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Structure (a sample lesson)
A. Personal pronouns
| Bahasa Indonesia | English | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Saya | I | (standard) |
| Ku | My | (informal speech) |
| Anda | You, your | (standard) |
| Mu | Your | (informal speech) |
| Kita | Our | (when the person spoken to is included) |
| Kami | Our | (when the person spoken to is excluded) |
| Dia | He/she | - |
| Nya | His/her | - |
| Mereka | They, their | - |
B. Possesive pronoun always follows the object. Learn the order of each phrase:
| Bahasa Indonesia | English | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Nama saya | My name | - |
| Nama Anda | Your name | - |
| Nama kita | Our names | - |
| Nama kami | Our names | - |
| Namanya | His name | (note that "namanya" translates to one word) |
| Namanya | Her name | (note that "namanya" translates to one word) |
| Nama mereka | Their name | - |
| Nya | His/her | - |
| Mereka | They, their | - |
C. Personal pronouns, such as my-saya, your-Anda, their-mereka, his/her-nya; come after the object possessed.
| Bahasa Indonesia | English |
|---|---|
| Nama anda Peter | Your name is Peter |
| Nama mereka Peter dan Susan | Their names are Peter and Susan |
| Namanya Peter | His name is Peter |
| Namanya Susan | Her name is Susan |
D. No gender distinction is used for personal pronouns, he and she, his and her. Learn these examples:
| Bahasa Indonesia | English |
|---|---|
| Saya Peter | I am Peter |
| Nama saya Peter | My name is Peter |
| Nama anda Susan | Your name is Susan |
| Kami Peter dan Susan | We are Peter and Susan |
| Nama kami Peter dan Susan | Our names are Peter and Susan |
| Dia Peter | He is Peter |
| Namanya Peter | His name is Peter |
| Dia Susan | She is Susan |
| Namanya Susan | Her name is Susan |
| Mereka Peter dan Susan | They are Peter and Susan |
| Nama mereka Peter dan Susan | Their names are Peter and Susan |
E. Questions
1. Either “apa” or “apakah” is used to stress an affirmative question. However, you may drop those two question words, when you have a high intonation at the end of the question. Try the following substitution drills:
| Bahasa Indonesia | English |
|---|---|
| Maaf, nama Anda Peter? | Excuse me, is your name Peter |
| Maaf, nama mereka Peter dan Susan? | Excuse me, are their names Peter and Susan? |
| Maaf, namanya Peter? | Excuse me, is his name Peter? |
| Maaf, namanya Susan? | Excuse me, is her name Susan? |
2. The word “what” when referring to a person translates as “siapa”. See the following examples:
| Bahasa Indonesia | English |
|---|---|
| Siapa nama Anda? | What is your name? |
| Siapa nama mereka? | What are their names? |
| Siapa namanya? | What is his/her name? |
| Siapa namamu? | What is your name? |