Aspect 'Sudah'
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use 'sudah' to indicate an action is completed or a state has been reached.
- Place 'sudah' before the verb: Saya sudah makan (I have eaten).
- Use 'belum' for the negative: Saya belum makan (I haven't eaten yet).
- Use 'sudah' at the start of a question: Sudah makan? (Have you eaten?)
Meanings
Indicates that an action has been completed or a state has been achieved.
Completion
Action is finished.
“Saya sudah mandi.”
“Mereka sudah pulang.”
State change
A new state has been reached.
“Dia sudah besar.”
“Harganya sudah naik.”
Emphasis
Emphasizing that something is done.
“Sudah, jangan menangis.”
“Sudah, cukup.”
Sudah Usage Patterns
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative | Subject + sudah + Verb | Saya sudah makan |
| Negative | Subject + belum + Verb | Saya belum makan |
| Question | Sudah + Subject + Verb? | Sudah makan? |
| Question (Full) | Sudah + Subject + Verb + belum? | Sudah makan belum? |
| Formal | Subject + telah + Verb | Dia telah pergi |
| Emphasis | Sudah + Verb | Sudah, cukup! |
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative | S + sudah + V | Saya sudah beli |
| Negative | S + belum + V | Saya belum beli |
| Question | Sudah + S + V? | Sudah beli? |
| Question (Tag) | S + sudah + V + belum? | Kamu sudah beli belum? |
| Formal | S + telah + V | Dia telah tiba |
| Adjective | S + sudah + Adj | Dia sudah besar |
| Past State | S + sudah + V-kan | Saya sudah selesaikan |
Formalitätsspektrum
Saya telah makan. (Daily life)
Saya sudah makan. (Daily life)
Sudah makan. (Daily life)
Udah makan. (Daily life)
The Aspect of Completion
Meaning
- Selesai Finished
- Lengkap Complete
Antonym
- Belum Not yet
Examples by Level
Saya sudah makan.
I have eaten.
Dia sudah tidur.
He has slept.
Kami sudah siap.
We are ready.
Sudah jam lima.
It is already five o'clock.
Apakah kamu sudah belajar?
Have you studied?
Saya belum mandi.
I haven't showered yet.
Mereka sudah sampai di rumah.
They have arrived at home.
Sudah makan belum?
Have you eaten yet?
Laporan itu sudah dikirim oleh sekretaris.
The report has been sent by the secretary.
Saya sudah tidak tinggal di sana lagi.
I don't live there anymore.
Dia sudah bekerja di perusahaan ini selama lima tahun.
He has worked at this company for five years.
Pemerintah sudah memutuskan untuk menutup jalan itu.
The government has decided to close that road.
Telah dilaporkan bahwa harga minyak akan naik.
It has been reported that oil prices will rise.
Saya sudah sering berkunjung ke sana, jadi saya tahu jalannya.
I have visited there often, so I know the way.
Sudah saatnya kita mengambil keputusan yang tegas.
It is time for us to make a firm decision.
Meskipun sudah lelah, dia tetap melanjutkan pekerjaannya.
Even though he was already tired, he continued his work.
Sudah menjadi rahasia umum bahwa proyek tersebut gagal.
It has become common knowledge that the project failed.
Telah ditetapkan bahwa aturan baru akan berlaku mulai besok.
It has been established that the new rules will apply starting tomorrow.
Sudah sepatutnya kita menghargai usaha mereka.
It is only right that we appreciate their efforts.
Dia sudah lama tidak terlihat di lingkungan ini.
He has not been seen in this neighborhood for a long time.
Telah sekian lama kita menantikan perubahan ini.
We have been waiting for this change for so long.
Sudah barang tentu hal ini akan menimbulkan perdebatan.
It is certainly the case that this will cause debate.
Sudah, jangan dibahas lagi masalah itu.
Enough, let's not discuss that issue anymore.
Telah terbukti secara empiris bahwa metode ini efektif.
It has been empirically proven that this method is effective.
Easily Confused
Learners don't know when to use which.
Both relate to the past.
Both mean finished.
Häufige Fehler
Saya tidak sudah makan.
Saya belum makan.
Saya sudah makan kemarin.
