are aware of the common pattern of a transitive clause:


SUBJECT (doer) – VERB – OBJECT.
This is what we call active voice. But there is another way of putting the sentence – what we call
passive voice or object construction where the pattern is:
OBJECT – VERB – SUBJECT (doer).
(It is important to remember that because we are dealing with verbs that take objects, intransitive verbs
cannot be used in object construction.)
Examples: I hit the ball. Active Voice (or Subject Construction)
The ball was hit by me. Passive Voice (or Object Construction)
He wrote that book. Subject Construction
That book was written by him. Object Construction

Indonesians tend to use the object construction form far more than English speakers do, so it is an
essential part of the grammar you need to learn. It is particularly used when you want to stress the
action itself or the object of the action rather than the doer. Just as the structure of the English
sentences above alters when they are put into the passive voice or object construction, so too with
Indonesian. In Indonesian however there are two possible patterns depending upon whether the doer of
the action is first, second, or third person.

Singular Plural
First person saya, aku (I) kami, kita (we)
Second person kamu, engkau, Anda, kalian (kamu sekalian),
saudara (you) saudara-saudara (you)
Third person* dia, beliau (he, she) mereka, -nya
* Third person can also be a name or names, for example: Pak Sutanto, Budi dan Sri.

The pattern to follow if the subject is third person is:


OBJECT – di-verb – SUBJECT

Examples: Mary menangkap bola.


Mary caught the ball. Active Voice (Subject Construction)
Bola ditangkap Mary.
The ball was caught by Mary. Passive Voice (Object Construction)
Mereka harus mempelajari tatabahasanya.
They have to study the grammar. Active Voice (Subject Construction)
Tatabahasanya harus dipelajarinya.
The grammar has to be studied by them. Passive Voice (Object Construction)

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Oleh, meaning by, is optional:


Example: Tababahasanya harus dipelajari [oleh] mereka.

Note that if no doer of the action is mentioned, it is assumed to be third person,


so the di– construction must be used.
Examples:
Rice is imported from Australia. Beras didatangkan dari Australia.
The company was moved to Sumatra. Perusahaan itu dipindahkan ke Sumatera.

If the doer of the action is first or second person, the di– construction cannot be used.
Instead the pattern for first or second person is:
OBJECT – DOER – VERB without the me– prefix
Examples: Saya mengejar anjing. Active Voice (Subject Construction)
Anjing saya kejar. Passive Voice (Object Construction)
I chased the dog.
Kita menduduki kursi besar itu. Active Voice (Subject Construction)
Kursi besar itu kita duduki. Passive Voice (Object Construction)
We sat on the large chair.

Note that you only remove the me-prefix. Any suffixes are retained. Note also that in this construction
no word can be placed between the doer and the verb, so any auxiliary verbs such as ingin, mau, akan
etc. must be placed in front of the doer.

Examples: Saya harus meletakkan pakaian saya di lemari.


Pakaian saya harus saya letakkan di lemari.
I have to put my clothes in the wardrobe.
Saudara sudah menulis surat itu.
Surat itu sudah saudara tulis.
You have written the letter.

Here are a few more examples to help you identify the patterns.
Examples:
Surat ini harus dikirim selekas mungkin, tidak perlu diperiksa dahulu.
This letter must be sent as quickly as possible, it doesn’t need to be checked first.
Sekalian pencopet yang ada di Pasar Baru telah ditangkap polisi dan dibawa
ke kantor polisi.
All the pickpockets at Pasar Baru have been rounded up by the police and taken
to the police station.
Gambar ini saya terima dari seorang kenalan yang belajar de Australia.
I received this picture from an acquaintance who is studing in Australia.
Obat ini harus saudara minum tiga kali sehari sehabis makan.
You have to take this medicine three times a day after meals.

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Yang

Yang has three basic purposes in Indonesian, as outlined below, but you will find its use very
widespread throughout the language, and you should pay careful attention to the circumstances in
which it is applied.

1 yang added before an adjective emphasises that adjective or distinguishes a particular quality. It
is particularly used if two adjectives are applied to the one noun, or if you are trying to compare
two objects.
Examples: Ini rumah yang besar.
This is a house which is big. (Better translation: This is a big house.)
Ada lima rumah di desa ini. Rumah yang kuning rumah saya.
There are fives houses in this village. The house which is yellow is my house.

2 yang also has the function of the one or ones


Examples: Yang mana rumahmu? Yang putih.
Which one is your house? The white one.
Yang besar anjing saya, tetapi yang kecil anjing Anwar.
The big one is my dog, but the small one is Anwar’s dog.
Mereka membantu yang lapar.
They help the hungry ones.

3 yang also has the function of a relative pronoun, i.e. who, that, which.
Examples:
Pemuda yang baru kembali dari Australia itu pandai bercakap bahasa Inggeris.
The youth who has just returned from Australia speaks English well.
Orang yang sakit itu ibu saya.
The person who is sick is my mother.

Perhatian!
Note that if yang is the object of the verb in its own clause you must use object
construction. For example: The man whom I help… would require object
construction as the object of the action (the man) precedes the verb.

Examples:
Buku puisi yang ditulis oleh Chairil Anwar sudah terkenal di seluruh Indonesia.
The book of poems written by Chairil Anwar is famous throughout Indonesia.
Pidato yang diucapkan mahasiswa itu mengenai uang masuk universitas.
The speech made by the university student concerned university entrance fees.
Makanan yang kita sediakan adalah sate dan gado-gado.
The food we prepared was sate and gado-gado.

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Where the subject consists of a noun in apposition to a noun (i.e. you are defining one noun with
another noun) try to avoid using yang. You may use yang merupakan (never yang adalah!), but if
you are dealing with an abstract noun it is best to avoid the use of yang altogether and put in a comma.
Examples: Ayah saya, petani, makan nasi.
My father, a farmer, eats rice.
Ilmu kedokteran yang merupakan suatu pekerjaan mulia,
juga menguntungkan.
Medical science, which is an honourable profession, is also profitable.
or: Ilmu kedokteran, suatu pekerjaan mulia, juga menguntungkan.
Medical science, an honourable occupation, is also profitable.

Note that the yang …-nya construction renders the English whose.
Examples: Orang yang ibunya guru saya, mendirikan paberik di Collingwood.
The person whose mother is my teacher established a factory in Collingwood.
Bibi saya yang mobilnya tujuh akan membeli garasi.
My aunt, who has seven cars (literally: whose cars are seven), will buy a garage.

Pe-/Per- prefix

Pe– is usually added to me-verbs and takes on the same spelling changes as the me-prefix (see page
13). When pe-is added to a root verb, it creates a noun which refers to the doer of the action or the
instrument being used for that action.
Examples: mencuri = to steal pencuri = thief
membeli = to buy pembeli = buyer
belajar = to study pelajar = student
menghapus = to wipe penghapus = duster
membakar = to burn alat pembakar = fuel

Pe– can also be added to nouns although the number of these words is small.
It then refers to the person living or working there or using the product.
Examples: laut = sea: pelaut = sailor
rokok = cigarette: perokok = smoker
tenis = tennis petenis = tennis player

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Added to adjectives, pe– again creates a person, this time one having the quality of the adjective.
Examples: malas = lazy pemalas = lazybones
besar = big pembesar = big shot
muda = young pemuda = youth
kecut = cowardly pengecut = coward

Common exceptions:
pendapat = opinion penyakit = disease

Per– is usually added to ber– verbs to create nouns referring to the person who does the action, but
the number of these words is small.
Examples: berenang = to swim perenang = swimmer
bertapa = to live like a hermit pertapa = hermit

Note the suffix wan/wati denoting a person who…


wan is used for males and females while wati is only for females.
Examples: negarawan = statesman
olahragawati = sportswoman
wartawan = reporter

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Memper- prefix

The memper– prefix can be added to nouns, adjectives, numbers and some verbs, and in each case the
effect is different.

1 Memper- plus adjectives

a) Adding memper– to an adjective causes something to become more of what is described by the
adjective.
Examples: Kita harus memperluas sawah.
We must extend the rice field.
Pemilik paberik akan mempertinggi taraf hidupnya.
The factory owner will increase his standard of living.

These adjectives also have a me-kan form (e.g. membesarkan = make bigger, meninggikan =
increase). The distinction however is that the me-kan form is used when you are enlarging
something which is small and the memper–form is used when you are enlarging something
which is already large. For example, you would melebarkan (widen) a narrow street but you
would memperlebar a wide street.

b) When the suffix -i is used in addition to the memper-prefix, it has the meaning of to do again.
Examples: Ibu harus memperbaiki pakaiannya.
Mother must repair her clothes.
Banyak orang di Fitzroy memperbarui rumahnya.
Many people in Fitzroy renovate their houses.

2 Memper- plus nouns

a) When added to a noun, memper– adds the idea of to regard as or to treat as what is named by
the noun.
Examples: Murid-murid di sekolah ini memperdewa gurunya.
Students in this school treat their teachers as gods.

b) When the suffix -i is used in conjunction with memper– plus noun, it has the sense of providing
someone with the noun.
Examples: mempersenjatai = to provide someone with arms
memperbekali = to provide someone with provisions

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3 Memper- plus numbers

Attached to numbers the memper– means to divide something by the number.


