Indonesian · BIPA 1 (A1) · Chapter 4
Ini teman sayaThis is my friend
Possession with no special word: in Indonesian the thing comes first, then its owner — "teman saya" = friend belonging-to-me. The short forms -ku/-mu/-nya attach to the noun (temanku, namamu, namanya). Plus the pointing words ini/itu and the pronouns kamu (casual), Anda (respectful), dia (he OR she). Now you can ask: "Nama kamu apa?" Mike slips again — this time the owner order.
Dialogue
i
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Itu teman kamu?— Is that your friend?
- BudiSari, ini teman saya.Sari, this is my friend.
- SariHalo! Nama kamu apa?Hi! What's your name?
- AndiNama saya Andi. Itu teman kamu?My name is Andi. Is that your friend?
- SariYa, itu teman saya.Yes, that's my friend.
Dialogue
i
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Mike membalik urutan— Mike Flips the Order
- SariMike, ini teman kamu?Mike, is this your friend?
- MikeYa! Ini saya teman.Yes! This is "my friend". (wrong: English order saya teman, should be teman saya)
- SariMike, "teman saya"!Mike, "teman saya"! (thing first, owner second — friend + saya)
- MikeOh! Ini teman saya. Terima kasih!Oh! This is my friend. Thank you!
Vocabulary
i
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- itu
pronounthat
- kamu
pronounyou (casual)
- Anda
pronounyou (respectful)
- dia
pronounhe, she
- punya
verbto have, to own
- -ku
suffixmy (short form of saya/aku)
- -mu
suffixyour (short form of kamu)
- -nya
suffixhis, her (short form of dia)
- guru
nounteacher
- dokter
noundoctor
- pekerjaan
nounjob, occupation
Grammar
i
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Possession: thing + owner
Explanation
To say "whose", put the thing FIRST, then the owner — with no extra word: teman saya = my friend, nama Budi = Budi's name, pekerjaan dia = his/her job. This is the reverse of English. For "saya", "kamu", "dia" there are short forms that ATTACH to the noun: -ku, -mu, -nya. So teman saya = temanku, nama kamu = namamu, nama dia = namanya. Both are correct; the short form feels more familiar.
Examples
- teman saya = temankumy friend
- nama kamu = namamuyour name
- pekerjaan dia = pekerjaannyahis/her job
- Ini guru saya.This is my teacher.
- Itu dokter, pekerjaannya.That is a doctor — his/her job.
Grammar
i
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kamu / Anda / dia, ini / itu, and asking
Explanation
Three new pronouns. "Kamu" = you (casual, for friends). "Anda" = you, respectful (capital A, for new people or formal settings). "Dia" = he/she — one word for male AND female; Indonesian does not split he/she. Pointing words: "ini" for what is near, "itu" for what is far. To ask, put "apa" at the end: "Nama kamu apa?" (what is your name) or "Ini apa?" (what is this). No order-flipping like English.
Examples
- Nama kamu apa?What's your name?
- Ini apa?What is this?
- Dia teman saya. (laki-laki atau perempuan)He/she is my friend. (male or female)
- Anda guru? (hormat)Are you a teacher? (respectful)
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