Editing Indonesian language (section)

== Grammar ==
{{Main|Malay grammar}}
Word order in Indonesian is generally [[subject-verb-object]] (SVO), similar to that of most modern [[Languages of Europe|European languages]] as well as English. However, considerable flexibility in word ordering exists, in contrast with languages such as [[Japanese language|Japanese]] or [[Korean language|Korean]], for instance, which always end clauses with verbs. Indonesian, while allowing for relatively flexible word orderings, does not mark for [[grammatical case]], nor does it make use of [[grammatical gender]].

=== Affixes ===
Indonesian words are composed of a root or a root plus derivational affixes. The root is the primary lexical unit of a word and is usually bisyllabic, of the shape CV(C)CV(C). Affixes are "glued" onto roots (which are either nouns or verbs) to alter or expand the primary meaning associated with a given root, effectively generating new words, for example, {{lang|id|masak}} (to cook) may become {{lang|id|memasak}} (cooking), {{lang|id|memasakkan}} (cook for), {{lang|id|dimasak}} (be cooked), {{lang|id|pemasak}} (a cook), {{lang|id|masakan}} (a meal, cookery), {{lang|id|termasak}} (accidentally cooked). There are four types of affixes: [[prefixes]] ({{lang|id|awalan}}), [[suffixes]] ({{lang|id|akhiran}}), [[circumfixes]] ({{lang|id|apitan}}) and [[infixes]] ({{lang|id|sisipan}}). Affixes are categorized into noun, verb, and adjective affixes. Many initial consonants alternate in the presence of prefixes: {{lang|id|sapu}} (to sweep) becomes {{lang|id|menyapu}} (sweeps/sweeping); {{lang|id|panggil}} (to call) becomes {{lang|id|memanggil}} (calls/calling), {{lang|id|tapis}} (to sieve) becomes {{lang|id|menapis}} (sieves).

Other examples of the use of [[affix]]es to change the meaning of a word can be seen with the word {{lang|id|ajar}} (to teach):
* {{lang|id|ajar}} = to teach
*{{lang|id|ajar'''i'''}} = to teach (imperative, locative)
*{{lang|id|ajar'''ilah'''}} = to teach (jussive, locative)
*{{lang|id|ajar'''kan'''}} = to teach (imperative, causative/applicative)
*{{lang|id|ajar'''kanlah'''}} = to teach (jussive, causative/applicative)
*{{lang|id|ajar'''lah'''}} = to teach (jussive, active)
* {{lang|id|ajar'''an'''}} = teachings
* {{lang|id|'''bel'''ajar}} = to learn ([[Intransitive verb|intransitive]], active)
* {{lang|id|'''di'''ajar}} = to be taught (intransitive)
*{{lang|id|'''di'''ajar'''i'''}} = to be taught (transitive, locative)
*{{lang|id|'''di'''ajar'''kan'''}} = to be taught (transitive, causative/applicative)
*{{lang|id|'''dipel'''ajar'''i'''}} = to be studied (locative)
* {{lang|id|'''dipel'''ajar'''kan'''}} = to be studied (causative/applicative)
* {{lang|id|'''mempel'''ajar'''i'''}} = to study (locative)
*{{lang|id|'''mempel'''ajar'''kan'''}} = to study (causative/applicative)
*{{lang|id|'''meng'''ajar}} = to teach ([[intransitive verb|intransitive]], active)
* {{lang|id|'''meng'''ajar'''kan'''}} = to teach ([[transitive verb|transitive]], casuative/applicative)
*{{lang|id|'''meng'''ajar'''i'''}} = to teach ([[Transitive verb|transitive]], locative)
* {{lang|id|'''pel'''ajar}} = student
*{{lang|id|'''pel'''ajar'''i'''}} = to study (imperative, locative)
*{{lang|id|'''pel'''ajar'''ilah'''}} = to study (jussive, locative)
*{{lang|id|'''pel'''ajar'''kan'''}} = to study (imperative, causative/applicative)
*{{lang|id|'''pel'''ajar'''kanlah'''}} = to study (jussive, causative/applicative)
* {{lang|id|'''peng'''ajar}} = teacher, someone who teaches
* {{lang|id|'''pel'''ajar'''an'''}} = subject, education
*{{lang|id|'''pel'''ajar'''i'''}} = to study (jussive, locative)
*{{lang|id|'''pel'''ajar'''kan'''}} = to study (jussive, causative/applicative)
* {{lang|id|'''peng'''ajar'''an'''}} = lesson
* {{lang|id|'''pembel'''ajar'''an'''}} = learning
* {{lang|id|'''ter'''ajar}} = to be taught (accidentally)
*{{lang|id|'''ter'''ajar'''i'''}} = to be taught (accidentally, locative)
*{{lang|id|'''ter'''ajar'''kan'''}} = to be taught (accidentally, causative/applicative)
* {{lang|id|'''terpel'''ajar}} = well-educated, literally "been taught" 
*{{lang|id|'''terpel'''ajar'''i'''}} = been taught (locative)
*{{lang|id|'''terpel'''ajar'''kan'''}} = been taught (causative/applicative)
* {{lang|id|'''berpel'''ajar'''an'''}} = is educated, literally "has education"

''-Kan'' and ''-i'' both increase the valency of verbs, but ''-i'' should be used "if [the verb] is directly followed by an animate object."<ref>cite journal | last1=Sujaya | first1 = Nyoman | last2 = Artawa | first2 = Ketut | last3 = Kardana | first3 = I Nyoman | last4 = Satyawi | first4 = Made Sri | title = The Ka- Passive Form in Balinese | journal = Journal of Language and Teaching Research | volume = 10 | pages = 886–894 | doi = http://dx.doi.org/10.17507/jltr.1004.29 | ISSN = 1798-4769</ref>

==== Noun affixes ====
Noun affixes are affixes that form nouns upon addition to root words. The following are examples of noun affixes:

{|class="wikitable"
|-
! style="background:#efefef;" | Type of noun affixes
! style="background:#efefef;" | Affix
! style="background:#efefef;" | Example of root word
! style="background:#efefef;" | Example of derived word
|-
|Prefix
|pə(r)- ~ pəng-
|{{lang|id|duduk}} (sit)
|{{lang|id|'''pen'''duduk}} (population)
|-
|
|kə-
|{{lang|id|hendak}} (want)
|{{lang|id|'''ke'''hendak}} (desire)
|-
|Infix
| {{angbr|əl}}
|{{lang|id|tunjuk}} (point)
|{{lang|id|t'''el'''unjuk}} (index finger, command)
|-
|
| {{angbr|əm}}
|{{lang|id|kelut}} (dishevelled)
|{{lang|id|k'''em'''elut}} (chaos, crisis)
|-
|
| {{angbr|ər}}
|{{lang|id|gigi}} (teeth)
|{{lang|id|g'''er'''igi}} (toothed blade)
|-
|Suffix
| -an
|{{lang|id|bangun}} (wake up, raise)
|{{lang|id|bangun'''an'''}} (building)
|-
|Circumfix
|kə-...-an
|{{lang|id|raja}} (king)
|{{lang|id|'''ke'''raja'''an'''}} (kingdom)
|-
|
|pə(r)-...-an<br />pəng-...-an
|{{lang|id|kerja}} (work)
|{{lang|id|'''pe'''kerja'''an'''}} (occupation)
|}

The prefix {{lang|id|per-}} drops its {{lang|id|r}} before {{lang|id|r, l}} and frequently before {{lang|id|p, t, k.}} In some words it is {{lang|id|peng-}}; though formally distinct, these are treated as variants of the same prefix in Indonesian grammar books.

==== Verb affixes ====
Similarly, verb affixes in Indonesian are attached to root words to form verbs. In Indonesian, there are:

