Language/Indonesian/Grammar/Comparative

Indonesian Grammar → Comparative and Superlative → Comparative

Comparatives in Indonesian

As a beginner learning Indonesian, you'll quickly encounter terms that indicate relative value, such as more, less, and the adjective construction of comparative and superlative degrees. This lesson will cover the comparative degree, and how to express that one object or person is greater or less than another object or person in Indonesian.

Making Comparisons with "Lebih" and "Kurang"

Indonesian language uses "lebih" and "kurang" to make comparisons of relative values. "Lebih" means "more," while "kurang" means "less." For example:

Indonesian	Pronunciation	English Translation
Ini lebih besar dari itu.	Inee luh-eih bah-sar dah-ree e-toe.	This is bigger than that.
Andi kurang pintar dari Beni.	Ahn-dee koor-ahng pin-tar dah-ree beh-nee.	Andi is less smart than Beni.

Notice that "dari" translates to 'than' in these sentences.

The Comparative "Dari"

So far, we've looked at "lebih" and "kurang" as ways to make comparisons by saying one thing is 'more' or 'less' than another. However, one of the common ways to make comparisons between two items in Indonesian is to use "dari."

The word "dari" means "from" or "than". When used as "than," "dari" must be placed after the objects being compared. Sometimes, "dari" is omitted entirely, which is more common when comparing adjectives. As a rule, always use "dari" to make greater-than and less-than comparisons:

Indonesian	Pronunciation	English Translation
Mobilku lebih cepat dari mobilnya.	Moe-beel-koo luh-eih cheh-paht dah-ree moe-beel-nya.	My car is faster than his/her car.
Adikku lebih pendek dari kakaknya.	Ah-dik-koo luh-eih pen-dehk dah-ree kah-kahk-nya.	My younger sibling is shorter than my older sibling.

Equality with "Sama" and "Sama Seperti"

The word "sama" means "same," while "sama dengan" or "sama seperti" mean "the same as." These terms are used to indicate an equivalence of value and both constructions appear to be interchangeable:

Indonesian	Pronunciation	English Translation
Myrna sama cantik dengan Elsa.	Meer-nah sah-mah chan-teek den-gan El-sa.	Myrna is as pretty as Elsa.
Ini sama hebat seperti itu.	Inee sah-mah heh-bat se-purr-tee e-toe.	This is as great as that (thing).

Comparative Practice

Ready for some practice? Try creating some of your own comparative sentences. Here are some example prompts to get you going:

• Who is taller, your grandparents or your parents?
• Which country is bigger, Indonesia or Thailand?
• What is more delicious, chicken or beef?

Conclusion

Congratulations! You've learned about comparative construction in Indonesian. You now know how to compare two things based on their value, size or other qualities using "lebih," "kurang," "dari," "sama dengan," "sama seperti" and "sama." Keep practicing your Indonesian, and try to use these constructions every day to internalize their usage.

Sources

• <a href="https://www.seasite.niu.edu/Indonesian/perbandingan__lebih_dari.htm">Perbandingan</a>
• <a href="https://studybahasa.com/grammar/relative-comparison-in-indonesian-with-lebih-kurang-dari-sama-dengan/">Relative Comparison in Indonesian with Lebih, Kurang, Dari, Sama Dengan</a>

Table of Contents - Indonesian Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

  ---

Pronouns and Greetings

• Personal Pronouns
• Greetings and Introductions

  ---

Basic Grammar

• Word Order
• Indonesian Nouns
• Verbs in Indonesian

  ---

Daily Life

• Basic Phrases
• Numbers and Time
• Days, Months, and Seasons

  ---

Sentence Structure

• Adjectives and Adverbs
• Questions and Answers
• Negation and Affirmation

  ---

Indonesian Culture

• Indonesian Festivals
• Indonesian Food

  ---

Travel and Transportation

• Transportation
• Directions

  ---

Verb Tenses

• Present Tense
• Past Tense
• Future Tense

  ---

Shopping and Bargaining

• Basic Shopping Phrases
• Bargaining Strategies

  ---

Indonesian Arts

• Indonesian Music
• Indonesian Dance

  ---

Modal Verbs

• Can and Must
• May and Should

  ---

Colors and Shapes

• Colors
• Shapes

  ---

Comparative and Superlative

• Comparative
• Superlative

  ---

Indonesian Traditions

• Indonesian Weddings
• Indonesian Batik

  ---

Emergencies

• Medical Emergencies
• Natural Disasters

  ---

Indirect and Direct Speech

• Direct Speech
• Indirect Speech

  ---

Jobs and Professions

• Job Titles
• Workplaces

  ---

Indonesian Holidays

• Indonesian Independence Day
• Idul Fitri

Related Lessons

• Superlative
• Definite Articles in Indonesian
• 0 to A1 Course
• Conditional Mood
• Indirect Speech
• Past Tense
• Give your Opinion
• Negation and Affirmation
• Questions
• Negation