Salam jumpa! Good day for you! Welcome to MasteringBahasa! If you have followed us these time, welcome back! We have learned how to master Indonesian Conversation Phrases, Indonesian Conversation Examples, and where to use them. As we know, when you have a conversation, a nice questions can always flow the conversations in good way. So, without further ado, let’s learn Basic Indonesian Questions!
We understand the word of “Questions” as “Pertanyaan”. If you wonder what does “Questions Sentence”, it focuses to sentences which contains a question. Sounds cliche? Yet, questions sentences used when the asker wants an or some answer from their target speaker. Usually, question sentences are used in conversations. With loads of questions, the conversation will flows smoothly as the target speaker will always and always answers the questions from the asker. Not only useful in any kind of conversations, even short conversation that only need answers for “Yes” or “No”, we will teach you all of them! Let’s start!
Basic 5W+1H Questions
Just like English, where it has a formula for questions 5W + 1H, Indonesian has them too! Here are the list:
English 5W+1H[/th] [th]Indonesian 5W+1H[/th] [th]Used for
What[/td] [td]Apa[/td] [td]To ask for something
Where[/td] [td]Kemana / Dimana[/td] [td]To ask where someone willings to go
When[/td] [td]Dimana/td] [td]To ask time
Why[/td] [td]Mengapa / Kenapa[/td] [td]To ask why something happens
Who[/td] [td]Siapa[/td] [td]To ask about someone
How[/td] [td]Bagaimana[/td] [td]To ask how something happened
Here are quick examples for Basic Indonesian Questions with 5W+1H formula:
- Apa (What)
Kamu sedang apa? (What are you doing?)
Apa ini? (What is this?)
Kamu berangkat ke sekolah menggunakan kendaraan apa? (What vehicle do you use to go to school?)
Kamu makan apa untuk sarapan? (What did you eat for breakfast?) - Kemana / Dimana (Where)
Kamu mau kemana? (Where are you going?)
Permisi, kemana arah menuju Malioboro? (Excuse me, where is the direction to Malioboro?)
Bus antar kota tersebut menuju kemanya? (Where does that city bus go?) - Kapan (When)
Kapan kamu akan datang ke rumahku? (When will you come to my house?)
Bisakah aku tahu kapan festival tari daerah akan diadakan? (May I know when the local dances festival be hold?)
Kalau kita tidak menonton festival itu sekarang, kapan lagi? (If we don’t see the festival now, when will we?) - Mengapa / Kenapa (Why)
Mengapa kamu tidak masuk sekolah selama seminggu? (Why you don’t go to school for a week?)
Hei, kamu kenapa menangis? (Hey, why are you crying?)
Kamu mengapa mengantuk? Apakah kamu kurang tidur? (Why are you sleepy? Did you sleepless?)
Lho, kamu kenapa tidak mau makan? (Hey, why you don’t want to eat?) - Who (Siapa)
Hei, kamu siapa ya? Saya lupa. (Hey, who are you? I forgot.)
Siapa yang memecahkan gelas anggur ini? (Who broke this wine glass?)
Apakah kamu mengetahui siapa saja yang mencontek ketika ujian Sejarah tadi? (Do you know who did cheat in the History exam?) - How (Bagaimana)
Bagaimana caranya kamu bisa menyelesaikan essay ini hanya dalam waktu lima menit saja? (How did you finish this essay only in five minutes?)
Maukah kau mengajariku bagaimana memasak kue ulang tahun? (Will you teach me how to bake birthday cake?)
Bagaimana anda dapat mengenal tersangka? (How do you know the suspected?)
See? It is that simple! After the basic 5W+1H Indonesian questions, we will move to the next level! Do not worry, it does mean that the next level of Indonesian questions will be harder.
1. Indonesian Questions for “Apa” (What)
Probably you are curious, what kind of questions can I use with “Apa” in Indonesian questions? Since what we have said, it is no big difference with English questions, we would like to serve some topics that are related with the questions of “Apa”:
- Basic Indonesian Questions about Food
Since Indonesia has unlimited variant of food, you probably wonder “What is this food?”. To make it easier for you, here is a list of Indonesian Questions for Food:
Indonesian Questions[/th] [th]Meaning in English
Makanan apakah ini?[/td] [td]What is this food?
Apa nama makanan ini?[/td] [td]What is the name for this food?
Makanan ini terbuat dari apa?[/td] [td]What ingredient contained in this food?
Apa nama toko yang menjual nasi goreng?[/td] [td]What is the name of the shop that sells fried rice?
Apakah nama bahan makanan ini?[/td] [td]What is the name for this ingredient?
Apakah makanan ini halal?[/td] [td]Is this halal food?
Apakah makanan ini aman?[/td] [td]Is this food safe?
- Indonesian Questions about Other’s Conditions
When you want to ask about other’s conditions, “apa” can be used too!
Indonesian Questions[/th] [th]Meaning in English
Apa kabar?[/td] [td]How are you?
Apakah kamu baik-baik saja?[/td] [td]Are you okay?
Apa yang sedang kau lakukan?[/td] [td]What are you doing?
Apakah kamu sedang sedih?[/td] [td]Are you sad?
Apakah kamu sakit?[/td] [td]Are you sick?
Apakah kamu merasa pusing?[/td] [td]Are you feeling dizzy?
- Indonesian Questions for Places
If you lost and need some help, you can use “Apa” to ask people!
