Interrogative words in Indonesian:

Indonesian also often follow the question words with ‘-kah’: apakah; siapakah; di manakah; kapankah. All of these has the same translation as the words without ‘-kah’. Adding ‘-kah’ is only to make it more polite or more formal, or to make it obvious that it is a question.

Example in sentence:

What – Apa

1. What is it? – Apa itu?
2. What color is your dress? – Apa warna bajumu?
3. What do you do tonight? – Apa yang kamu lakukan mala mini?
4. What are you wearing? – Apa yang kamu pakai?

Notice in the sample sentences above that “to be” is always omitted.

Also, if there is a verb (other than auxiliary verb) in the sentence, the interrogative word is immediately followed by the word “yang”.

Who – Siapa

1. Who is that woman? – Siapa wanita itu?
2. Who is on the phone? – Siapa di telepon?
3. Who did you meet? – Siapa yang kamu temui?
4. Who opened the door? – Siapa yang membuka pintu?

Notice in the sample sentences above that “to be” is always omitted.

Also, if there is a verb (other than auxiliary verb) in the sentence, the interrogative word is immediately followed by the word “yang”.

Where – Di mana / Ke mana

1. Where is the hotel? – Di mana hotelnya?
2. Where is the taxi? – Di mana taksinya?
3. Where did you buy those shoes? – Di mana kamu membeli sepatu itu?
4. Where did you go last night? – Ke mana kamu pergi tadi malam?

In a sentence, ‘-nya’ is usually used after the name of the thing, as if it is the translation of ‘the’. But this is only habitual. You can say it without ‘-nya’ and it is still correct.

Di mana is for information about location of the thing in question.

Ke mana is for information about where the subject is / was / will going.

When – Kapan

1. When does the next train arrive? – Kapan kereta berikutnya tiba?
2. When are you going on holiday? – Kapan kamu pergi berlibur?
3. When did you leave? – Kapan kamu pergi?
4. When was the last time we met? – Kapan terakhir kali kita bertemu?

Why – Mengapa / Kenapa

1. Why is the earth round? – Mengapa bumi bulat?
2. Why are you here – Mengapa kamu di sini?
3. Why didn’t you call me last night? – Kenapa kamu tidak meneleponku tadi malam?
4. Why is the water hot? – Kenapa airnya panas?

Mengapa and Kenapa is interchangeable, there is no difference between the two. Some may say that Mengapa is more formal, but Kenapa is often used in a formal conversation as well.

How many / How much – Berapa / Berapa banyak

1. How many cups of coffee do you drink every day? – Berapa cangkir kopi yang kamu minum setiap hari?
2. How many books do you read this month? – Berapa banyak buku yang kamu baca bulan ini?
3. How much does the book cost? – Berapa harga bukunya?
4. How much time do we have to finish the test? – Berapa banyak waktu yang kita punya untuk menyelesaikan tesnya?

If there is the word ‘do’ after the thing / the item in question in interrogative sentences like this, it should be translated into ‘yang’.

If there is no particle for the thing in question (such as cups of, plates of, etc.), use ‘berapa banyak’; if there is particle, use ‘berapa’. Except if it is asking for price, then only use ‘berapa’.

There is no word to differentiate whether it is accountable or unaccountable noun.

How – Bagaimana

1. How was the film? – Bagaimana filmnya?
2. How do you go to school? – Bagaimana kamu pergi ke sekolah?
3. How may I help you? – Bagaimana saya bisa membantumu?
4. How can I learn language quickly? – Bagaimana saya bisa belajar bahasa dengan cepat?

“to be”; like am is are was were do does did; are usually ignored. However, if there is auxiliary word like can, may, will, should, etc., the structure of the sentence should be:

Bagaimana + subject + auxiliary word

That’s why in the example above, How can I and How may I are translated as Bagaimana saya bisa.

Whose – Milik siapa / Punya siapa

1. Whose are these books? – Milik siapa buku-buku ini?
2. Whose is this? – Punya siapa ini?
3. Whose birthday is today? – Ulang tahun siapa hari ini?
4. Whose keys are those? – Kunci siapa itu?

‘Punya siapa’ is more casual than ‘Milik siapa’, and it is more often used in verbal conversation, even when the situation is formal.

When ‘Whose’ is immediately followed by a noun, then ‘Punya’ or ‘Milik’ should be replaced with that noun.

Which – Yang mana

1. Which one do you like best? – Yang mana yang paling kamu suka?
2. Which museum did you visit? – Museum mana yang kamu kunjungi?
3. Which song do you want to listen to? – Lagu mana yang mau kamu dengarkan?
4. Which author do you like? – Penulis mana yang kamu sukai?

The word ‘yang mana’ is always followed immediately by ‘yang’

Other than ‘one’, if which is followed immediately by noun, then the noun should replace the word ‘yang’. That’s why in the examples above, which museum become ‘museum mana’, which song become ‘lagu mana’.

Whom – Siapa

1. Whom are you going to invite? – Siapa yang akan kamu undang?
2. Whom did you see? – Siapa yang kamu lihat?
3. To whom did you talk today? – Kepada siapa kamu berbicara hari ini?
4. Whom did you see yesterday? – Siapa yang kamu lihat kemarin?

