Welcome to your first Indonesian lesson! In order to get started, here are some essential grammar rules, basic sentence structure, and tips on how to read and pronounce Indonesian:
Grammar
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Indonesian is a Subject-Object-Verb language, meaning that the verb usually comes at the end of the sentence.
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Nouns are not inflected for gender.
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Indonesian does not have articles (a/an/the) and does not differentiate between singular and plural nouns.
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Most adjectives and adverbs come after the nouns or verbs they are referring to.
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Verb tenses are indicated by using auxiliaries.
Sentence Structure
- Indonesian sentences typically follow the subject-object-verb structure:
Subject + Object + Verb
For example: Saya makan nasi. I eat rice.
- To form commands, use the verb in the imperative mood: Verb + Object
For example: Makan nasi. Eat rice.
Reading & Pronunciation
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Indonesian has a lot of vowel sounds, so make sure to practice pronouncing them properly. The most common vowels are “a, e, i, o, and u.”
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When pronouncing a word with two vowels, it is important to stress the first vowel sound.
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Stress the word’s last syllable when more than two syllables are present.
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Indonesian has many double consonants such as ‘rr’ and ‘ng’. When pronouncing these, try not to separate the two consonants.
With these grammar rules, sentence structure, and pronunciation tips, you are well on your way to learning Indonesian!