{|class="wikitable"
|-
! Type of verb affixes
! Affix
! Example of root word
! Example of derived word
|-
! rowspan=6|Prefix
|bər-
|''ajar'' (teach)
|''belajar'' (to study)<ref>The root ''ajar'' retrieves a historic initial ''l'' after the suffixes ''ber-'' and ''pe(r)-''.</ref>
|-
|məng-
|''tolong'' (help)
|''menolong'' (to help)
|-
|di-
|''ambil'' (take)
|''diambil'' (be taken)
|-
|məmpər-
|''panjang'' (length)
|''memperpanjang'' (to lengthen)
|-
|dipər-
|''dalam'' (deep)
|''diperdalam'' (be deepened)
|-
|tər-
|''makan'' (eat)
|''termakan'' (to have accidentally eaten)
|-
! rowspan=2|Suffix
| -kan
|''letak'' (place, keep)
|''letakkan'' (keep, put)
|-
| -i
|''jauh'' (far)
|''jauhi'' (avoid)
|-
!rowspan=10|Circumfix
|bər-...-an
|''pasang'' (pair)
|''berpasangan'' (in pairs)
|-
|bər-...-kan
|''dasar'' (base)
|''berdasarkan'' (based on)
|-
|məng-...-kan
|''pasti'' (sure)
|''memastikan'' (to make sure)
|-
|məng-...-i
|''teman'' (company)
|''menemani'' (to accompany)
|-
|məmpər-...-kan
|''guna'' (use)
|''mempergunakan'' (to utilise, to exploit)
|-
|məmpər-...-i
|''ajar'' (teach)
|''mempelajari'' (to study)
|-
|kə-...-an
|''hilang'' (disappear)
|''kehilangan'' (to lose)
|-
|di-...-i
|''sakit'' (pain)
|''disakiti'' (to be hurt by)
|-
|di-...-kan
|''benar'' (right)
|''dibenarkan'' (is allowed to)
|-
|dipər-...-kan
|''kenal'' (know, recognise)
|''diperkenalkan'' (is being introduced)
|}

==== Adjective affixes ====
Adjective affixes are attached to root words to form adjectives:

{|class="wikitable"
|-
! Type of adjective affixes
! Affix
! Example of root word
! Example of derived word
|-
!rowspan=2|Prefix
|tər-
|''panas'' (hot)
|''terpanas'' (hottest)
|-
|sə-
|''baik'' (good)
|''sebaik'' (as good as)
|-
!rowspan=3|Infix
| {{angbr|əl}}
|''serak'' (disperse)
|''selerak'' (messy)
|-
| {{angbr|əm}}
|''cerlang'' (radiant bright)
|''cemerlang'' (bright, excellent)
|-
| {{angbr|ər}}
|''sabut'' (husk)
|''serabut'' (dishevelled)
|-
!Circumfix
|kə-...-an
|''barat'' (west)
|''kebaratan'' (westernized)
|}

In addition to these affixes, Indonesian also has a lot of borrowed affixes from other languages such as Sanskrit, Arabic and English. For example, ''maha-'', ''pasca-'', ''eka-'', ''bi-'', ''anti-'', ''pro-'' etc.

=== Nouns ===
Common derivational affixes for nouns are peng-/per-/juru- (actor, instrument, or someone characterized by the root), -an (collectivity, similarity, object, place, instrument), ke-...-an (abstractions and qualities, collectivities), per-/peng-...-an (abstraction, place, goal or result).

==== Gender ====
Indonesian does not make use of [[grammatical gender]], and there are only selected words that use natural [[Grammatical gender|gender]]. For instance, the same word is used for ''he/him'' and ''she/her'' ({{lang|id|dia}} or {{lang|id|ia}}) or for ''his'' and ''her'' ({{lang|id|dia}}, {{lang|id|ia}} or {{lang|id|-nya}}). No real distinction is made between "girlfriend" and "boyfriend", both of which can be referred to as {{lang|id|pacar}} (although more colloquial terms as {{lang|id|cewek}} girl/girlfriend and {{lang|id|cowok}} boy/boyfriend can also be found). A majority of Indonesian words that refer to people generally have a form that does not distinguish between the natural genders. However, unlike English, distinction is made between older or younger.

There are some words that have gender: for instance, {{lang|id|putri}} means "daughter" while {{lang|id|putra}} means "son"; {{lang|id|pramugara}} means "male flight attendant" while {{lang|id|pramugari}} means "female flight attendant". Another example is {{lang|id|olahragawan}}, which means "sportsman", versus {{lang|id|olahragawati}}, meaning "sportswoman". Often, words like these (or certain suffixes such as "-a" and "-i" or "-wan" and "wati") are absorbed from other languages (in these cases, from [[Sanskrit]]).
In some regions of Indonesia such as Sumatra and Jakarta, {{lang|id|abang}} (a gender-specific term meaning "older brother") is commonly used as a form of address for older siblings/males, while {{lang|id|kakak}} (a non-gender specific term meaning "older sibling") is often used to mean "older sister". Similarly, more direct influences from other languages, such as Javanese and Chinese, have also seen further use of other gendered words in Indonesian. For example: {{lang|jv|Mas}} ("older brother"), {{lang|jv|Mbak}} ("older sister"), {{lang|jv|Koko}} ("older brother") and {{lang|jv|Cici}} ("older sister").

==== Number ====
Indonesian grammar does not regularly mark [[plural]]s. In Indonesian, to change a singular into a plural one either repeats the word or adds {{lang|id|para}} before it (the latter for living things only); for example, "students" can be either {{lang|id|murid-murid}} or {{lang|id|para murid}}. Plurals are rarely used in Indonesian, especially in informal parlance. Reduplication is often mentioned as the formal way to express the plural form of nouns in Indonesian; however, in informal daily discourse, speakers of Indonesian usually use other methods to indicate the concept of something being "more than one". Reduplication may also indicate the conditions of variety and diversity as well, and not simply plurality.

[[Reduplication]] is commonly used to emphasise plurality; however, reduplication has many other functions. For example, {{lang|id|orang-orang}} means "(all the) people", but {{lang|id|orang-orangan}} means "scarecrow". Similarly, while {{lang|id|hati}} means "heart" or "liver", {{lang|id|hati-hati}} is a verb meaning "to be careful". Also, not all reduplicated words are inherently plural, such as {{lang|id|orang-orangan}} "scarecrow/scarecrows", {{lang|id|biri-biri}} "a/some sheep" and {{lang|id|kupu-kupu}} "butterfly/butterflies". Some reduplication is rhyming rather than exact, as in {{lang|id|sayur-mayur}} "(all sorts of) vegetables".

Distributive affixes derive mass nouns that are effectively plural: {{lang|id|pohon}} "tree", {{lang|id|pepohonan}} "flora, trees"; {{lang|id|rumah}} "house", {{lang|id|perumahan}} "housing, houses"; {{lang|id|gunung}} "mountain", {{lang|id|pegunungan}} "mountain range, mountains".

Quantity words come before the noun: {{lang|id|seribu orang}} "a thousand people", {{lang|id|beberapa pegunungan}} "a series of mountain ranges", {{lang|id|beberapa kupu-kupu}} "some butterflies".

Plural in Indonesian serves just to explicitly mention the number of objects in sentence. For example, {{lang|id|Ani membeli satu kilo mangga}} (Ani buys one kilogram of mangoes). In this case, "mangoes", which is plural, is not said as {{lang|id|mangga-mangga}} because the plurality is implicit: the amount '''a kilogram''' means more than one mango rather than one giant mango. So, as it is logically, one does not change the singular into the plural form, because it is not necessary and considered a [[pleonasm]] (in Indonesian often called {{lang|id|pemborosan kata}}).

=== Pronouns ===
Personal pronouns are not a separate part of speech, but a subset of nouns. They are frequently omitted, and there are numerous ways to say "you". Commonly the person's name, title, title with name, or occupation is used ("does Johnny want to go?", "would Madam like to go?"); kin terms, including [[fictive kinship]], are extremely common. However, there are also dedicated personal pronouns, as well as the demonstrative pronouns {{lang|id|ini}} "this, the" and {{lang|id|itu}} "that, the".

==== Personal pronouns ====
From the perspective of a European language, Indonesian boasts a wide range of different pronouns, especially to refer to the addressee (the so-called second person pronouns). These are used to differentiate several parameters of the person they are referred to, such as the social rank and the relationship between the addressee and the speaker. Indonesian also exhibits [[pronoun avoidance]], often preferring kinship terms and titles over pronouns, particularly for respectful forms of address.
 
The table below provides an overview of the most commonly and widely used pronouns in the Indonesian language:

{| class="wikitable"
|+Common pronouns
|-
! Person
! Respect
! colspan="2" | Singular
! colspan="2" | Plural
|-
! rowspan=2|1st person exclusive
! Informal, Familiar
| align=center| ''aku''
| rowspan=2 | I
| rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| ''kami''
| rowspan=2 | we<br />(not including the listener)
|-
! Standard, Polite
| style="text-align:center;"| ''saya''
|-
!1st person inclusive
! All
| colspan=2 |
| style="text-align:center;"| ''kita''
| we<br />(including the listener)
|-
! rowspan=2| 2nd person
! Familiar
| style="text-align:center;"| ''kamu, engkau, kau''
| rowspan="2" | you
| style="text-align:center;"| ''kalian''
| rowspan="2" | you all
|-
! Polite
| style="text-align:center;"| ''Anda''
| style="text-align:center;"| ''Anda sekalian''
|-
! rowspan="2" | 3rd person
! Familiar
| align=center| ''dia, ia''
| s/he, it
| rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| ''mereka''
| rowspan="2" | they
|-
! Polite
| align=center| ''beliau''
| s/he
|}
* '''First person pronouns'''
Notable among the personal-pronoun system is a distinction between [[inclusive and exclusive we|two forms of "we"]]: ''kita'' (you and me, you and us) and ''kami'' (us, but not you). The distinction is not always followed in colloquial Indonesian.

''Saya'' and ''aku'' are the two major forms of "I". ''Saya'' is the more formal form, whereas ''aku'' is used with family, friends, and between lovers. Colloquially, ''gue'' or ''gua'' (derived from Hokkien) is often used. However, this is only used when talking with close friends, and not used in family context as it is considered not polite. ''Sahaya'' is an old or literary form of ''saya''. ''Sa(ha)ya'' may also be used for "we", but in such cases it is usually used with ''sekalian'' or ''semua'' "all"; this form is ambiguous as to whether it corresponds with inclusive ''kami'' or exclusive ''kita''. Less common are ''hamba'' "slave", ''hamba tuan, hamba datuk'' (all extremely humble), ''beta'' (a royal addressing oneselves), ''patik'' (a commoner addressing a royal), ''kami'' (royal or editorial "we"), ''kita'', ''təman'', and ''kawan.''

* '''Second person pronouns'''
There are three common forms of "you", ''Anda'' (polite), ''kamu'' (familiar), and ''kalian'' "all" (commonly used as a plural form of you, slightly informal). ''Anda'' is used with strangers, recent acquaintances, in advertisements, in business, and when you wish to show distance, while ''kamu'' is used in situations where the speaker would use ''aku'' for "I". Colloquially, ''lu'' (derived from Hokkien) is often used among close friends, just like how ''gue'' or ''gua'' is used when referring to "I". ''Anda sekalian'' is polite plural. Particularly in conversation, respectful titles like ''Bapak/Pak'' "father" (used for any older male), ''Ibu/Bu'' "mother" (any older woman), and ''tuan'' "sir" are often used instead of pronouns.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kevinwfogg.net/blog/4570569437/You-in-Indonesian/8596083|title="You" in Indonesian|access-date=4 August 2021|archive-date=3 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210803044749/http://www.kevinwfogg.net/blog/4570569437/You-in-Indonesian/8596083|url-status=dead}}</ref>{{better source needed|date=August 2021}}

''Engkau'' (''əngkau''), commonly shortened to ''kau''.
* '''Third person pronouns'''
The common word for "s/he" and "they" is ''ia'', which has the object and emphatic/focused form ''dia''. ''Bəliau'' "his/her Honour" is respectful. As with "you", names and kin terms are extremely common. ''Mereka'' "someone", ''mereka itu'', or ''orang itu'' "those people" are used for "they".
* '''Regional varieties'''
There are a large number of other words for "I" and "you", many regional, dialectical, or borrowed from local languages. ''Saudara'' "you" (male) and ''saudari'' (female) (plural ''saudara-saudara'' or ''saudari-saudari'') show utmost respect. ''Daku'' "I" and ''dikau'' "you" are poetic or romantic. Indonesian ''[[Indonesian slang language|gua]]'' "I" (from [[Hokkien]] {{lang-zh|t=我|poj=góa}}) and ''[[Indonesian slang language|lu]]'' "you" ({{lang-zh|t=汝|poj=lú}}) are slang and extremely informal.

The pronouns ''aku, kamu, engkau, ia, kami,'' and ''kita'' are indigenous to Indonesian.

==== Possessive pronouns ====
''Aku, kamu, engkau'', and ''ia'' have short possessive [[enclitic]] forms. All others retain their full forms like other nouns, as does emphatic ''dia'': ''meja saya, meja kita, meja anda, meja dia'' "my table, our table, your table, his/her table".

