A

Last updated on April 19, 2022

Meaning: program, agenda, event
Application: acara

Apa acara kamu nanti malam? Apa acara TV malam ini? Tiap hari dia selalu banyak acara. Tiap tahun perusahaan saya selalu bikin acara tahunan.

What’s your plan tonight? What’s on TV tonight? He is always busy everyday. Every year my company always hold an annual event.

Meaning: be, exist, be in stock, be available, present; there is, are
Application: ada, adalah, adanya, berada, keadaan, keberadaan, mengadakan, mengada-ada, pengadaan, seada-adanya(seadanya)
Function: Ada is an intransitive verb which differs significantly from other verbs. It has a number of functions.

Function	In A Sentence	Meaning
It means exist.	Tuhan ada.	God exists.
It means ‘translated‘.	Ada koran di meja.	There’s a newspaper on the table.
It can be preceded by negative.	Di Jakarta tidak ada salju.	There is no snow in Jakarta.
When ‘banyak‘ occurs ‘ada’ is optional.	Tidak (ada) banyak mobil di jalan hari ini.	There are not many cars on the road today.
It corresponds to ‘some(are)’.	Ada yang besar, ada yang kecil.	Some are big, some are small.
It means ‘own, have’.	Saya tidak ada uang.	I don’t have any money.
To indicate possession.	Buku Ali ada pada saya.	I’ve got Ali’s book since.
As an intensifier.	Ia ada menerima surat itu.	He did receive the letter.
It occurs before the locative preposition ‘di’.	Ayah (ada) di kantor.	Father is in the office.

Meaning: just
Synonym: saja, doang
Application: ‘aja’ is colloquial form of ‘saja’

Makannya di kampus aja. Kami baik-baik saja. Ke pasar kok bawa dompet doang?

Let’s just eat in the campus. We are just fine. Why did you bring the wallet only to the market?

Meaning: will – a particle to mark future events; about, regarding, for – as a conjunction
Application: akan, seakan-akan

Kami akan datang malam ini. Pagi ini dia lupa akan tugasnya. Saluran Ramalan Cuaca sudah memberi peringatan tentang akan terjadinya angin ribut(tornado). Dia menerangkan seakan akan kita anak kecil. Pekerjaannya sudah selesai akan tetapi dia masih harus menyempurnakannya.

We will come tonight. This morning he forgets about his tasks. The weather forecast channel has already begun to warn of impending tornado. He explain things as if we are kids. His job is done however he still has to perfect it.

Meaning: very
Synonym: banget, sangat, sekali
Application: The common word for ‘very’ in formal Indonesian is ‘sekali’ which follows the word it refers to. The words ‘sangat’ and ‘amat’ also occur in formal Indonesian preceding the word they qualify where both can occur together for emphasis. The word ‘banget’ does not occur in formal Indonesian but is by far the most common word in colloquial Indonesian.

Orang itu bego sekali. Orang itu sangat bego. Orang itu amat bego. Orang itu bego amat. Orang itu amat sangat bego. Orang itu bego banget.

That person is very stupid.

Meaning: child, kid
Synonym: bocah, budak
Application: anak, anak-anak, kekanak-kanakan, peranakan

anak-anak anak sulung anak bungsu anak tiri anak lelaki anak perempuan anak emas anak jalanan

children eldest child youngest child step child son, boy dughter, girl the golden child street-kids

anak yatim-piatu anak angkat anak buah anak anjing anak ayam taman kanak-kanak kekanak-kanakan peranakan

orphan foster chiked subordinate puppy chick kindergarten childish cross-bred

Meaning: escort, between; inter(a borrowing word from Sanskrit)
Application: antar, mengantar, pengantar, anter(colloquial)

Saya harus mengantar ibu saya ke dokter. Antar benua Kata Pengantar

I have to take my mother to see doctor. Inter-continent Introductory, preface

Meaning: what
Application: see below

Function

In A Sentence

As a yes-no question.   As a question marker’. As a question that requires specific information. To follow a preposition. As subject of a passive clause followed by ‘yang’. It mean ‘or’ (synonym=’atau’) in colloquial Indonesian. Apa saja Apa-apa(reduplication form) Apa as a noun or pronoun.

Apakah Anda mau ikut, atau tidak? Do you want to come, or not? Apa nama kota ini? What’s the name of this town? Anda membaca apa? What are you reading? Dia menulis dengan apa? What did he write with? Apa(apakah) yang dibicarakan di rapat? What was discussed at the meeting? Dia bertanya mereka setuju apa tidak. He asked if they agreed or not. Kamu boleh minum apa saja. You can drink anything. Dia tidak tahu apa-apa. He doesn’t know anything. Apa ini? Ini Apa? What’s this? What’s this?

*) Reference:
Indonesian Reference Grammar by James Neil Sneddon
Colloquial Jakartan Indonesian by James Neil Sneddon, 2006