Examples: memperdua = to divide into two
mempertiga = to divide into three
Note: seperempat = ¼, tiga perempat = ¾

4 Memper- plus verbs

These are limited in number and are usually used in conjunction with either a -kan or an –i suffix. It
can have two possible meanings.

a) to denote that the action has causative meaning.


Examples: mempersatukan = to unite (from bersatu)
mempersiapkan = to prepare (bersiap)

b) to stress or add emphasis to the action expressed by the verb.


Examples: mengingati = to remember
memperingati adds extra emphasis i.e. to commemorate.

In some cases there is no distinction between the memperkan/i forms and the me-kan/i forms. The
former is merely used because it sounds better.
Examples: mempergunakan or menggunakan = to use
mempersatukan or menyatukan = to unite

At times the memper– form adds a whole new meaning to the word.
Examples: melakukan = to do
memperlakukan = to treat
mendengarkan = to listen to
memperdengarkan = to let someone hear

Some special meanings of memper – kan verbs


memperhatikan = to pay attention to
memperisterikan = to marry
mempersembahkan = to offer something, to dedicate
memperlakukan = to treat (as something)

Example: Dia memperlakukan isterinya sebagai pembantu.


He treated his wife as a servant.

As with so many of these affixations, there are exceptions and you are recommended to note down the
words as you come across them in your reading.

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-an suffix

This suffix is used to create nouns from either verbs, adjectives, or other nouns.

1 Verb plus -an

a) It can create the object or result of the action suggested by the verb.
Examples: makan = to eat makanan = food
menulis = to write tulisan = writing
minum = to drink minuman = a drink
membantu = to help bantuan = help, aid
menari = to dance tarian = a dance

At times these can be abstract concepts.


Examples: harap = to hope harapan = hope
sindir = to allude sindiran = allusion

It can also create the instrument used to carry out the action.
Examples: ayun = to rock, to sway ayunan = swing
gantung = to hang gantungan = hanger, hook
pikul = to carry on the shoulder pikulan = carrying pole

2 Adjective plus -an

This creates a noun that has the quality expressed by the adjective.
Examples: asin = salty asinan = pickle
manis = sweet manisan = sweets
selamat = safe selamatan = religious feast
bulat = round bulatan = a circle

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3 Noun plus -an

It is difficult to give a general description here. Generally noun+an creates a “collectivity” (all lumped
together) of the original concept.
Examples: darat = land daratan = continent
laut = sea lautan = ocean

It also indicates the rate of publication of a newspaper or magazine.


Examples: hari = day harian = daily (newspaper)
minggu = week mingguan = a weekly (magazine)
bulan = month bulanan = a monthly (magazine)
tahun = year tahunan = an annual (magazine)

These latter words can also be used as adjectives.


Examples: gaji bulanan = monthly wage
cuti tahunan = annual leave

-an added to numbers is equivalent to the duplicated form.


Examples: ratusan = beratus-ratus = hundreds of
ribuan = beribu-ribu = thousands of
puluhan = berpuluh-puluh = tens of

Pe-an/Per-an

Both these combinations of prefix and suffix create nouns. The pe-an is used to create nouns from me-
verbs (i.e. transitive verbs). The resulting noun refers to the doing or result of the action.

Examples: pembubaran = act of dissolving, i.e. dissolution


penyaliban = act of crucifying, i.e. crucifixion
penembakan = act of shooting, i.e. shooting
pengajaran = act of teaching, i.e. education
penjualan = act of selling, i.e. sale

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Per-an is used to create nouns from ber-verbs (i.e. intransitive verbs). In this case the word created
refers to the result of the action.
Examples: perjalanan = journey (from berjalan – to walk)
pelajaran = lesson (from belajar – to study)
perdagangan = trade (from berdagang – to trade)
persatuan = union (from bersatu – to be united)
perbuatan = act, deed (from berbuat – to do)

Compare the following:


penyatuan = unification (from menyatukan – to unify)
persatuan = union (from bersatu – to be united)
pembuatan = production (from membuat – to make)
perbuatan = act, deed (from berbuat – to do, to behave)
behaviour

Ke-an

The ke-an construction can be used to create either verbs or nouns.

1 Nouns
The ke-an construction can be added to certain adjectives, nouns and verbs to create
abstract nouns (i.e. ideas and concepts).

a) ke-an with adjectives


Examples: cantik = beautiful kecantikan = beauty
makmur = prosperous kemakmuran = prosperity
bersih = clean kebersihan = cleanliness
merdeka = free kemerdekaan = independence
sehat = healthy kesehatan = health

b) ke-an with nouns


Examples: menteri = (government) minister kementerian = ministry
uang = money keuangan = finance
pemimpin = leader kepemimpinan = leadership
anggota = member keanggotaan = membership

c) ke-an with verbs


Examples: hidup = to live kehidupan = life
maju = to progress kemajuan = progress
ada = to be keadaan = situation
ingin = to want keinginan = desire

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2 Verbs
You must remember that some ke-an words are nouns and some are verbs.
The verbs created by the ke-an construction can be divided into two broad categories.

a) similar to the di-form and indicating possibility


Examples: kedengaran = can be heard kelihatan = can be seen
Mukanya kelihatan putih.
His face could be seen to be white.
Bunyi kereta api kedengaran dari jauh.
The sound of the train was audible from afar.

b) has the sense of to be caught by, struck by or to suffer from


Examples: kemasukan = to be broken into (as by a burglar)
kebanjiran = to be struck by a flood
kehujanan = to be caught in the rain
kesiangan = to sleep in (literally: to be caught by the afternoon)
ketinggalan = to be left behind
kepanasan = to suffer from the heat
kedinginan = to suffer from the cold
kejatuhan = to be struck by a falling object

The best way to cope with these words is to note them down and
learn them as you come across them in your reading.

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ter- prefix

There are four main uses of the ter-prefix.

1 Superlative
When attached to an adjective, ter-indicates the superlative (i.e. biggest, smallest etc.)
Example: Gedung itu yang terbesar di kota ini.
That building is the biggest in this city.

2 Showing a completed action or the result of an action


Ter– attached to transitive verbs (verbs with an object) is similar to the di-form but there are certain
differences. The ter-form refers to the state created by the action (i.e. the door was open) whereas the
di-form tends to refer to the doing of the action (i.e. the door was opened). In this ter-form, no doer of
the action is mentioned.
Compare: Pintu itu terbuka. That door was open.
Pintu itu dibuka. That door had been opened.
Examples: Rumah saya terletak di Jalan Smith.
My house is situated in Smith Street.
Siapa nama orang yang tersebut di surat kabar Herald-Sun?
What is the name of the person mentioned in the Herald-Sun?

3 Showing ability or inability


The latter is more common, as ter– is generally used in conjunction with tidak in this context.
Therefore tidak ter … = cannot … . In these cases, where the doer of the action (subject) is
mentioned, oleh must be used, irrespective or whether the subject is first, second or third person.
Example: Makanan itu tidak termakan oleh saya.
That food cannot be eaten by me.
(Better – I cannot eat that food.)

There are quite a number of established concepts expressed using this technique.
Examples: indescribable tidak terkatakan
unimaginable tidak terbayangkan
unavoidable tidak terhindari
uncontrollable tidak terkuasai
inseparable tidak tersisahkan
Tandatangannya tidak terbaca.
His signature is illegible.
Pintu itu tidak terbuka oleh ibunya yang kecil.
That door cannot be opened by his small mother.

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4 Showing involuntary or sudden actions


Ter-attached to both transitive or intransitive verbs can show involuntary or sudden actions. In this
category we find those everyday actions we automatically perform without really thinking about it.
Examples: tersenyum to smile
tertawa to laugh
terkejut to be startled
Examples: Oleh karena kereta api, Anwar terbangun pada pukul enam.
Because of the train, Anwar was woken up (involuntarily) at 6 o’clock.
Anak teman saya terjatuh.
My friend’s child (accidentally) fell over.
Waktu menonton film itu saya tertidur.
When watching that film I (involuntarily) fell asleep.
Jari saya terpotong pisau.
I cut my finger accidentally.

Me-kan/Me-i

This aspect of Indonesian grammar presents problems for us all, as so many words defy explanation.
There are certain categories we can work out, as indicated below.

However you should aim for memorisation of vocabulary rather than


application of the rules. Every time you come across a me-kan or me-i word,
write it down and remember it for you will find this the most effective method.

1 Causative -kan
Attached to certain intransitive verbs, adjectives, and some nouns, the me-kan construction creates
transitive verbs (i.e. verbs that can take an object). It has a causative effect – that is, it brings about the
state indicated by the root word. For example:

besar – big membesarkan – to cause to be big, i.e. to enlarge


berjalan – to walk, travel menjalankan – to cause to travel, i.e. make go, drive (away)
hasil – product menghasilkan – to cause to be a product, i.e. to produce

Examples: Sopir saya menjalankan mobil dengan cepat.