Saya makan kemarin.
Sudah saya makan.
Saya sudah makan.
Saya sudahnya makan.
Saya sudah makan.
Apakah kamu sudah makan tidak?
Sudah makan belum?
Dia sudahnya pergi.
Dia sudah pergi.
Saya sudah pergi ke Bali tahun lalu.
Saya pernah ke Bali tahun lalu.
Telah saya makan.
Saya telah makan.
Sudah saya sudah makan.
Saya sudah makan.
Dia sudah selesai tugasnya.
Dia sudah menyelesaikan tugasnya.
Sudah barang tentu dia tahu.
Sudah barang tentu dia tahu.
Telahnya dia datang.
Dia telah datang.
Sudah, saya tidak mau.
Sudah, saya tidak mau.
Sentence Patterns
Saya sudah ___.
Apakah kamu sudah ___?
Saya belum ___.
___ sudah selesai.
Real World Usage
Sudah sampai?
Saya sudah berpengalaman.
Sudah pesan?
Sudah check-in?
Sudah sampai di Bali!
Laporan sudah dikirim.
Use 'belum' for negative
Don't over-use
Formal vs Informal
Social check-in
Smart Tips
Swap 'sudah' for 'telah'.
Use 'sudah... belum?' for a natural tag question.
Use 'sudah' at the start of the sentence.
Use 'pernah' instead of 'sudah'.
Aussprache
Sudah
Pronounced 'soo-dah'. The 'u' is like 'oo' in 'book'.
Question
Sudah makan? ↗
Rising intonation for yes/no questions.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Sudah is like a 'Sudden' stop to an action—it's finished!
Visual Association
Imagine a green checkmark appearing over a task as soon as you say 'sudah'.
Rhyme
When the work is done and through, use 'sudah' to say it's true.
Story
Budi was hungry. He asked, 'Sudah makan?' (Have you eaten?). His friend said, 'Belum' (Not yet). So they went to the kitchen. Now, Budi is happy because he 'sudah makan'.
Word Web
Herausforderung
For the next 5 minutes, describe 3 things you have already done today using 'Saya sudah...'.
Kulturelle Hinweise
Asking 'Sudah makan?' is a common way to show care, similar to 'How are you?' in other cultures.
In Jakarta, 'sudah' is often shortened to 'udah'.
In government or formal settings, 'telah' is almost always used instead of 'sudah'.
The word 'sudah' comes from the Malay root meaning 'finished' or 'done'.
Conversation Starters
Sudah makan siang?
Apakah kamu sudah pernah ke Jakarta?
Sudahkah Anda menyelesaikan tugas hari ini?
Menurut Anda, apakah sudah saatnya kita mengubah strategi?
Journal Prompts
Test Yourself
Saya ___ makan siang.
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
Dia tidak sudah pergi.
Dia sudah tidur.
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
sudah / saya / makan
Sudah is a verb.
A: Sudah siap? B: ___.
Score: /8
Ubungsaufgaben
8 exercisesSaya ___ makan siang.
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
Dia tidak sudah pergi.
Dia sudah tidur.
Match 'sudah' and 'belum'.
sudah / saya / makan
Sudah is a verb.
A: Sudah siap? B: ___.
Score: /8
FAQ (8)
No, 'sudah' is for completed actions. Use 'nanti' or 'akan' for the future.
Yes, in meaning, but 'telah' is formal and 'sudah' is neutral/informal.
Because 'belum' specifically means 'not yet', which is the logical negative for 'already'.
Yes, e.g., 'Dia sudah besar' (He is already big).
It's an aspect marker, so it focuses on completion regardless of the specific time.
The sentence might be ambiguous, but people will likely understand you from context.
No, it's a particle that modifies the verb.
Saya sudah melakukannya.
In Other Languages
Ya
Spanish 'ya' is more flexible in position.
Déjà
French 'déjà' is an adverb, not a particle.
Schon
German 'schon' can also mean 'surely' in some contexts.
Mou
Japanese 'mou' is an adverb.
Qad
Arabic 'qad' is often used with the past tense verb.
Le
Chinese 'le' is a suffix, 'sudah' is a pre-verbal particle.