{|class="wikitable"
|+Possessed forms of ''meja'' "table"
! Pronoun
! Enclitic
! Possessed form
|-
|aku
| -ku
|''mejaku'' (my table)
|-
|kamu
| -mu
|''mejamu'' (your table)
|-
|ia
| -nya
|''mejanya'' (his, her, their table)
|}

There are also [[proclitic]] forms of ''aku'', ''ku-'' and ''kau-''. These are used when there is no emphasis on the pronoun:

:'''''Ku'''dengar raja itu menderita penyakit kulit. '''Aku''' mengetahui ilmu kedokteran. '''Akulah''' yang akan mengobati dia.''
:"It has come to my attention that the King has a skin disease. I am skilled in medicine. ''I'' will cure him."
Here ''ku-''verb is used for a general report, ''aku'' verb is used for a factual statement, and emphatic ''aku-lah meng-''verb (≈ "I am the one who...") for focus on the pronoun.<ref>M.B. Lewis, 1947, ''Teach Yourself Indonesian'', p. 178, ASIN: B0007JGNQO</ref>

The suffix ''-nya'' is a special case: it can be also used to mark [[definiteness]], or to link two nouns in possession ([[his genitive]]). It is also even extended to pronouns and names. However, this usage has been occasionally criticized.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bahasyuk.blogspot.com/2015/11/hati-hati-dalam-menggunakan-imbuhan-nya.html?m=1|title=Hati-Hati dalam Menggunakan Imbuhan -nya pada Suatu Kalimat|website=bahasyuk.blogspot.com|date=23 November 2015 |access-date=2023-02-24}}</ref>

==== Demonstrative pronouns ====
There are two [[demonstrative pronoun]]s in Indonesian. ''Ini'' "this, these" is used for a noun which is generally near to the speaker. ''Itu'' "that, those" is used for a noun which is generally far from the speaker. Either may sometimes be equivalent to English "the". There is no difference between singular and plural. However, plural can be indicated through duplication of a noun followed by a ''ini'' or ''itu''. The word ''yang'' "which" is often placed before demonstrative pronouns to give emphasis and a sense of certainty, particularly when making references or enquiries about something/ someone, like English "this one" or "that one".

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Pronoun
! Indonesian
! English
|-
! rowspan=2|ini
| ''buku ini''
| This book, these books, the book(s)
|-
| ''buku-buku ini''
| These books, (all) the books
|-
! rowspan=2| itu
| ''kucing itu''
| That cat, those cats, the cat(s)
|-
| ''kucing-kucing itu''
| Those cats, the (various) cats
|}

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Pronoun + '''yang'''
! Example sentence
! English meaning
|-
| '''Yang ini'''
| Q: Anda mau membeli buku yang mana?
A: Saya mau '''yang ini'''.
| Q: Which book do you wish to purchase?
A: I would like '''this one'''.
|-
| '''Yang itu'''
| Q: Kucing mana yang memakan tikusmu?
A: '''Yang itu!'''
| Q: Which cat ate your mouse?
A: '''That one'''!
|}

=== Verbs ===
Verbs are not [[inflected language|inflected]] for person or number, and they are not marked for tense; tense is instead denoted by time adverbs (such as "yesterday") or by other tense indicators, such as ''sudah'' "already" and ''belum'' "not yet". On the other hand, there is a complex system of verb affixes to render nuances of meaning and to denote [[voice (grammar)|voice]] or intentional and accidental [[grammatical mood|moods]]. Some of these affixes are ignored in colloquial speech.

Examples of these are the prefixes ''di-'' ([[Austronesian alignment|patient focus]], traditionally called "passive voice", with OVA word order in the third person, and OAV in the first or second persons), ''meng-'' ([[Austronesian alignment|agent focus]], traditionally called "active voice", with AVO word order), ''memper-'' and ''diper-'' ([[causative]], agent and patient focus), ''ber-'' ([[stative verb|stative]] or habitual; intransitive VS order), and ''ter-'' (agentless actions, such as those which are involuntary, sudden, stative or accidental, for VA = VO order); the suffixes ''-kan'' (causative or [[benefactive]]) and ''-i'' (locative, repetitive, or exhaustive); and the circumfixes ''ber-...-an'' ([[pluractionality|plural subject, diffuse action]]) and ''ke-...-an'' (unintentional or potential action or state).