My chauffeur drives the car fast.
Pembantu rumah tangga membersihkan lantai dapur.
The servant cleans the kitchen floor.
Pada akhir tahun ini kita akan mangadakan pesta besar.
At the end of this year we will hold a big party.

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2 -kan attached to transitive verbs


Here it can have one of three uses:

a) changing the meaning of the verbs.


Examples: menyewa to rent menyewakan to rent out
meminjam to borrow meminjamkan to lend
membangun to build membangunkan to wake someone up

meninggal to die meninggalkan to leave


mengenal to know mengenalkan to introduce
melihat to see melihatkan to show

b) -kan meaning untuk


With certain words the -kan suffix means doing something for someone else. There are only about 20
verbs that can be used in this manner so knowledge of the list on the next page should be sufficient.
The most important aspect to note is the word order. In English we can say:
I bought the book for mother. or I bought mother the book.

The action bought has two objects – mother and book. Note that in the first sentence, where the
preposition for is used, the direct object (the book) has been placed immediately after the verb. But in
the second sentence, where for has not been used, the indirect object (mother) has been placed
immediately after the verb. Exactly the same pattern is followed in Indonesian, the only difference
being that when for (untuk) is omitted, -kan must be attached to the verb as a substitute.
Examples: Saya membeli buku untuk Sunarti.
I buy a book for Sunarti.
Saya membelikan Sunarti buku.
I buy Sumarti a book.

In the second sentence, untuk has been omitted and –kan has been added to the verb in its place. Note
that similarly to the English sentence, when untuk is not used, the word order changes and the person
benefiting from the action is placed immediately after the verb.

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Here are examples of the most frequently used verbs which can take -kan in place of untuk.

1 Dia membuat layang-layang untuk adiknya. He makes a kite for his little brother.
Dia membuatkan adiknya layang-layang. He makes his little brother a kite.
2 Dia membeli mobil untuk ibunya. He buys a car for his mother.
Dia membelikan ibunya mobil. He buys his mother.
3 Dia membaca buku untuk ibunya. She reads a book for her mother.
Dia membacakan ibunya buku. She reads her mother a book.
4 Dia membuka pintu untuk ibunya. He opens the door for his mother.
Dia membukakan ibunya pintu. (no English equivalent)
5 Dia membawa tas untuk ibunya. He carries the bag for his mother.
Dia membawakan ibunya tas. He carries his mother’s bag.
6 Dia menulis surat untuk ibunya. She writes a letter for her mother.
Dia menuliskan ibunya surat. (no English equivalent)

Other verbs that can be used this way are:

ambil mengambil to take


tutup menutup to close
panggil memanggil to call
pegang memegang to hold
jual menjual to sell
masak memasak to cook
cari mencari to look for
minta meminta to request

All these forms can be used in object construction. But as there are two objects, students are often
uncertain as to which object should be placed at the beginning of the sentence. The simplest method of
remembering is to place the object immediately following the verb at the start of your object
construction sentence.
Examples: Dia membuat layang-layang untuk adiknya.
Layang-layang dibuatnya untuk adiknya.
Dia membuatkan adiknya layang-layang.
Adiknya dibuatkannya layang-layang.

™ When untuk is used (as in the first sentence above) the direct object goes to the beginning of your
object construction sentence.
™ But when untuk is omitted and -kan added to the verb (as in the second sentence above), it is the
indirect object that goes to the beginning of your object construction sentence.

Remember of course, that the di– construction can only be used if the doer of the
action is third person. Had the doer of the action been first or second person, the
pattern for the above sentences would have been as follows:
Layang-layang saya buat untuk adiknya.
Adiknya saya buatkan layang-layang.

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The six sentences given below showing the alternative use of untuk and –kan are now shown in their
object construction form.

Third person using untuk:


Layang-layang dibuatnya untuk adiknya.
Mobil dibelinya untuk ibunya.
Pintu dibukanya untuk ibunya.
Buku dibacanya untuk ibunya.
Tas dibawanya untuk ibunya.
Surat ditulisnya untuk ibunya.

First/second person using untuk:


Layang-layang saya buat untuk adiknya.
Mobil saya beli untuk ibunya.
Pintu saya buka untuk ibunya.
Buku saya baca untuk ibunya.
Tas saya bawa untuk ibunya.
Surat saya tulis untuk ibunya.

Third person using –kan:


Adiknya dibuatkannya layang-layang.
Ibunya dibelikannya mobil.
Ibunya dibukakannya pintu.
Ibunya dibacakannya buku.
Ibunya dibawakannya tas.
Ibunya dituliskannya surat.

First/second person using –kan:


Ibunya saya buatkan layang-layang.
Ibunya saya belikan mobil.
Ibunya saya bukakan pintu.
Ibunya saya bacakan buku.
Ibunya saya bawakan tas.
Ibunya saya tuliskan surat.

If you get confused, simply refer back to these lists and apply the same pattern to the sentence you are
dealing with.

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c) -kan with kepada

There is a very small group of words, all meaning giving or handing something to someone, which
take the suffix –kan when used with kepada (to) and the suffix –I when kepada is omitted. As the
group is small, a knowledge of the following words is sufficient.

Dia mengirimi Hasan pena. She sent Hasan a pen.


Dia mengirimkan pena kepada Hasan. She sent a pen to Hasan.
Dia memberi Hasan pena. She gave Hasan a pen.
Dia memberikan pena kepada Hasan. She gave a pen to Hasan.
Dia menghadiahi Hasan pena. She presented Hasan with a pen.
Dia menghadiahkan pena kepada Hasan. She presented a pen to Hasan.
Dia mengantari Hasan pena. She sent Hasan a pen.
Dia mengantarkan pena kepada Hasan. She sent a pen to Hasan.
Dia menyerahi Hasan pena. She handed Hasan a pen.
Dia menyerahkan pena kepada Hasan. She handed over/delivered a pen to Hasan.
Dia meminjami Hasan pena. She lent Hasan a pen.
Dia meminjamkan pena kepada Hasan. She lent a pen to Hasan.
Dia menawari Hasan pena. She offered Hasan a pen.
Dia menawarkan pena kepada Hasan. She offered a pen to Hasan.

Other verbs used in similar fashion are:


menyodori/menyodorkan = to press on someone
melimpahi/melimpahkan = to give in abundance
membebani/membebankan = to burden someone with
menyuguhi/menyuguhkan = to offer a visitor something
mencurahi/mencurahkan = to give in abundance

The main thing to remember with these verbs is that when you use kepada, -kan
must be attached to the verb and the direct object must come immediately after
the verb.
When kepada is omitted, -I must be attached to the verb, and the indirect object
(i.e. the person on the receiving end) must follow immediately after that verb.
Because there are two objects, it can be confusing to work out which one must go
to the beginning of the object construction sentence. The simplest rule to follow is
to place the object which immediately follows the verb at the beginning.
For example, if the sentence is one containing kepada:
Saya memberikan buku kepada temannya.
…the first or direct object (buku) will go to the beginning of your object
construction sentence:
Buku saya berikan kepada temannya.

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But if the sentence is one where kepada has been omitted and the -i suffix used,
for example:
Saya memberi temannya buku.
…then the indirect object (temannya) goes to the beginning of your object
construction sentence:
Temannya saya beri buku.
Once again it is important to remember that the object construction pattern will
alter depending upon whether the doer of the action is first, second or third
person.

Here are the first three sentences from the list on the previous page written in the object construction
form to give you an idea of the pattern.

Third person using -kan and kepada: Third person using -i:
Pena dikirimkannya kepada Siti. Siti dikiriminya pena.
Pena diberikannya kepada Siti. Siti diberinya pena.
Pena dihadiahkannya kepada Siti. Siti dihadiahinya pena.

First/second person using -kan and kepada: First/second person using -i:
Pena saya kirimkan kepada Siti. Siti saya kirimi pena.
Pena saya berikan kepada Siti. Siti saya beri pena.
Pena saya hadiahkan kepada Siti. Siti saya hadiahi pena.

1 -i to create transitive verbs

The -i suffix, when added to adjectives, nouns or intransitive verbs, creates transitive verbs.
Examples: Perkataan saya menyakiti hatinya.
My words hurt his feelings.
Tamu-tamu menduduki kursi muka di bioskop.
The guests sat in the front seats of the cinema.

There are two very important things to note about this -i suffix:

a) It is closely related to the prepositional form and so can be used in place of an intransitive verb
plus preposition. For example:

datang di/ke = mendatangi to visit


masuk ke = memasuki to enter
tinggal di = meninggali to live in
bertanya kepada = menanyai to ask
berjumpa dengan = menjumpai to meet
duduk di = menduduki to sit on
suka akan/pada = menyukai to like
cinta adan/pada = mencintai to love

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The important thing to note here is that in the object construction the me-i form of
these words must be used. The reason for this is that the tinggal, masuk, datang etc.
forms of these words are intransitive (i.e. can take no object unless used with a
preposition). If these words cannot take an object they are obviously unable to be used
in object construction. Rather, you will have to use the transitive form of these verbs
(i.e. the form that can take an object) and this is their me-i forms.

