Language/Indonesian/Grammar/Questions-and-Answers

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Indonesian Grammar → Sentence Structure → Questions and Answers

As an Indonesian language teacher with 20 years of experience, I am excited to teach you how to form questions and answers in Indonesian. This is an essential aspect of the language that will allow you to communicate with locals and immerse yourself in the culture. Let's get started!

Consider exploring these related pages after completing this lesson: How to Use Be & How to Use Have.

Basic Question Words

In Indonesian, there are several basic question words that you need to know:

Apa - What
Siapa - Who
Bagaimana - How
Di mana - Where

For example, if you want to ask "What is your name?" in Indonesian, you would say "Apa nama anda?".

Forming Questions

To form a yes/no question in Indonesian, you simply invert the order of the subject and verb, and add "kah" to the end of the sentence. For example, "Kamu makan?" means "Do you eat?"

To form a question using one of the basic question words listed above, simply place that word at the beginning of the sentence. For example, "Siapa nama anda?" means "What is your name?"

Here are some examples of questions you might need to use while in Indonesia:

Indonesian	Pronunciation	English
Apa nama Anda?	Ah-pah nah-mah ahn-dah?	What is your name?
Siapa nama dia?	See-ah-pah nah-mah dee-ah?	What is his/her name?
Bagaimana kabarmu?	Bah-gah-ee-mah-nah kah-bar-moo?	How are you?
Di mana toilet?	Dee mah-nah toh-let?	Where is the bathroom?

Forming Answers

Answering questions in Indonesian is not difficult. For yes/no questions, you simply say either "ya" for yes, or "tidak" for no.

If you are answering a question that uses one of the basic question words, you simply provide the information requested. For example:

Q: Siapa nama anda? (What is your name?)
A: Nama saya John. (My name is John.)

Q: Di mana toko buku? (Where is the bookstore?)
A: Toko buku ada di Jalan Sudirman. (The bookstore is on Jalan Sudirman.)

Cultural Information

Asking and answering questions is an important part of Indonesian culture. Indonesians are warm and hospitable people who will often ask personal questions such as "Are you married?" or "Do you have children?" as a way of getting to know you better. It is considered polite to answer these questions with honesty and humility.

In more formal situations, such as business meetings or interviews, Indonesians may ask direct questions about your qualifications and experience.

Conclusion

Congratulations! You now know how to form questions and answers in Indonesian using basic question words such as apa, siapa, bagaimana, and di mana. Keep practicing, and soon you will be able to engage in basic conversations with native speakers.

Sources

Great work on completing this lesson! Take a moment to investigate these connected pages: Prepositions & 0 to A1 Course.

Table of Contents - Indonesian Course - 0 to A1

Course Presentation

Pronouns and Greetings

Basic Grammar

Daily Life

Sentence Structure

Indonesian Culture

Travel and Transportation

Verb Tenses

Shopping and Bargaining

Indonesian Arts

Modal Verbs

Colors and Shapes

Comparative and Superlative

Indonesian Traditions

Emergencies

Indirect and Direct Speech

Jobs and Professions

Indonesian Holidays

Videos

9 b - Asking Questions in Indonesian Language - YouTube

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