* ''duduk'' to sit down
* ''mendudukkan'' to sit someone down, give someone a seat, to appoint
* ''menduduki'' to sit on, to occupy
* ''didudukkan'' to be given a seat, to be appointed
* ''diduduki'' to be sat on, to be occupied
* ''terduduk'' to sink down, to come to sit
* ''kedudukan'' to be situated

Forms in ''ter-'' and ''ke-...-an'' are often equivalent to adjectives in English.

==== Negation ====
Four words are used for negation in Indonesian, namely ''tidak'', ''bukan'', ''jangan'', and ''belum''.

* '''''Tidak''''' (not), often shortened to '''''tak''''', is used for the negation of verbs and "adjectives".
* '''''Bukan''''' (be-not) is used in the negation of a noun.
For example:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Indonesian
!Gloss
!English
|-
|''Saya '''tidak''' tahu'' (Saya '''gak/ngga''' tahu(informal))
|I '''not''' know
|I do '''not''' know
|-
|''Ibu saya '''tidak''' senang'' (Ibu saya '''gak/ngga''' senang(informal))
|mother I '''not''' be-happy
|My mother is '''not''' happy
|-
|''Itu '''bukan''' anjing saya''
|that '''be-not''' dog I
|That '''is not''' my dog
|}

==== Prohibition ====
For negating imperatives or advising against certain actions in Indonesian, the word ''jangan'' (do not) is used before the verb. For example,
*  '''''Jangan''''' tinggalkan saya di sini!
:'''Don't''' leave me here!
*  '''''Jangan''''' lakukan itu!
:'''Don't''' do that!
*  '''''Jangan'''''! Itu tidak bagus untukmu.
:'''Don't!''' That's not good for you.

=== Adjectives ===
There are grammatical adjectives in Indonesian. [[Stative verb]]s are often used for this purpose as well. Adjectives are always placed after the noun that they modify. 
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Indonesian
!Gloss
!English
|-
|''Hutan hijau''
|forest green
|(The) green forest
|-
|''Hutan itu hijau''
|forest that green
|That/the forest is green
|-
|''Kereta yang merah''
|carriage which red
|(The) carriage which is red = the red carriage
|-
|''Kereta merah''
|carriage red
|Red carriage
|-
|''Dia orang yang terkenal sekali''
|he/she person which famous very
|He/she is a very famous person
|-
|''Orang terkenal''
|person famous
|Famous person
|-
|''Orang ini terkenal sekali''
|person this famous very
|This person is very famous
|}

To say that something "is" an adjective, the determiners "itu" and "ini" ("that" and "this") are often used. For example, in the sentence "anjing itu galak", the use of "itu" gives a meaning of "the/that dog is ferocious", while "anjing ini galak", gives a meaning of "this dog is ferocious". However, if "itu" or "ini" were not to be used, then "anjing galak" would only mean "ferocious dog", a plain adjective without any stative implications. The all-purpose determiner, "yang", is also often used before adjectives, hence "anjing yang galak" also means "ferocious dog" or more literally "dog which is ferocious"; "yang" will often be used for clarity. Hence, in a sentence such as "saya didekati oleh anjing galak" which means "I was approached by a ferocious dog", the use of the adjective "galak" is not stative at all.

Often the "ber-" intransitive verb prefix, or the "ter-" stative prefix is used to express the meaning of "to be...". For example, "beda" means "different", hence "berbeda" means "to be different"; "awan" means "cloud", hence "berawan" means "cloudy". Using the "ter-" prefix, implies a state of being. For example, "buka" means "open", hence "terbuka" means "is opened"; "tutup" means "closed/shut", hence "tertutup" means "is closed/shut".

=== Word order ===
Adjectives, [[demonstrative]] determiners, and [[possessive]] determiners follow the noun they modify.

Indonesian does not have a [[grammatical subject]] in the sense that English does.{{Citation needed|date=January 2025}} In intransitive clauses, the noun comes before the verb. When there is both an [[agent (grammar)|agent]] and an [[object (grammar)|object]], these are separated by the verb (OVA or AVO), with the difference encoded in the voice of the verb. OVA, commonly but inaccurately called "passive", is the basic and most common word order.