Example: The film which I like is good.

In this case the object has come first so you must use object construction:
Film yang saya sukai itu baik.
Note that suka has an -i ending because the original form
would have been menyukai and not suka, as suka cannot take an object.

Examples: Saya tinggal di rumah ini.


I live in this house.
Rumah ini saya tinggali. (object construction)
Rumah yang gelap itu dimasukinya. (object contruction)
She entered the dark house.

b) The second thing to note about the -i suffix is that, although like -kan it creates a transitive verb,
it has a different effect from the -kan suffix. That is why many verbs can have both an-i suffix
and a -kan suffix and yet the meanings are different.
(This is not always the case. For example: menamai = menamakan – to name;
menyakiti = menyakitkan – to hurt).
Where the one base word has both a -kan and an -i ending the difference is generally that the
causative -kan makes the object move, wheras with the –i suffix the object is stationary and the
subject moves. For example, mendekatkan causes the object to move, i.e. to approach
something. Study the following list carefully, as these words are very commonly used.

memasukkan – to cause to go in, i.e. to put in


memasuki – to go in, enter
mendatangkan – to import, bring in;
mendatangi – to visit, call at (usually has sinister connotations)
mendudukkan – to cause to sit down
menduduki – to sit on
menidurkan – to cause someone to sleep, i.e. put to bed
meniduri – to sleep on something
mendekatkan – to bring something closer
mendekati – to approach
menjauhkan – to move something away
menjauhi – to avoid

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menempatkan – to put or place something


menempati – to occupy
menaikkan – to lift or raise
menaiki – to mount or ride
menurunkan – to set down, drop off
menuruni – to go down
menawarkan – to offer something to someone
menawari – to offer someone something
melemparkan – to throw something
melempari – to pelt

2 -i added to transitive verb

Here the verb does not take on a new meaning, but rather takes on a repetitive or intensive aspect. (i.e.
doing something over and over again or doing it to many things).
Examples: Saya memukuli ular yang berbisa.
I repeatedly hit the venomous snake.
Ibu harus menutupi jendela.
Mother must close the windows.

Se- prefix

[Refer also to the section on -nya on page 36 as the se– prefix is often used in conjunction with -nya.]

1 Attached to a classifier or unit of measure, se– has the meaning of one or a.


Examples: sebuah mobil – a car
seminggu – a week
sebulan – a mouth
Note: sekali seminggu – once a week

2 Attached to adjectives, se– can be equivalent to the English as or as … as.


Examples: Saya setinggi saudara I am as tall as you.
Selama saya hidup… As long as I live…

3 Attached to nouns it can have the sense of the entire or the same.
Examples: Orang sekota itu datang untuk melihat Ratu.
The whole city came to see the queen.
Saya sesekolah dengan temannya.
I am at the same school as his friend.

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4 If se– is used in conjunction with -nya and a duplicated adjective it means as…as possible.
Examples: sebaik-baiknya – as well as possible
sejauh-jauhnya – as far as possible

5 There are quite a number of adverbs and conjunctions formed by se-


Examples: sebelum – before [N.B. See also the section on -nya]
sehabis – after
sesudah – after
setelah – after
sewaktu – while, when

6 There are many common words in which se-, though not as a prefix, forms an integral part.
Examples: semua – all (for countable objects and people)
segala – all (for countable objects)
sekalian – all (for people)
seluruh – all (for terms implying mass or expanse)
seperti – like
sedikit – a little
segera – soon, quickly
sekali – very or once

Pun and –lah

1 -lah can add emphasis to a word or single it out from another in a sentence.
Examples: Inilah rumah saya [dan bukan itu].
This is my house [and not that one].
Di sinilah rumah saya akan didirikan.
It is here that my house will be built.

Note the differing emphasis in these sentences:


Bacalah surat. Read that letter.
Saudaralah membaca surat itu. You read that letter.
Surat itulah saudara baca You read that letter.

[Note that the object has come first here, so you need object construction]

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2 -lah added to an imperative tends to soften the command and make it more polite.
[See the section on imperatives on page 40.]
Examples: Tutuplah pintu itu! Close the door, please!
Marilah pergi. Let’s go.

3 Pun is used as a sort of equalizing factor and has a similar meaning to juga (also).
Sometimes juga is added for emphasis.
Examples: Anwar pandai, Dewi pun pandai.
Anwar is smart, Dewi is also smart.
Ayah saya pun dokter gigi.
My father is also a dentist.
Dia tahu akan rahasia itu; aku pun tahu juga.
She knows that secret; I also know it.

4 Pun can also have the sense of ever.


Examples: Apa pun yang terjadi, kita harus tetap maju.
Whatever happens, we must keep going.
Jangan lupa membawa uang di mana pun saudara ada.
Don’t forget to take money, wherever you are.
Saudara boleh datang kapan pun saudara mau.
You may come whenever you want.

apa pun – whatever bagaimanapun – however


betapa pun – however di mana pun – wherever
siapa pun – whoever kapan pun – anytime

5 Pun can be used in the sense of even.


Examples: Berdiri pun tidak dapat apalagi berjalan.
Even standing is not possible, let alone walking.
Sedikit pun saya tidak takut.
I am not even a little scared.
Tidak seorang pun datang ke pesta perkawinannya.
Not even one person came to his wedding party.

6 Pun is also found in a number of words all meaning although.


Examples: meskipun, biarpun, kendatipun, sekalipun, sungguhpun, walaupun

7 The use of the combination pun… -lah sometimes occurs in written language to denote the
beginning of an occurrence or action, or to add vividness to a description.

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It can also denote suddenness or unexpectedness. In these cases pun is placed after the subject of
the sentence and -lah is attached to the predicate. Occasionally maka is used to introduce the
phrase.
Examples: (Maka) Anwar pun berangkatlah.
And Anwar left.
Suaminya pun muncullah.
Unexpectedly her husband turned up.

The use of pun… -lah is often very idomatic and you should
make careful note of how and when it is used.

-nya suffix

1 As a third person pronoun and possessive pronoun, -nya is equivalent to him/his; her; it/its;
them/their. Its most common use is in the possessive and object construction.
Examples: Mobil ini tidak bisa dipakai karena salah satu bannya kempes.
This car cannot be used because one of its tyres is flat.
Ibunya dilihatnya di toko Myer.
His mother was seen by him in Myer.
Pak Ali anaknya lima.
Mr Ali has 5 children. (Literally: “his children are 5”)

2 -nya meaning the shows that the person or thing has either been
mentioned before, or is implied in the conversation.
Example: Kamar mandinya kotor. The bathroom is dirty.

3 -nya as a nominalizer, i.e. it makes nouns of either adjectives or verbs.

(i) Adjectives
mahal expensive mahalnya the expense
tinggi tall tingginya the height
teguh firm teguhnya the firmness

Many of the above adjectives could also be turned into nouns by the addition of ke-an. However
the meaning is then often more abstract, or can even be entirely different.
Example: banyaknya the large number of
kebanyakan the majority

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(ii) Verbs

a) base verbs
Examples: turun – to fall turunnya – the fall
[Compare: keturunan – the descent, descendant]

b) ber– verbs
Examples: berhasil – to succeed berhasilnya –the success

Note that many ber– verbs can be turned into nouns using per-an.
Examples: berjalan – to walk perjalanan – the journey

Where such is not the case, -nya can be used. There is for example no per-an form for hasil,
so -nya be used if you want it turned into a noun.

c) me– verbs
Most me– verbs are transitive [i.e. take an object] and should be turned into nouns using the pe-
an form and not -nya. If however the me– form is intransitive [no object], -nya should be used to
change it into a noun.
Example: Meningkatnya harga beras disebabkan oleh kebijaksanaan pemerintah.
The increase in the price of rice has been caused by government policy.

The object – construction di- form can however be turned into a noun with with -nya, despite the
fact that it is transitive.
Examples: dibukanya – the opening ditutupnya – the closing

d) ter– verbs
Examples: terjadi – to happen terjadinya – the happening

e) ke-an verbs
Examples: kedengarannya – sounds kelihatannya – looks

4 -nya used in exclamations


Examples: Aduh bagusnya rumah ini.
How beautiful this house is!
Bakan main bagusnya.
How beautiful!

5 Many adverbial phrases are formed by the addition of -nya:


Examples: nampaknya – evidently akhirnya – finally
kiranya – probably rasanya – it seems
biasanya – usually pendeknya – in short

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Many are also formed with the additional use of the prefix se-
Examples: sebelumnya – before that sebenarnya – actually, in fact
sesudahnya – after that sebetulnya – actually, in fact
sebaiknya – it’s best that sesungguhnya – actually, in fact
selamanya – always semestinya – should, ought
seharusnya – should, ought

At times it represents a whole phrase.


Examples: setibanya – upon arrival sepulangnya – on coming home
sesampainya – on reaching

When the base word with se-nya is duplicated, it is equivalent to the English as…as possible.
Examples: secepat-cepatnya – as fast as possible
sebanyak-banyaknya – as many as possible

6 Many adverbial expressions [e.g. walk quickly, talk slowly] add -nya but this is optional.
Example: Ia bekerja dengan rajin.
or Ia bekerja dengan rajinnya.
He works diligently.

