Language/Javanese/Grammar/Basic-Prepositions

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Javanese → Grammar → 0 to A1 Course → Basic Prepositions

Welcome to the exciting world of Javanese grammar! In this lesson, we'll explore basic prepositions, which are essential for constructing meaningful sentences in Javanese. Prepositions help express relationships between words, particularly concerning location, time, and direction. Understanding these fundamental building blocks will enable you to communicate effectively and enhance your Javanese language skills.

Before we dive in, let’s outline what to expect in this lesson:

• Introduction to Prepositions

• Types of Prepositions

• Location Prepositions

• Time Prepositions

• Direction Prepositions

• Examples of Each Type

• Practice Exercises

• Conclusion and Summary

Introduction to Prepositions

Prepositions are words that link nouns, pronouns, or phrases to other words in a sentence. They provide contextual details that enrich the meaning. For instance, when we say "the book is on the table," the preposition "on" connects the book to the table, indicating its position. In Javanese, prepositions serve a similar purpose, helping you articulate where something is, when it happens, or the direction it’s moving.

Types of Prepositions

Javanese prepositions can be broadly categorized into three types based on the relationships they describe: location, time, and direction. Let’s examine each category closely.

Location Prepositions

Location prepositions specify where something is situated. Here are some basic location prepositions in Javanese:

Javanese	Pronunciation	English
ing	[iŋ]	in
ing ngarep	[iŋ nɡaˈrəp]	in front of
ing jero	[iŋ ˈdʒɛro]	inside
ing sisih	[iŋ ˈsi̯sih]	beside
ing tengah	[iŋ ˈtɛŋah]	in the middle
ing dhuwur	[iŋ ˈdʊwʊr]	above
ing ngisor	[iŋ ˈɲisor]	below
ing saubeng	[iŋ saˈubɛŋ]	around
ing mburi	[iŋ ˈmburi]	behind
ing luar	[iŋ ˈluar]	outside

These prepositions are crucial for describing the position of objects and people. For instance, you can say “Buku ana ing meja” (The book is on the table).

Time Prepositions

Time prepositions indicate when something happens. Here are some common time prepositions in Javanese:

Javanese	Pronunciation	English
ing wektu	[iŋ wɛkˈtu]	at (specific time)
sadurunge	[saˈdurʊŋɛ]	before
sawise	[saˈwiːsɛ]	after
nalika	[naˈlikɑ]	when
ing dina	[iŋ ˈdina]	on (day)
ing sasi	[iŋ ˈsasi]	in (month)
ing taun	[iŋ ˈtaʊn]	in (year)
ing wektu sore	[iŋ wɛkˈtu ˈsore]	in the evening
ing wektu esuk	[iŋ wɛkˈtu ˈɛsʊk]	in the morning
ing wektu bengi	[iŋ wɛkˈtu ˈbɛŋɪ]	at night

Using time prepositions allows you to clarify when events take place. For example, “Aku arep mlebu ing sekolah nalika esuk” (I’m going to school in the morning).

Direction Prepositions

Direction prepositions describe the movement toward a particular place or position. Here are some examples:

Javanese	Pronunciation	English
menyang	[mɛnˈjaŋ]	to
saka	[saka]	from
liwat	[liˈwat]	through
marang	[ˈmaɾaŋ]	toward
menyang dhuwur	[mɛnˈjaŋ ˈdʊwʊr]	up
menyang ngisor	[mɛnˈjaŋ ˈɲisor]	down
nyebrang	[jəˈbɾaŋ]	across
ing tengen	[iŋ ˈtɛŋɛn]	to the right
ing kiwa	[iŋ ˈkiwɑ]	to the left
tumuju	[tuˈmuʤu]	heading to

These prepositions are particularly useful for expressing movement. For instance, “Aku menyang pasar liwat dalan” (I’m going to the market through the road).

Examples of Each Type

Now that we've covered the types of prepositions, let's look at some complete sentences using these prepositions to reinforce your understanding:

Location Examples

Javanese	Pronunciation	English
Kucing ana ing meja.	[kuˈtʃiŋ ˈana iŋ ˈmɛdʒɑ]	The cat is on the table.
Buku iku ana ing jero lemari.	[ˈbuku ˈiku ˈana iŋ ˈdʒɛro ləˈmari]	That book is inside the cupboard.
Ana bocah ing ngarep sekolah.	[ˈana ˈbɔtʃɑ iŋ nɡaˈrəp sɪˈkɔlah]	There is a child in front of the school.
Ana kucing ing sisih kursi.	[ˈana kuˈtʃiŋ iŋ ˈsi̯sih ˈkuɾsi]	There is a cat beside the chair.
Ana wong ing tengah lapangan.	[ˈana wɔŋ iŋ ˈtɛŋah laˈpaŋan]	There is a person in the middle of the field.

Time Examples

Javanese	Pronunciation	English
Aku arep lunga ing wektu sore.	[ˈaku ˈaɾɛp ˈluŋa iŋ wɛkˈtu ˈsore]	I’m going out at evening.
Dheweke wis teka nalika aku arep lunga.	[ˈdʒɛwɛkɛ ˈwɪs ˈtɛka naˈlika ˈaku ˈaɾɛp ˈluŋa]	He arrived when I was about to leave.
Aku bakal kerja sawise kuliah.	[ˈaku ˈbakal ˈkɛɾʤɑ saˈwiːsɛ kuˈlɪjɑ]	I will work after college.
Ana ujian ing dina Senin.	[ˈana uˈdʒiʌn iŋ ˈdina sɛˈnɪn]	There is an exam on Monday.
Aku lair ing taun 2000.	[ˈaku laˈir iŋ ˈtaʊn 2000]	I was born in the year 2000.