Whom / Siapa always immediately followed by ‘yang’.

What time – Jam berapa / pukul berapa

1. What time does the next train arrive? – Jam berapa kereta berikutnya tiba?
2. What time is it? – Pukul berapa sekarang?
3. What time should we leave tomorrow? – Jam berapa kita harus pergi besok?
4. At what time will it start? – Pukul berapa itu akan mulai?

‘Jam berapa’ is more casual than ‘Pukul berapa’, and it is more often used in verbal conversation.

“to be”; like am is are was were do does did; are usually ignored. However, if there is auxiliary word like can, may, will, should, etc., the structure of the sentence should be:

Jam berapa + subject + auxiliary word

That’s why in the example above, ‘What time should we’ and ‘At what time will it’ are translated as Jam berapa kita harus / Pukul berapa itu akan.

How long – Berapa lama

1. How long did you stay there? – Berapa lama kamu tinggal di sana?
2. How long did you marinate the chicken? – Berapa lama kamu memarinasi ayamnya?
3. How long have you been waiting? – Sudah berapa lama kamu menunggu?
4. How long should we wait? – Berapa lama kita harus menunggu?

“to be”; like am is are was were do does did; are usually ignored. However, if there is auxiliary word like can, may, will, should, etc., the structure of the sentence should be:

Berapa lama + subject + auxiliary word

That’s why in the example above, ‘How long should we’ is translated as Berapa lama kita harus.

For present perfect continuous and past perfect continuous, add ‘sudah’ efore ‘berapa lama’. It should become ‘Sudah berapa lama’

How often – Seberapa sering

1. How often do you go swimming? – Seberapa sering kamu pergi berenang?
2. How often should I feed my fish? – Seberapa sering saya harus memberi makan ikan saya?
3. How often does Jem go to the gym? – Seberapa sering Jem pergi ke gym?
4. How often do you play soccer? – Seberapa sering kamu bermain sepak bola?

“to be”; like am is are was were do does did; are usually ignored. However, if there is auxiliary word like can, may, will, should, etc., the structure of the sentence should be:

Seberapa sering + subject + auxiliary word

That’s why in the example above, ‘How often should I’ is translated as Seberapa sering saya harus.

How far – Seberapa jauh

1. How far is your office from your home? – Seberapa jauh kamtormu dari rumahmu?
2. How far is it to the airport? – Seberapa jauh ke bandara?
3. How far will you drive to reach the school? – Seberapa jauh kamu akan menyetir untuk sampai di sekolah?
4. How far is the movie? – Seberapa jauh bioskopnya?

How old – Berapa umur / Berapa usia

1. How old are you? – Berapa umurmu?
2. How old is Sam? – Berapa usia Sam?
3. How old is the lady next door? – Berapa umur ibu di sebelah rumah?
4. How old is the building? – Berapa usia bangunannya?

‘Berapa umur’ and ‘Berapa usia’ is interchangeable.

What … for – Untuk apa

1. What did you do that for? – Untuk apa kamu melakukan itu?
2. What is this pen for? – Untuk apa pena ini?
3. What is that for? – Untuk apa itu?
4. What is that kitchen for? – Untuk apa dapur itu?

Can / May – Boleh(-kah) / Bisa(-kah)

1. Can you help me? – Bisakah kamu membantuku?
2. May I sit? – Boleh saya duduk?
3. Can I ask why? – Boleh saya tanya kenapa?
4. May I borrow your book? – Bisa saya pinjam bukumu?

Bisa and Boleh is interchangeable, however ‘Boleh’ is considered more polite.

Do / did (etc.) – Apakah

1. Do you know where it is? – Apakah kamu tahu itu di mana?
2. Are you a vegetarian? – Apakah kamu vegetarian?
3. Was it yesterday? – Apakah itu kemarin?
4. Am I guilty? – Apakah saya bersalah?

Have / has / had – Sudahkah / Apakah (subject) sudah

1. Have you traveled to Europe? – Sudahkah kamu bepergian ke Eropa?
2. Has she done her homework? – Apakah dia sudah menyelesaikan tugas rumahnya?
3. Has he eaten dinner? – Sudahkah kamu makan malam?
4. Have you showered? – Apakah kamu sudah mandi?

Will / would – Maukah / Akankah / Apakah (subject) mau / Apakah (subject) akan

1. Will we eat soon? – Akankah kita makan segera?
2. Will they swim in the lake or the pool? – Apakah mereka akan berenang di danau atau di kolam renang?
3. Will they take credit cards? – Maukah mereka menerima kartu kredit?
4. Will you marry me? – Maukah kamu menikahiku?
5. Would you buy another car? – Apakah kamu akan membeli mobil lagi?

Maukah is used if you are going to ask the subject if they want (or willing) to do something for you (or for an object if specified).

Akankah is used if you want to confirm whether something will happen in the future.

If there is any choice in the sentence, like in example 2 (the lake or the pool), always use the “Apakah (subject)” version.