Conclusion
Have a look at these two sentences and note the various uses of -nya:

Meninggalnya ibunya sebaiknya diberitahukannya kepada ayahnya secepat-cepatnya.


It’s best that (the news of) the death of his mother be told (by him) to his father as fast as possible.

Katanya sakitnya ibunya sudah diceritakannya sejelas-jelasnya kepada keluarganya.


They say his mother’s illness had been explained (by him) as clearly as possible to his family.

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Interrogatives

1 You will have come across most of the following question words in your previous study of
Indonesian, so a list should be sufficient. It is generally better to use the suffix -kah although
many writers leave it out.

mengapakah? why? bagaimanakah? how? what is it like?


bilamanakah? when? kapan? when?
apakah? what? siapakah? who?
dengan apa? with what? dengan siapa? with whom?
untuk apa? for what? oleh siapa? by whom?
di manakah? where? yang mana? which one?
ke manakah? to where? berapa? how many? how much?
dari manakah? from where? berapa kali? how many times?
berapa lama? how long? berapa jauh? how far?

2 Apakah is used to create simple yes/no type questions.


Examples: Apakah rumah ini besar?
Is this house big?
Ya, rumah ini besar.
Yes, this house is big.
Apakah orang ini pandai?
Ya, orang ini pandai. Dia bisa berbicara bahasa Indonesia.
Is this person clever?
Yes, this person is clever. He can speak Indonesian.

3 There is a more formal and polite way of forming these types of yes/no questions however, and
that is by the use of -kah. -kah is attached to that part of the sentence you want to know about,
and then this part goes to the front of the sentence.
Examples: Itu buku saudara.
That is your book.
Buku saudarakah itu? (cf. Apakah itu buku saudara?)
Is that your book?
Orang itu jatuh dari gedung kemarin.
That person fell from the building yesterday.
Jatuhkah orang itu dari gedung kemarin?
Did that person fall from the building yesterday?
Dia menulis buku itu.
S/he wrote that book.
Menulis buku itukah dia?
Did s/he write that book?

Note: It is more important that you are able to recognise these forms than to use them yourself.

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Imperatives

The imperative is used in commands and requests, for example: Please come here! Close the door!
and so on. There are a number of ways of expressing the imperative to soften it a bit – like when we
add please in English.

a) In Indonesian there are eight phrases you can use, and they are listed here in ascending order of
politeness.

1 The most basic imperative is just the use of the base verb; -lah may be added to soften the
command.
Examples: Pergi! or Pergilah! Go!
Bangun sekarang! or Bangunlah sekarang! Get up now!

2 A more polite method is the use of the words coba [from mencoba – to try] or tolong [from
menolong – to help]. Coba may be used with both transitive and intransitive verbs, but tolong,
because it has the sense of asking someone to do something, can only be used with transitive
verbs. Again, -lah may be added.
Examples: Coba pergi! or Cobalah pergi! Please go!
Tolong bawa tas saya ke sini! Please bring my bag here!

3 A slightly more polite word than these two is harap. It can be used with both transitive and
intransitive verbs, and -lah may be added to make it less harsh.
Example: Harap bangun sekarang! Please get up now!

4 A politer form is to use kalau bisa – if possible would you…?


It must be used in conjunction with either coba, tolong or harap.
Example: Kalau bisa harap bayar sekarang?
If possible, would you pay now please?

5 Dapatkah, sukakah and sudikah are all used when we want to ask someone politely whether he
or she could do you a favour.
Example: Dapatkah saudara membuatkan saya teh?
Could you make me some tea please?

6 Bolehkah is used in a similar manner.


Example: Bolehkah saya minta tolong?
Could I ask for some help please?

7 These next two phrases are generally used in correspondence and in announcements.
Examples: Saya minta dengan hormat, supaya…
I respectfully request that…
Diminta dengan hormat, supaya…
It is respectfully requested that…

8 Similarly: Sudi apalah kiranya…?


Would you be so good as to…?

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b) The negative imperative is jangan (don’t…), which is placed immediately before the verb.
You can add -lah to soften the command.
Examples: Jangan pergi! Don’t go!
Janganlah bangun sekarang! Don’t get up now!

c) Silakan, rather than meaning just please, is closer to an invitation or a granting of permission,
more like if you please.
Examples: Silakan masuk. Please come in.
Silakan makan. Please eat.

Compare the following two sentences and you will see how silakan differs from the above forms
of please.
Silakan buka pintu itu. By all means open the door (if you want to).
Harap saudara buka pintu itu. Please open the door.

d) One of the most important things to remember about the imperative is that if you have a specific
object (e.g. the book, the pen, the dog), the me-prefix is dropped from the verb. But if you have a
general object (e.g. books, some pens, things) the me-prefix is retained. Note the following
examples:
Haraplah memberi orang tua bantuan.
Please help old people.
Haraplah beri orang tua saya bantuan.
Please help my parents.
Coba jangan membaca buku-buku lama.
Please don’t read old books.
Coba jangan baca buku lama itu.
Please don’t read that old book.

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Duplication

This is quite a massive topic, and as with so many other areas of Indonesian, it is best to learn the
words as you come across them rather than try to slot them into categories.

Forms of duplication
There are essentially four sorts of duplicated words.

1 Complete duplication
Examples: buku-buku books
mata-mata spy

2 Duplication with affixes


Examples: berjalan-jalan to stroll
berjauh-jauhan to be far away from each other
kemerah-merahan reddish
melihat-lihat look around

3 Duplication with sound variation


Examples: gerak-gerik movements
sayur-mayur all kinds of vegetables

4 Total duplication plus the suffix –an


Examples: mobil-mobilan toy car
orang-orangan scarecrow

Uses of duplicated words


When nouns are doubled they can denote:

a) resemblance
Examples: anak-anakan doll
ayam-ayaman weather cock
rumah-rumahan toy house

b) a collective meaning (and also indicates variety)


Examples: buah-buahan all kinds of fruit
pohon-pohonan all kinds of trees
bau-bauan all kinds of scents
sayur-sayuran all kinds of vegetables
bunyi-bunyian all kinds of music/sounds

c) plurality
Examples: orang-orang people
mobil-mobil cars

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2 When adjectives are doubled they can denote:

a) plurality
(Compare this with the more common method of indicating plurality, i.e. doubling the noun.)
Examples: Ibunya hanya membeli barang mahal-mahal.
Her mother only buys expensive things.
Orang muda-muda kadang-kadang turun ke jalan.
Young people sometimes protest. (Literally: go down to the streets)

b) repetition or continuation of a state or condition. When used as an adverb it intensifies the action.
Examples: Ayah saya sudah lama sakit-sakit.
My father has been ill for a long time.
Pintu itu sudah kami kunci erat-erat.
We have locked the door firmly.

c) used in combination with se-…-nya to mean as … as possible.


Example: sejauh-jauhnya – as far as possible

3 The variety of structures and uses with verbs is quite extensive and as emphasised before, a good
dictionary is of more use here than lengthy explanations. Some categories you should be aware of
however are:

a) Duplication with verbs can denote repetition.


Example: Orang di jalan ramai berlari-larian.
The people in the busy street run around
in all directions.

b) It can also denote doing things in a leisurly manner.


Examples: Pada hari Jumat sore kita hanya bercakap-cakap saja dan tidak bekerja.
On Friday afternoon we only chat and don’t work.
Karena dia menganggur dia berjalan-jalan di kota sepanjang hari.
Because he is unemployed, he strolls around the city all day.

c) Duplication can also indicate reciprocal action, i.e. doing things for/to each other.
With ber-verbs, this reciprocal action is indicated by the addition of an –an suffix and doubling
the base verb.
Examples: Apakah Anwar dan Siti masih berkirim-kiriman surat?
Do Anwar and Siti still write to each other?
Karena kami berpukul-pukulan dengan hebatnya,
saya merasa sakit.
Because we hit each other violently, I feel unwell.

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Other Examples:
berhadap-hadapan face each other
berpandang-pandangan look at each other
berkejar-kejaran chase each other
bersalam-salaman greet each other

With me- verbs the first word is the root form only of the verb and the second word takes the me-
prefix.
Examples: tolong-menolong help each other
bantu-membantu help each other
pukul-memukul hit each other
pinjam-meminjam borrow from each other
tukar-menukar exchange with each other
tawar-menawar bargain with each other
surat-menyurat correspond with each other

This idea of reciprocal action can also be expressed by the use of saling + me- verb.
Example: Lina dan Budi saling menolong dengan pelajarannya.
Lina and Budi help each other with their lessons.

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This section contains a hotch-potch of prepositions, idiomatic expressions, conjunctions and


troublesome words – all things which contribute to common essay errors.