Direction Examples

Javanese	Pronunciation	English
Aku menyang toko.	[ˈaku mɛnˈjaŋ ˈtɔkɔ]	I’m going to the store.
Dheweke teka saka Jakarta.	[ˈdʒɛwɛkɛ ˈtɛkɑ ˈsaka dʒakarˈta]	He comes from Jakarta.
Ana wong nyebrang dalan.	[ˈana wɔŋ jəˈbɾaŋ ˈdalɑn]	There is a person crossing the road.
Kita lunga marang rumah.	[ˈkita ˈluŋa ˈmaɾaŋ ˈrumah]	We are heading to the house.
Aku nyetir mobil nyebrang jembatan.	[ˈaku ˈjɛtɪr ˈmɔbɪl jəˈbɾaŋ dʒɛmˈbɑtɑn]	I drive the car across the bridge.

Practice Exercises

To help you consolidate your understanding, here are some exercises designed to practice using prepositions in various contexts.

1. Fill in the blanks with the correct preposition:

• Buku ana ___ meja. (The book is ___ the table.)

• Aku lunga ___ sekolah. (I’m going ___ school.)

• Dheweke teka ___ Jakarta. (He comes ___ Jakarta.)

2. Translate the following sentences into Javanese:

• The cat is beside the chair.

• I will work after college.

• They are going to the market.

3. Match the sentences with the correct prepositions:

• (A) He is in front of the house.

• (B) They will arrive at night.

• (C) I saw her inside the room.

• 1. ___ ing ngarep omah.

2. ___ ing bengi.

3. ___ ing jero kamar.

4. Create sentences using the following prepositions:

• ing

• nalika

• marang

5. Choose the correct preposition:

• The meeting is ___ Monday. (ing/saka)

• She lives ___ the city. (ing/nyebrang)

6. Rearrange the words to form correct sentences:

• ing / ana / kucing / meja /.

• marang / kita / lunga / pasar /.

7. Write a short paragraph about your daily routine using at least five prepositions.

8. Translate the following sentences into English:

• Aku arep menyang taman ing wektu sore.

• Dheweke ngenteni ing tengah lapangan.

9. Identify the prepositions in the following sentences:

• I will meet you at the cafe.

• The dog is sleeping under the table.

10. Fill in the blanks with appropriate prepositions based on context:

• The book is ___ the shelf.

• We are going ___ the store.

Solutions and Explanations

1. Fill in the blanks with the correct preposition:

• Buku ana ing meja.

• Aku lunga marang sekolah.

• Dheweke teka saka Jakarta.

2. Translate the following sentences into Javanese:

• Kucing ana ing sisih kursi. (The cat is beside the chair.)

• Aku bakal kerja sawise kuliah. (I will work after college.)

• Dheweke lunga menyang pasar. (They are going to the market.)

3. Match the sentences with the correct prepositions:

• (A) He is in front of the house. → 1. ing ngarep omah.

• (B) They will arrive at night. → 2. ing bengi.

• (C) I saw her inside the room. → 3. ing jero kamar.

4. Create sentences using the following prepositions:

• ing (The pen is in the bag.)

• nalika (I eat lunch when I finish my work.)

• marang (She goes toward the park.)

5. Choose the correct preposition:

• The meeting is ing Monday.

• She lives ing the city.

6. Rearrange the words to form correct sentences:

• Ana kucing ing meja.

• Kita lunga marang pasar.

7. Write a short paragraph about your daily routine using at least five prepositions.

(This will vary by student response.)

8. Translate the following sentences into English:

• I’m going to the park in the evening.

• He is waiting in the middle of the field.

9. Identify the prepositions in the following sentences:

• I will meet you at the cafe.

• The dog is sleeping under the table.

10. Fill in the blanks with appropriate prepositions based on context:

• The book is on the shelf.

• We are going to the store.

Conclusion and Summary

Congratulations! You've made significant progress in understanding Javanese prepositions. These little words are vital for expressing relationships in your sentences, whether it's about where something is, when it happens, or which direction it’s moving. Keep practicing, and soon you'll find yourself using prepositions with ease in everyday conversations.

Continue to build upon this knowledge as you advance in your Javanese language journey. Happy learning!

Table of Contents - Javanese Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

  ---

Greetings and Introductions

• Basic Greetings
• Introducing Yourself

  ---

Sentence Structure

• Subject-Verb-Object
• Questions and Negations

  ---

Numbers and Time

• Numbers 1-10
• Telling Time

  ---

Nouns and Pronouns

• Personal Pronouns
• Possessive Pronouns

  ---

Family and Relationships

• Family Members
• Relationship Terms

  ---

Verbs and Tenses

• Present Tense
• Past Tense

  ---

Food and Drinks

• Common Foods
• Drinks and Beverages

  ---

Adjectives and Adverbs

• Descriptive Adjectives
• Adverbs of Manner

  ---

Travel and Transportation

• Modes of Transportation
• Travel Vocabulary

  ---

Prepositions and Conjunctions

• Basic Prepositions
• Common Conjunctions

  ---

Javanese Customs and Etiquette

• Politeness Levels
• Social Etiquette

Sources

• Javanese Grammar | LEARN101.ORG
• Learn Javanese - Grammar and Vocabulary

Other Lessons

• Give your Opinion
• Personal Pronouns
• Questions
• Adjectives
• Questions and Negations
• Nouns
• Future Tense
• Conditional Mood
• Past Tense

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