Either the agent or object or both may be omitted. This is commonly done to accomplish one of two things:

;1) Adding a sense of politeness and respect to a statement or question

For example, a polite shop assistant in a store may avoid the use of pronouns altogether and ask:

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Ellipses of pronoun (agent & object)
! Literal English
! Idiomatic English
|-
| Bisa ''dibantu?''
| Can + ''to be helped''?
| Can (I) ''help'' (you)?
|}

;2) Agent or object is unknown, not important, or understood from context

For example, a friend may enquire as to when you bought your property, to which you may respond:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Ellipses of pronoun (understood agent)
! Literal English
! Idiomatic English
|-
| ''Rumah ini '''dibeli''' lima tahun yang lalu''
| House this + ''be purchased'' five-year(s) ago
| The house 'was purchased' five years ago
|}

Ultimately, the choice of voice and therefore word order is a choice between actor and patient and depends quite heavily on the language style and context.

==== Emphasis ====
Word order is frequently modified for [[focus (grammar)|focus]] or emphasis, with the focused word usually placed at the beginning of the clause and followed by a slight pause (a break in [[intonation (linguistics)|intonation]]):

* ''Saya pergi ke pasar kemarin'' "I went to the market yesterday" – neutral, or with focus on the subject.
* ''Kemarin, saya pergi ke pasar'' "Yesterday I went to the market" – emphasis on yesterday.
* ''Ke pasar, saya pergi kemarin'' "To the market I went yesterday" – emphasis on where I went yesterday.
* ''Pergi ke pasar, saya, kemarin'' "To the market went I yesterday" – emphasis on the process of going to the market.

The last two are more likely to be encountered in speech than in writing.

=== Measure words ===
Another distinguishing feature of Indonesian is its use of [[measure word]]s, also called [[Classifier (linguistics)|classifiers]] (''kata penggolong''). In this way, it is similar to many other languages of Asia, including [[Chinese language|Chinese]], [[Japanese language|Japanese]], [[Vietnamese language|Vietnamese]], [[Thai language|Thai]], [[Burmese language|Burmese]], and [[Bengali language|Bengali]].

Measure words are also found in English such as ''two head of cattle'' or ''a loaf of bread'', where ''*two cattle'' and ''a bread''{{efn|This article uses [[Asterisk#Ungrammaticality|asterisks]] to indicate ungrammatical examples.}} would be ungrammatical. The word ''satu'' reduces to ''se-'' {{IPA|/sə/}}, as it does in other compounds:

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Measure word
! Used for measuring
! Literal translation
! Example
|-
| buah
| things (in general), large things, abstract nouns<br />houses, cars, ships, mountains; books, rivers, chairs, some fruits, thoughts, etc.
| 'fruit'
| dua buah meja (two tables), lima buah rumah (five houses)
|-
| ekor 
| animals
| 'tail'
| seekor ayam (a chicken), tiga ekor kambing (three goats)
|-
| orang
| human beings
| 'person'
| seorang laki-laki (a man), enam orang petani (six farmers), seratus orang murid (a hundred students)
|-
| biji
| smaller rounded objects<br />most fruits, cups, nuts
| 'grain'
| sebiji/ sebutir telur (an egg), sebutir/ butiran-butiran beras (rice or rices)
|-
| batang
| long stiff things<br />trees, walking sticks, pencils
| 'trunk, rod'
| sebatang tongkat (a stick)
|-
| həlai
| things in thin layers or sheets<br />paper, cloth, feathers, hair
| 'leaf'
| sepuluh helai pakaian (ten cloths)
|-
| kəping keping
| flat fragments, slabs of stone, pieces of wood, pieces of bread, land, coins, paper 
| 'chip'
|sekeping uang logam (a coin)
|-
| pucuk
| letters, firearms, needles
| 'sprout'
| sepucuk senjata (a weapon)
|-
| bilah
| things which cut lengthwise and thicker
| 'blade'
| sebilah kayu (a piece of wood)
|-
| bidanɡ 
| things shaped square or which can be measured with number 
| 'field'
| sebidang tanah/lahan (an area)
|-
| potong 
|things that are cut<br/>bread
|'cut'
|sepotong roti (slices of bread)
|-
| utas 
|nets, cords, ribbons
| 'thread'
|seutas tali (a rope)
|-
| carik 
|things easily torn, like paper 
|'shred'
|secarik kertas (a piece of paper)
|}

''Example'':
Measure words are not necessary just to say "a": ''burung'' "a bird, birds". Using ''se-'' plus a measure word is closer to English "one" or "a certain":
:''Ada seekor burung yang bisa berbicara''
:"There was a (certain) bird that could talk"