1 Prepositions
Prepositions are those words like at, by, to, in etc. which relate one part of a sentence to another. Many
of these prepositions are the same in Indonesian as in English.
Example: bertemu dengan meet with
dibandingkan dengan compared with

However, many are not the same and you should be aware of the following.

a) atas
to be thankful for berterima kasih atas
to apologise for minta maaf atas
to offer good wishes for mengucapkan selamat atas
at the request of atas permintaan
with the aid of atas pertolongan
by order of atas perintah

b) pada/akan
Many common verbs like lupa, ingat, suka, senang, benci, etc. can only be used with an object
if they have a preposition. [Note that many also have a me-i form which can be used instead. See
pages 30-33]. When the object is a person they take the preposition pada, and when the object is
a thing they take the preposition akan.

Note the following examples:


1 Kami senang akan liburan kami.
We’re happy about our holidays.
2 Saya tidak suka pada ayahnya.
I don’t like her father.
3 Saya masih ingat pada guru kelas dua saya.
I still remember my Grade 2 teacher.
4 Dia lupa akan buku pelajarannya.
She forgot her exercise book.
5 Semua orang di kamar ini percaya akan perkataannya.
All the people in the room believed what he said.
6 Murid-murid di kelas ini benci akan pekerjaan rumah.
The pupils in this class hate homework.

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Other words used in this way are:

takut pada/akan afraid of


marah pada/akan angry with
tergantung pada/akan depending on
gemar pada/akan fond of
sadar pada/akan aware of, conscious of
bangga pada/akan proud of
paham pada/akan understand
curiga pada/akan suspect
kagum pada/akan admire

c) untuk, buat, bagi


Untuk is the preposition most commonly used to render for, in order to. It can be used with either
a noun or a verb.
Examples: Dia bekerja keras sekali sekali untuk mendapat banyak uang.
She works very hard in order to make lots of money.
Saya harus mencuci pakaian untuk ibu saya.
I have to wash the clothes for my mother.

Buat and bagi can be used the same way, but buat is a little colloquial and bagi is restricted in
use to more serious situations and for human beings.
Examples: Kami berjuang buat meninggikan taraf hidup kami.
We struggled to raise our standard of living.
Kami harus bekerja keras bagi rakyat kami.
We must work hard for our people.

Perhatian!
Do not make the mistake of using untuk when you mean as long as or for
the duration of. The word selama is used in these cases.
Example: Saya tinggal di Melbourne selama tiga tahun.
I lived in Melbourne for three years.

d) ke/kepada – to
If ke is followed by a place [e.g. ke Melbourne] ke on its own is sufficient but if it is followed
by a person, you use the form kepada [e.g. kepada Peter].
Examples Dia berjalan ke tempat bekerjanya setiap pagi.
He walks to work every day.
Saya harus memberikan pekerjaan rumah
saya kepada guru.
I must give my homework to the teacher.

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Perhatian!
Do not make the mistake of using ke with the infinitive (e.g. to walk, to
smoke etc). There is no need for this to in Indonesian.
Example: I like to smoke. = Saya suka merokok.
NOT Saya suka ke merokok.

Remember also that when to has the sense of for the purpose of, you must
use untuk or supaya, never ke.

e) di/pada
It is difficult to make a distinction here, as the two are often interchangeable.
As a general rule, di is followed by a noun denoting place, and pada is followed by a noun
denoting a person, idea or a certain day/time or date.
Examples: Pelancong-pelancong tinggal di Hotel Borobudur.
The tourists stayed at the Borobudur Hotel.
Pada pukul tujuh saya akan bertemu dengan pacar saya.
At seven o’clock I will meet my girlfriend.

f) have/have to
This is not a preposition but it seems an appropriate time to introduce it causes much confusion.
have in the sense of compulsion, i.e. have to harus/mesti
have in the sense of ownership mempunyai
have in the sense of in the past, e.g. I have done it sudah/telah
have in the sense of must be, e.g. it has to be good pasti/tentu baik

2 bahwa/yang
bahwa = that; yang = which or who. Be careful not to confuse these two.
If that cannot be replaced by which or who, bahwa is used.
Examples: Ayah saya berkata bahwa saya tidak boleh pergi ke pesta.
My father said that I was not allowed to go to the party.
Ayah saya yang bekerja di pabrik itu mempunyai dua mobil.
My father, who works in that factory, has two cars.

3 seperti/sebagai
sebagai = as (in the capacity of); seperti = like (similarity)
Examples: Saya bekerja sebagai pramugari.
I work as a flight attendant.
Saya bekerja seperti kura-kura, pelan tetapi menyakinkan.
I work like a tortoise, slow but sure.

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4 supaya/sehingga
supaya = in order to; sehingga = with the result that/so
Examples: Saya harus bekerja keras supaya lulus.
I must work hard in order to pass the exam.
Ban mobilnya kempes sehingga dia harus berjalan.
His car tyre was flat so he had to walk.

5 sambil/sedangkan
Both of these words mean while but sambil is used when one person is doing two actions and
sedangkan is used when two people are doing two actions.
Examples: Saya membaca buku sambil menonton TV. Pandai bukan?
I read a book while watching TV. Smart eh?
Ibu bekerja di kantor sedangkan ayah pergi menonton futbal.
Mum works in the office while Dad goes to the football.

6 baik…maupun
This is the Indonesian equivalent of the English: both … and …
Note the following examples:
Baik Hasan maupun Siti adalah guru Bahasa Indonesia.
Both Hasan and Siti are Indonesian teachers.
Baik di kota maupun di desa ada pohon kelapa.
Both in the city and in the villages there are coconut trees.
Baik mahasiswa tahun pertama maupun mahasiswa
tahun kedua akan diajar bahasa Belanda.
Both the first year and second year university students will be taught Dutch.

When used in conjunction with tidak, it has the sense of neither … nor.
Examples: Baik tahun ini maupun tahun yang lalu kami tidak menerima beasiswa dari
Pemerintah.
Neither this year nor last year did we receive scholarships from the Government.

7 kecuali/di samping … juga.


This phrase is equivalent to the English apart from/as well as … also.
Examples: Di samping makanan, minuman juga dijual di toko itu.
Apart from food, drinks are also sold in that shop.

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8 atau.......atau
This phrase is equivalent to the English either … or …
Example: Atau saya atau ibunya mengunjungi Anwar yang di rumah sakit.
Either I or his mother will visit Anwar, who is in hospital.

9 bukan/tidak…melainkan
This phrase is equivalent to the English not … but .…

The conjunction melainkan meaning but can only be used to connect a negative independent
clause (i.e. one containing a negative: bukan, tiada or tidak) and an affirmative clause. Tetapi
can replace melainkan.
Examples: Kenalan ayah bukan pelukis melainkan pengarang.
Father’s acquaintance is not a painter but a writer.
Mobil yang bagus itu bukan kepunyaan saya
melainkan kepunyaannya.
That beautiful car is not mine but his.
Penjahat yang tertangkap itu tidak akan dilepaskan
melainkan akan dipenjarakan.
The criminal who was caught will not be freed but will be imprisoned.

10 Gradual increase
To express gradual increase, i.e. where something increases or decreases at an even rate, one of
the following may be used:

makin lama makin more and more …


tambah lama tambah
bertambah hari bertambah more… every day
kian hari kian

Note these examples:


Ibu saya makin lama makin sakit.
My mother grew more and more ill.
Orang itu tambah lama tambah miskin.
That person grew poorer and poorer.
Ibu saya bertambah hari bertambah sakit.
My mother grew sicker every day.
Orang itu kian hari kian miskin.
That person grew poorer every day.

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11 Parallel increase
To express parallel increase – i.e. that two things increase or decrease at an equal rate – one of the
following may be used, but only with adjectives.

makin … makin … the (more) … the (more) …


tambah … tambah …
bertambah … bertambah …
kian … kian …

Examples: Siti makin besar makin cantik.


The older Siti became, the prettier she became.
Orang itu tambah tua tambah sedih.
The older that man became, the sadder he became.
Kian banyak orang di rumah itu kian ramai.
The more people in the house, the busier it became.

12 demikian/begitu/sedemikian + adjective + sampai/sehingga.


This phrase means so… that…
Examples: Dia begitu mabuk sampai tidak dapat berjalan lagi.
He was so drunk that he could no longer walk.
Buku itu demikian beratnya sehingga tidak dapat diangkatnya.
The book was so heavy that she couldn’t lift it.

When demikian or sedemikian is used, the adjective that immediately follows has -nya attached
to it.

13 mentang-mentang
This phrase means just because and is used to express annoyance at someone’s behaviour. It can
be placed at the beginning or in the middle of the sentence.
Examples: Mentang-mentang jadi orang terkenal ia tidak mengunjungi
teman-temannya.
Just because she is famous, she doesn’t visit her friends.
Banyak wanita suka padanya mentang-mentang dia mempunyai
mobil “sports”.
Many women like him just because he has a sports car.

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14 If
kalau, jika and jikalau all mean if.
Examples: Kalau saya lulus ujian saya akan dibelikan orang tuaku mobil.
If I pass my exams my parents will buy me a car.
Mereka akan pergi ke bioskop jika dia kembali.
They will go to the cinema if he returns.

To express if when something is highly improbable, use seandainya, sekiranya,


jika seandainya, jika sekiranya or andaikata.
Examples: Saya akan membeli istana andaikata saya kaya.
I would buy a palace if I was rich.
Saya dapat pergi ke Perth sekiranya saya mempunyai mobil.
I could go to Perth if I owned a car.

If in the sense of provided that is asal, asalkan, asal saja.


Example: Kita akan pergi ke pertandingan futbal asalkan ada karcis.
We will go the football match if there are tickets.
If in the sense of perhaps, or in case of is kalau-kalau.
Example: Sebaiknya dia membawa payung kalau-kalau hujan.
It’s best s/he takes an umbrella, in case it rains.

15 When
When the action you are referring to happened in the past you can use one of the following for
when – ketika, tatkala, (se)waktu or semasa.
Examples: Ketika saya berlibur di Brisbane, saya bertemu dengan
kenalan lama saya.
When I was on holiday in Brisbane I met an old acquaintance.
Waktu guru itu masuk ke kelas dia disambut dengan
kapal-kapalan oleh murid-muridnya.
When the teacher entered the class she was greeted with paper planes
by her students.

If the action you are referring to is to occur in the future, one of the following words may be used
for when – kalau, jika, jikalau, (note that these can also mean if) bila, bilamana.
Examples: Jika saudara sakit sekali saudara harus pergi ke dokter.
When you are very sick you must go to the doctor.
Bila temanku datang kita akan pergi ke pesta.
When my friend comes we will go to the party.

Perhatian!
kapan can only mean when in a question.

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Here is a list of commonly used words and phrases which you may find useful.

sekali once
sekali lagi once again
sekalian all
sekaligus all at once
sekalipun although
sekali-sekali once in a while
sekali-kali tidak not at all
salah satu one of
apa pun juga what ever, regardless
bagaimanapun juga however, in any case
di mana pun juga where ever
ke mana pun juga where ever to
siapa pun juga whoever
saya tidak heran I am not surprised
bukanlah barang baru it is not a new thing
bukanlah rahasia lagi it is no longer a secret
yang harus dibicarakan what must be discussed
sukar sekali it’s very difficult
pertama-tama hendak saya bicarakan first of all I wish to discuss
pada pihak lain on the other hand
sayang sekali it’s very unfortunate
tidak mengherankan it’s not surprising
pada pendapat saya in my opinion
menurut pendapat saya in my opinion
saya berpikir bahwa I think that
pertama-tama firstly, to begin with
sebab yang pertama the first reason
sebab yang kedua the second reason
saya hendak mengakhiri I wish to close my essay by/with
karangan saya dengan
walaupun demikian
namun
nevertheless, in spite of that
meskipun demikian
meskipun begitu
lagi pula
moreover
tambahan pula
di samping itu
besides that
selain itu
sebaliknya on the contrary
oleh sebab itu therefore
jadi hence
setidak-tidaknya in any case
maka/makanya so, consequently
rupanya apparently
nampaknya obviously
sebenarnya actually
boleh it could be said
tidak dapat disangkal it cannot be denied

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Some Common Mistakes


As an aid to help you see where you may be going wrong, below is a list of common translation
mistakes and correct versions.

1 I went by train.
 Saya pergi oleh kereta api.
 Saya pergi naik/dengan kereta api.

2 She worked for many years.


 Dia bekerja untuk banyak tahun.
 Dia bekerja bertahun-tahun.

3 They looked for the black dog.


 Mereka mencari untuk anjing yang hitam.
 Mereka mencari anjing yang hitam.

4 S/he is as tall as her/his brother.


 Dia sebagai tinggi sebagai kakaknya.
 Dia setinggi kakaknya.

5 Timor is very important to Indonesia.


 Pulau Timor penting sekali ke Indonesia.
 Pulau Timor penting sekali bagi/untuk Indonesia.

6 When they go to the beach they go by bus.


 Kapan mereka pergi ke pantai mereka pergi oleh bis.
 Bila mereka pergi ke pantai mereka pergi naik bis.

7 S/he said that s/he had already visited Bali.


 Dia berkata yang dia telah mengunjungi Bali.
 Dia berkata bahwa dia telah mengunjungi Bali.

8 She was angry, for her watch was broken.


 Dia marah untuk jam tangannya rusak.
 Dia marah karena jam tangannya rusak.

9 The man whom she saw is called Iskandar.


 Orang siapa dia lihat bernama Iskandar.
 Orang yang dilihatnya bernama Iskandar.

10 Now I must help my mother.


 Sekarang saya harus bantuan ibu saya.
 Sekarang saya harus membantu ibu saya.

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Writing skills
The syntactical structures shown in italics below are quite important, particularly when writing essays
where there is a need for originality of expression.

Lagi pula
Tambahan lagi
Tambahan pula bapaknya polisi dan tinggal di jalan ini.
Apalagi
Di samping itu
Moreover his/her father is a policeman and lives in this street.

Mula-mula pencuri masuk ke rumah, lalu ia mengambil beberapa barang, sesudah itu ia
membakar rumah itu, kemudian ia berlari dari tempat itu.
First the thief entered the house then he took several things, after that he set fire to the house,
then he ran from that place.

Pertama (-tama) dia berteriak, sesudah itu dia memukulnya, kemudian dia menangis,
ahkirnya dia menembaknya dengan pistol yang di dalam laci lemari.
First she screamed, after that she hit him, then she cried, finally she shot him with the pistol which
was in the drawer of the cupboard.

Baik ini maupun itu dia tak suka.


S/he liked neither this nor that.

Ia mau berkunjung ke Indonesia tahun depan. Akan tetapi uangnya tidak cukup.
S/he wants to visit Indonesia next year. However s/he hasn’t enough money.

Bahasa Indonesia adalah bahasa mudah. Sebaliknya, bahasa Cina adalah bahasa sukar.
Indonesian is an easy language. On the contrary Chinese is a difficult language.

Ia bukan(nya) malas melainkan bodoh.


S/he isn’t lazy, but stupid.

Pemerintah sudah mengeluarkan banyak uang hanya tidak cukup.


The government has already spent a lot of money only it is not enough.

Kita semua pergi ke pantai nanti sore kecuali ibu.


We will all go to the beach this afternoon except mother.

Ia bekerja keras namun ia tidak berhasil.


S/he worked hard yet s/he didn’t succeed.

Anak itu tidak berubah sikap meskipun selalu diperingatkan.


The child did not change his attitude although he was always warned to do so.
(Either meskipun or kendatipun can be used here.)

Tidak ada yang takut padanya meskipun ia orang yang demikian kuat.
There is no one who is afraid of him/her although he/she is such a powerful person.

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karena itu because of that


dari itu from that
karenanya because of it
dari sebab itu for that reason
itulah sebabnya maka that is the reason then
jadi and so

The meaning of these phrases is almost the same. They could all be used in this sentence:

Bu Hartono beranak lima. Karena itu mereka mendiami rumah yang besar.
Mrs Hartono has five children. Because of that they live in a large house.

Complex Sentences
The syntactical forms mentioned here are important. Try to analyse the structures involved.

1 Saudara bertindak demikian itu tidak pantas.


Your acting in that way is unsuitable.

Bahwa dia seorang pengarang ulung sudah jelas.


That she is an excellent writer is clear.

Mengapa dia dianggap pelopor angkatan ini kurang tepat.


Why he was considered a pioneer of this generation is unsure.

Apa yang dikatakannya masuk akal.


What he says is very clever.

2 Pertanyaan kita (adalah) siapa yang dipengaruhinya.


Our question was who is it who was influenced by her.

Persoalannya (adalah) apakah dia dapat dianggap pelopor angkatan 45.


The problem is whether she can be considered a pioneer of the 45 generation.
(A school of writers in Jakata in 1945.)

Masalahnya (adalah) bagaimana kita dapat mengumpulkan uang sebanyak itu.


The problem is how we can collect as much money as that.

3 Saya tidak mendengar bahwa Pak Harto akan mengunjungi Australia.


I had not heard that Mr Harto will visit Australia.

Mereka belum tahu bilamana ia akan datang.


They do not know yet when he will come.

Pak Hasan tahu apa yang akan dilakukannya disi sini.


Mr Hasan knows what will be done by him (her, them) here.

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4 Clauses with yang

i Orang yang tinggal di sini itu sudah kembali ke Indonesia.


The person who was living here has returned to Indonesia.

Pak Harto yang menjadi guru di sekolah itu tinggal dekat rumah kami.
Mr Harto, who is a teacher at that school, lives near our house.

Guru yang nemulis buku ini adalah bibi saya.


The teacher who wrote this book is my aunt.

ii Buku yang saya beli kemarin itu mahal sekali.


The book which I bought yesterday is very expensive.

Orang yang kauperkenalkan itu pandai berbahasa Indonesia.


The person who was introduced by you is good at speaking Indonesian.

Mobil yang dijualnya itu masih baik.


The car which was sold by her is still good.

iii Orang yang namanya Harto itu teman sekelas saya.


The person who is called Harto is my classmate.

Orang yang anaknya enam orang itu harus bekerja keras.


The person who has six children must work hard.

Pintu yang catnya merah itu rumah guru saya.


That red painted door is my teacher’s house.

