Grammar is an important part of language, and Indonesian is no different! Let’s start with the basics of Indonesian grammar.

Sentence structure: Indonesian follows a subject-verb-object (SVO) sentence structure, meaning that the sentence is built on the order of a noun/pronoun, verb, and then object or complement. Sentence order can often vary depending on the context, though.

Tenses: Indonesian is a non-finite language, meaning it does not have tenses the way many European languages do. When conjoining in Indonesian, the reader will understand the time the action occurred without explicitly mentioning the time.

Adjectives and adverbs: Adjectives and adverbs are not modified by gender, number, or tense.

Plurals: Forming plurals in Indonesian is relatively straightforward. To make a noun plural, simply add –i to the end of the noun. For adjectives and adverbs, the plural is formed by adding –pun to the end.

Formal and informal Indonesian: Indonesian is known to have two levels of politeness - formal, and informal. Generally, the formal level is used when speaking with people that you don’t know well (such as elders, teachers, government officials, etc). Alternately, informal language is used when speaking with people you know well. There are a few differences between the two. For example, some formal words can be used informally (with the proper connotation). In addition, inflected verbs often coincide with the level of politeness when speaking.

Now that you’ve learnt about some of the basics of Indonesian grammar, you’re on your way to speaking and understanding Indonesian fluently!