Indonesian Questions[/th] [th]Meaning in English
Apakah nama tempat ini?[/td] [td]What is the name of this place?
Apakah nama jalan ini?[/td] [td]What is the name of this road?
Apakah ini jalan yang benar untuk menuju Kebun Binatang?[/td] [td]Is this the right direction to go to the zoo?
Apakah kita tersesat?[/td] [td]Are we lost?
Apakah tempat ini menjual suvenir?[/td] [td]Does this place sell souvenirs?
Apa kami boleh menginap disini?[/td] [td]Can we stay for a night here?
2. Indonesian Questions for “Kemana / Dimana” (Where)
Kinda different with English, “Kemana” is used to mention where someone wants to go, and “Dimana” is used to mention where someone is located.
- Indonesian Questions about Food
You can use “Kemana” or “Dimana” if you want to find a certain Indonesian food:
Indonesian Questions[/th] [th]Meaning in English
Dimana saya bisa menemukan rendang?[/td] [td]Where can I find rendang?
Kemana saya bisa mencari rumah makan Padang di Bandung?[/td] [td]Where can find a Padang restaurant in Bandung?
Dimana saya bisa menemukan kangkung?[/td] [td]Where can I find watercresses?
Kemana arah restoran yang menjual Lomie?[/td] [td]Where is the direction for me to find Lomie restaurant?
- Indonesian Questions about Other’s Intentions
When you want where someone wants to go, you should use “Kemana”. If you want to know where someone is located, then you should use “Dimana”.
Indonesian Questions[/th] [th]Meaning in English
Mau kemana?[/td] [td]Where do you want to go?
Apa kamu tau dimana ibu berada?[/td] [td]Do you know where mom is?
Kemana kamu akan pergi?[/td] [td]Where will you go?
Kemana kita akan pergi?[/td] [td]Where will we go?
Dimana kamu melihat buku harian kakak?[/td] [td]Where did you see sister’s diary?
- Indonesian Questions for Places
You can use “Kemana” if you want to ask about directions, and “Dimana” to ask where a place is located.
Indonesian Questions[/th] [th]Meaning in English
Dimana ini? [/td] [td]Where is this?
Dimana kita?[/td] [td]Where are we?
Kemana arah menuju Kebun Binatang?[/td] [td]Where is the direction to go to the zoo?
Dimana penjual Cakue berada?[/td] [td]Where the cakue seller is?
Dimana letak masjid terdekat?[/td][td] Where is the nearest mosque?
3. Indonesian Questions for “Bagaimana” (How)
- Indonesian Questions about how something is done
Indonesian Questions[/th] [th]Meaning in English
Bagaimana cara membuat pot bunga dari tanah liat?[/td] [td]How to make a flower pot from clay?
Bagaimana cara memasak bakmie?[/td] [td]How to make bakmie?
Bagaimana caranya menginstall game DreadOut di komputerku?[/td] [td]How to install DreadOut game in my computer?
Bagaimana caranya kamu bisa datang kemari seorang diri?[/td][td]How can you come here all by yourself?
- Indonesian Questions about how an event has done
Indonesian Questions[/th] [th]Meaning in English
Bagaimana kecelakaan ini bisa terjadi?[/td] [td]How can this accident happened?
Bagaimana kamu bisa jatuh dari pohon mangga?[/td] [td]How can you fell from the mango tree?
Bagaimana kondisi penduduk paska meletusnya Gunung Merapi?[/td] [td]How is the condition of the villagers after the explosion of Merapi mountain?
4. Indonesian Questions for “Siapa” (Who)
“Siapa” is used to ask about someone you don’t know, or to ask for someone who has done something
- Indonesian Questions about People
Indonesian Questions[/th] [th]Meaning in English
Siapa kamu?[/td] [td]Who are you?
Siapa dia?[/td] [td]Who is he/she?
Siapa yang mengerjakan tugasmu?[/td] [td]Who has done your work?
Siapa yang telah memasak sup?[/td] [td]Who cooked the soup?
You can read our article about Indonesian Pronouns since it works with Indonesian Questions with “Siapa”!
5. Indonesian Questions for “Kapan” (When)
“Kapan” is used to ask about time.
- Indonesian Questions about Time
Indonesian Questions[/th] [th]Meaning in English
Kapan acara itu akan berlangsung?[/td] [td]When the event started?
Kapan kartun “Adit Sopo Jarwo” ditayangkan?[/td][td]When the cartoon of “Adit Sopo Jarwo” be broadcasted ?
Kapan bus berikutnya tiba?[/td] [td]When the next bus will arrived?
- Indonesian Questions Related to Other People
Indonesian Questions[/th] [th]Meaning in English
Kapan kamu sampai rumah?[/td] [td]At what time will you arrived at home?
Kapan kita akan bermain ke Taman Safari?[/td] [td]When will we visit Taman Safari?
Kapan dosennya akan datang?[/td] [td]When will the lecturer come?
Sejak kapan kamu berlatih pencak silat?[/td] [td]Since when you have been training Pencak Silat?
So, those are examples for Indonesian Questions! Basically they are not that hard, right? We should say that Indonesian Questions are much easier than English version. Those questions works like charm to be used in your daily conversation. You can learn how to have a nice conversation too by learning our article of Indonesian Conversation. You can also learn how to ask people as traveler by learning from this article of Indonesian Travelling Phrases. So, do not ever give up to learn Indonesian language! Thank you so much for joining us. See you again later!