5 Sentences introduced with karena; oleh karena; sebab; oleh sebab;


mentang-mentang – meaning because, because of or just because:

Karena negara Australia adalah negara yang luas sekali ongkos perjalanan sangat
mahal.
Because Australia is a very extensive country, the cost of travel is very expensive.

Mentang-mentang is used instead of karena, oleh karena, sebab and oleh sebab to express
annoyance:

Mentang-mentang anak orang kaya, anak itu tidak kenal lagi pada teman lama.
Just because he is a rich person’s child, he doesn’t want to know his old friends any more.

6 Sehingga; sampai – meaning so (that), until.

Ia tidak sungguh-sungguh belajar sehingga tidak lulus ujian.


He didn’t really study, so he didn’t pass the exam.

Pekerjaan yang berat itu harus dikerjakan sampai selesai.


That difficult work must be done until it is finished.

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7 i Juga

Berapa lamanya belajar, dia tidak lulus juga.


No matter how long he/she studies, he/she will not pass.

Berkali-kali diteleponnya, tidak juga menyahut.


Many times he rang, but there was no reply.

ii Duplication of predicate

Kecil-kecil, sudah disekolahkan.


They are so small, yet they have been to school.

Muda-muda, sudah dikawinkan.


They are so young, yet they are married.

iii Duplication with se-

Sepandai-pandainya tupai melompat, sekali-sekali jatuh juga.


No matter how cleverly the squirrel jumps, once in a while he falls.

Setajam-tajamnya mata memandang, tidak kelihatan juga pulau itu.


No matter how hard you look, that island cannot be seen

iv The use of pun

Belajar pun, tak ada gunanya.


There is even no use studying.

Dikerjakan pun, hanya membuang tenaga.


Even working is only a waste of energy.

v Some introductory conjunctions

Meskipun sibuk, ada juga waktu untuk menghadiri ceramah.


Although he/she was busy, he/she also had time to attend the lecture.

Sungguhpun berat, pekerjaan itu selesai juga.


Although it was difficult, the work was completed.

Walaupun sukar, diatasinya juga persolan itu.


Although difficult, the problem was overcome.

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8 untuk; agar (supaya); supaya – meaning that, so that, in order that – are used in sentences
expressing some purpose.

Untuk membeli barang-barang mewah, kami harus beruang.


To buy luxury goods we must be wealthy.

Agar (supaya) dapat makan, petani-petani di sini bekerja keras.


So that they can eat, the farmers here work hard.

9 dengan by
dengan tidak by not
tanpa without

Dengan bersekolah kami dapat belajar.


By going to school we can study.

Dengan tidak membeli mobil kami tetap kaya!


By not buying a car we remain wealthy!

Tanpa uang kami tidak dapat hidup.


Without money we cannot live.

10 Seperti and sebagai meaning as or like.

A very clear distinction is made in usage between these two words:

Sebagai dokter, ia pandai sekali mengobati pasiennya.


As a doctor, s/he is very clever at treating her/his patients.

Seperti anak kecil, ia menangisi anjingnya yang mati.


Like a small child, s/he cried over her/his dog which had died.

11 seakan-akan, seolah-olah – as if

Ia terus bekerja seakan-akan tak mendengar temannya.


S/he kept on working as if s/he didn’t hear her/his friend.

12 makin… makin…
kian… kian…
tambah… tambah…

These expressions are all used in the same sense of more and more:

Makin lama makin banyak hutangnya.


The longer the time the greater was his debt.

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11 and 12 Temporal and conditional relationships

These are sentences where either a sequence of time is expressed such as when, if, after and since or a
definite condition is to be expressed in the action, e.g. if, supposing that, when, etc.

Study the following table:

Temporal Conditional
Indonesian English Indonesian English
ketika¹ when jikalau if
waktu¹ when (past) jika if
sewaktu¹ when kalau if
semasa¹ while seandainya³ if
jika² when andaikata³ if
jikalau² when apabila whenever
kalau² whenever bila when
selama while, as long as asalkan provided
sesudah after
setelah after
sejak since
semejak since

Notes:
1 Ketika, waktu, sewaktu and semasa are used to indicate that theaction referred to occurred at
or during a specific time in the past.
2 Jika, jikalau and kalau are used to indicate that the action referred to will occur at a certain
time in the future.
3 Seandainya and andaikata can only be used when referring to highly improbable situations.

Some temporal examples:

Ketika orang tua kami masih hidup, kami merasa sangat bahagia.
When our parents were still alive we were very happy.

Sewaktu gunung Batur meletus beberapa tahun yang lalu, banyak orang yang tewas.
When Batur mountain erupted some years ago many people were killed.

Semasa saya dirawat di rumah sakit bulan yang lalu, saya tidak diizinkan merokok oleh
dokter.
While I was treated at the hospital last month I wasn’t allowed to smoke by the doctor.

Jika engkau sakit, engkau harus memanggil dokter.


When you are ill you must call a doctor.

Jikalau hari sangat panas, saya selalu pergi berenang.


When the day is very hot I always go swimming.

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Kalau saya berdiri agak lama, kaki saya terasa sakit.


Whenever I stand for rather a long time I feel sore in my leg.

Selama ibu saya sakit keras, saya tidak pergi ke sekolah.


While my mother was seriously ill, I did not go to school.

Semua pintu dan jendela rumah itu harus dikunci, sesudah matahari terbenam.
All the doors and windows of the house have to be locked after the sun sets.

Semenjak anak Pak Yasin meninggal dunia beberapa bulan yang lewat, Pak Yasin tidak
pernah mau datang ke pesta.
Since Mr Yasin’s child died some months ago, he has never wanted to attend a party.

Some conditional examples:

Saya akan berangkat ke Indonesia lusa, jikalau tidak terjadi apa-apa.


I will leave for Indonesia the day after tomorrow if nothing happens.

Saya akan pergi ke perpustakan malam ini, jika tidak hujan.


I will go to the library if it is not raining.

Kalau kamu mau lulus dalam ujianmu, kamu harus belajar keras.
If you want to pass your exam, you must study hard.

Saya pasti dapat menghardiri pesta itu tadi malam seandainya saya tidak sakit.
I certainly will be able to attend the party tomorrow night, if I am not sick.

Andaikata saya mempunyai uang, saya akan pergi ke Sydney.


If I had money, I would go to Sydney.

Bis, trem dan kereta api tidak berjalan apabila ada pemogokan pekerja pengangkutan.
Buses, trams and trains do not run whenever there is a strike of transport workers.

Engkau boleh pergi dengan saya, asalkan engkau membayar sendiri.


You may go with me provided you pay for yourself.

13 Expressing anxiety and probability.

kalau-kalau maybe, lest


kalau tidak if not
jangan-jangan maybe, I am afraid that…

Tanyalah dia, kalau-kalau dia tahu.


Ask him, maybe he knows.

Jembatan ini harus diperbaiki, jangan-jangan terjadi kecelakaan yang mengerikan.


This bridge must be repaired, if not there will be a terrible accident.

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Types of Sentences

1 Declarative

These are your normal type of sentence, stating something. For example:
Guru itu rajin. That teacher is conscientious.

2 Interrogative

Three types of interrogative sentence are:

a) Affirmative (requiring a Yes or No answer)

Apa dia guru? Is he a teacher?


Gurukah dia? Is he a teacher?
Suratkah yang ditulisnya? Is it a letter she has written?

b) Informative

Siapa dia? Who is s/he?


Apa itu? What is that?
Mengapa dia bekerja? Why is s/he working?
Bagaimana membuatnya? How is it done?
Dia mana dia? Where is s/he?
Berapa lama dia belajar di sana? How long has s/he studied there?

c) Confirmative

Dia guru, bukan? S/he is a teacher, isn’t s/he?


Menulisnya begini, ya? You write it like this, don’t you?

3 Imperative

Although the tone generally serves as a key to the exact meaning of an imperative, there are
indirect ways of expressing the imperative to make it less harsh or blunt.

Commands in the written form usually end with exclamation marks, while polite requests often
take the form of questions. The forms which are listed below are arranged in ascending order of
politeness.

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a) Pergi! Go!
Pergilah! Please go!
Ambil! Fetch (it)!
Ambilah! Please fetch (it)!
b) Coba kerjakan! Please do (it)!
Tolong ambilkan! Please fetch (it)!
c) Harap keluar dengan tenang. Please go out quietly.
Sudilah/Sudi apalah kiranya memberi jawaban.
Would you be so good as to reply.

Negative commands

Dilarang merokok! No smoking! (dilarang is used on signs.)


Jangan meludah di sini! No spitting!

4 Exclamatory

Sukar sekali bahasa ini!


How very difficult this language is!

Aduh sukar bahasa ini!


Gee it’s hard.

Sungguh sukar bahasa ini!


How difficult this language is!

Alangkah sukarnya bahasa ini!


How difficult this language is!

Bukan main mudahnya bahasa ini!


No kidding how easy this language is!

5 Optative

Mudah-mudahan
Moga-moga
Semoga saudara lulus ujian itu.
Saya harap

I hope/It is to be hoped that you pass this exam.

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