Language/Indonesian/Grammar/Negation

Indonesian Grammar - Negation

Hi Indonesian learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will learn about negation in the Indonesian language. Negation is an important part of any language, and it is essential to understand how to use it correctly in order to communicate effectively. We will look at the different ways to express negation in Indonesian, as well as some examples of how to use them. Let's get started!

Negation in Indonesian

Negation in Indonesian is expressed using a variety of words and phrases. The most common way to express negation is by using the word tidak (pronounced "tee-dahk"). This word can be used to negate verbs, adjectives, and nouns. For example:

Indonesian	Pronunciation	English Translation
Saya tidak mau.	sah-yah tee-dahk mow	I don't want.
Dia tidak cantik.	dee-ah tee-dahk chan-teek	She is not beautiful.
Mereka tidak tahu.	meh-reh-kah tee-dahk tah-hoo	They don't know.

Another way to express negation is by using the phrase bukan (pronounced "boo-kahn"). This phrase is used to negate nouns and pronouns. For example:

Indonesian	Pronunciation	English Translation
Dia bukan guru.	dee-ah boo-kahn goo-roo	He is not a teacher.
Mereka bukan teman saya.	meh-reh-kah boo-kahn teh-mahn sah-yah	They are not my friends.
Aku bukan anak laki-laki.	ah-koo boo-kahn ah-nahk lah-kee-lah-kee	I am not a boy.

Finally, the phrase jangan (pronounced "jahng-ahn") is used to express prohibition or to give advice. For example:

Indonesian	Pronunciation	English Translation
Jangan lupa.	jahng-ahn loo-pah	Don't forget.
Jangan berbohong.	jahng-ahn behr-bo-hohng	Don't lie.
Jangan menyerah.	jahng-ahn mehn-seh-rah	Don't give up.

It is important to note that these words and phrases can also be combined with other words and phrases to create more complex sentences. For example:

Indonesian	Pronunciation	English Translation
Saya tidak boleh makan.	sah-yah tee-dahk boh-leh mah-kahn	I can't eat.
Dia bukan teman saya lagi.	dee-ah boo-kahn teh-mahn sah-yah lah-gee	She is not my friend anymore.
Jangan lupa untuk membaca.	jahng-ahn loo-pah oon-too mehm-bah-chah	Don't forget to read.

As you can see, there are many different ways to express negation in Indonesian. It is important to practice using these words and phrases in order to become more comfortable with them. Once you have mastered the basics of negation, you will be able to communicate more effectively in Indonesian.

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