Language/Indonesian/Grammar/Questions

Indonesian Grammar - Questions

Hi Indonesian learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will learn about questions in the Indonesian language. Understanding how to ask questions is an important part of language learning because it helps you to communicate better with native speakers. In addition, asking questions can show your interest in the culture and way of life of the Indonesian people. So, let's get started!

Basic Questions

In Indonesian, there are two types of questions, namely yes-no questions and wh-questions. Yes-no questions have the same word order as positive sentences, but with a rising intonation at the end of the sentence. Wh-questions require the use of question words such as apa (what), siapa (who), kapan (when), di mana (where), bagaimana (how), mengapa (why), and berapa (how much/many).

Let's look at some examples below:

Indonesian	Pronunciation	English
Apa kamu suka makan nasi?	ˈapa ˈkamu ˈsuka ˈmakan ˈnasi	Do you like to eat rice?
Siapa namamu?	ˈsiapa ˈnamamu	What is your name?
Kapan kamu pulang ke rumah?	ˈkapan ˈkamu ˈpulang ke ˈrumah	When are you going home?
Di mana toko buku terdekat?	di ˈmana ˈtoko ˈbuku ˈterdekat	Where is the nearest bookstore?
Bagaimana cara memasak nasi goreng?	bəɡaˈimana ˈtʃara meˈmasak ˈnasi ɡoˈreŋ	How to cook fried rice?
Mengapa kamu tidak datang ke pesta ulangtahun?	məŋˈapa ˈkamu ˈtidaʔ ˈdatanɡ ke ˈpesta ulanɡˈtahun	Why didn't you come to the birthday party?
Berapa harga baju ini?	bəˈrapa ˈhara ˈbaju ˈini	How much is the price of this shirt?

Tag Questions

Tag questions are a type of question in which a statement is turned into a question by adding a tag at the end, such as "ya" (right?), "kan" (isn't it?), or "kah" (question particle). Tag questions are usually used to confirm or seek agreement with the listener.

For example:

• Person 1: Kamu suka makan sate? (Do you like to eat satay?)
• Person 2: Suka. (Yes.)
• Person 1: Sate enak ya? (Satay is tasty, right?)

Let's look at another example below:

• Person 1: Harganya murah, kan? (The price is cheap, isn't it?)
• Person 2: Ya, memang murah. (Yes, it is indeed cheap.)

Special Questions

There are certain types of questions that require special question words, such as "apa" (what), "siapa" (who), "mengapa" (why), "bagaimana" (how), and "di mana" (where). These special question words cannot be replaced by other question words.

Examples of special questions include:

• Apa itu? (What is that?)
• Siapa yang datang? (Who came?)
• Mengapa kamu marah? (Why are you angry?)
• Bagaimana caranya? (How to do it?)
• Di mana tempat yang bagus? (Where is a good place?)

Dialogue

• Person 1: Apa kamu suka makan bakso? (Do you like to eat meatballs?)
• Person 2: Ya, saya suka. (Yes, I do.)
• Person 1: Bagaimana cara memasaknya? (How to cook it?)
• Person 2: Pertama, giling daging sapi sampai halus. (First, grind the beef until it is fine.)
• Person 1: Lalu tambahkan bawang putih, bawang merah, dan garam. (Then add garlic, onion, and salt.)
• Person 2: Setelah itu, bulatkan daging menjadi bola kecil-kecil. (After that, shape the beef into small balls.)
• Person 1: Kemudian, rebus bola-bola daging dalam air mendidih hingga matang. (Then, boil the meatballs in boiling water until cooked.)
• Person 2: Nah, sekarang kamu sudah bisa membuat bakso sendiri. (Now, you can make meatballs by yourself.)

Conclusion

With this lesson, you have learned the basics of asking questions in Indonesian, including yes-no questions, wh-questions, tag questions, and special questions. To improve your understanding of Indonesian Grammar, you can also refer to the Grammar section of the Polyglot Club website. Find native speakers and ask them any questions!

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➡ If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments section below.
➡ Feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. 😎

Sources

• Indonesian Grammar
• Interrogative
• Tag Question
• Indonesian Language