Last updated on January 21, 2024
Pronoun refers to people. They reflect social relations between people.
| Person | Singular | Plural |
| Pertama First Kedua Second Ketiga Third | saya, aku I, me, my engkau, kau, kamu, anda you, your ia, dia, beliau he/she, his/her, it/its | kita, kami we, us kalian, kamu(sekalian) you, all of you mereka, nya they, them, their |
Personal pronouns should be used with care. Both ‘saya‘ and ‘aku‘ mean ‘I’, ‘me’, but ‘aku’ is only used when speaking to intimate friends only. ‘Kita‘ means ‘we’ where the person being spoken to is included, that is ‘I and you’. ‘Kami‘ means ‘we’ where the person being spoken to is not included, that is ‘I and others but not you’.
‘Aku, engkau, kau, kamu, kalian‘, are intimate forms, used to children and between equals who have a close relationship with each other. They are sometimes used to younger adults although this always conveys a suggestion of social superiority on the part of the speaker.
‘Anda‘ is confined to impersonal situations, such as addressing strangers of the same age as or younger than the speaker. It is not widely used in addressing individuals because it does not convey respect. It can not be used by a junior to a senior. It is mostly used in advertisements, public announcements, conferences, and people in gatherings.
- Kenakan sabuk pengaman selama anda duduk.
Fasten your seatbelt while you are seated.
‘Beliau‘ carries social connotation, referring to people who are held in high respect.
ku, kau, -ku, -mu, -nya
The pronouns ku– and kau– are written in one word with the word that follows it, while –ku, –mu, and –nya are written in one word with the word that precedes them.
For example:
| Majalah ini boleh kaubaca. | You can read this magazine. |
| Bukuku, bukumu, dan bukunya tersimpan di perpustakaan. | My books, your books, and his books are stored in the library. |
| Rumahnya sedang diperbaiki. | The house is being repaired. |
Reference:
Indonesian Reference Grammar by James Neil Sneddon, 1996.