SVO word order, zero copula, and basic sentence patterns
Can form basic sentences with subjects, verbs, adjectives, and nouns without a copula
Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?
Saya makan nasi.
I eat rice.
Dia cantik.
She is beautiful.
Ini buku saya.
This is my book.
Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?
Indonesian uses SVO (Subject-Verb-Object) word order, like English. The key difference: no copula is needed. The predicate can be a verb, adjective, or noun directly.
| Pattern | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| S + V + O | Saya makan nasi. | I eat rice. |
| S + Adj | Dia cantik. | She is beautiful. |
| S + Noun | Dia guru. | She is a teacher. |
'Adalah' is only used in formal definitions. Verbs do not conjugate — same form for all subjects!
Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises
Practice ExercisesAdded 'adalah' where it is not needed
Indonesian rarely uses 'adalah'. Only for formal definitions. Say 'Dia guru' not 'Dia adalah guru'.
Wrong word order in the sentence
Indonesian uses SVO order. Adjectives and possessives follow the noun.
Saya makan nasi.
I eat rice.
Basic SVO pattern: Saya (S) + makan (V) + nasi (O). No verb conjugation needed.
Dia cantik.
She is beautiful.
No 'is' needed! The adjective directly follows the subject. "Dia adalah cantik" is wrong.
Ini buku saya.
This is my book.
'Ini' (this) as subject + noun phrase. The possessive follows the noun: buku (book) + saya (my).
Practice in course
Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises