Particle '-Kah'
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
The -kah particle turns a statement into a formal yes/no question by attaching to the fronted focus word.
- Attach -kah to the word you want to emphasize in a question: 'Apakah ini benar?'
- Use it primarily in formal writing or polite speech to signal an inquiry.
- It is often omitted in casual, spoken Indonesian where intonation does the work instead.
Meanings
The particle -kah is a suffix used to transform a declarative sentence into an interrogative one, specifically for yes/no questions.
Interrogative marker
Used to explicitly mark a sentence as a question.
“Apakah dia datang?”
“Benarkah berita itu?”
Formation of -kah Questions
| Base Word | With -kah | Meaning | Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apa | Apakah | What (question) | Formal |
| Dia | Diakah | Is it him/her? | Formal |
| Sudah | Sudahkah | Has it happened? | Formal |
| Benar | Benarkah | Is it true? | Formal |
| Perlu | Perlukah | Is it necessary? | Formal |
| Siapa | Siapakah | Who? | Formal |
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative | Subject + Verb | Dia datang. |
| Question | Word + kah + ... | Apakah dia datang? |
| Negative Question | Tidak + kah + ... | Tidakkah dia datang? |
| Emphasis | Word + kah | Benarkah? |
| Short Answer | Yes/No | Ya / Tidak |
| Formal Inquiry | Verb + kah | Perlukah kita pergi? |
طیف رسمیت
Apakah Anda akan pergi? (Asking about travel plans)
Apakah kamu akan pergi? (Asking about travel plans)
Mau pergi? (Asking about travel plans)
Cabut? (Asking about travel plans)
The -kah Particle Map
Function
- Interrogative Question
Register
- Formal Professional
Placement
- Suffix Attached
Examples by Level
Apakah ini buku?
Is this a book?
Apakah kamu lapar?
Are you hungry?
Apakah itu benar?
Is that true?
Apakah dia guru?
Is she a teacher?
Diakah yang pergi?
Is it him who is going?
Benarkah dia sakit?
Is it true that he is sick?
Perlukah kita pergi?
Do we need to go?
Sudahkah kamu makan?
Have you eaten?
Siapakah yang memanggil?
Who is calling?
Manakah yang lebih baik?
Which one is better?
Masihkah dia mencintaimu?
Does he still love you?
Mungkinkah ini terjadi?
Is it possible for this to happen?
Dapatkah Anda membantu saya?
Could you help me?
Haruskah kita menunggu?
Must we wait?
Tidakkah kamu mengerti?
Don't you understand?
Bolehkah saya masuk?
May I come in?
Adakah bukti yang mendukung?
Is there any supporting evidence?
Pernahkah Anda mempertimbangkan?
Have you ever considered?
Layakkah kita menerima ini?
Do we deserve this?
Bagaimanakah cara kerjanya?
How does it work?
Sejauh manakah pengaruhnya?
To what extent is the influence?
Kapanpun kah dia akan datang?
Will he ever come?
Siapakah gerangan yang datang?
Who on earth is coming?
Beranikah ia menentang?
Does he dare to oppose?
Easily Confused
Both are suffixes, but -kah is for questions and -lah is for emphasis/commands.
Both make questions, but -kah is formal.
Adding -kah to already interrogative words.
اشتباهات رایج
Apa kah kamu makan?
Apakah kamu makan?
Kamu makan kah?
Apakah kamu makan?
Apakah kamu makan kah?
Apakah kamu makan?
Apakah makan?
Apakah kamu makan?
Siapa kah itu?
Siapakah itu?
Benar kah?
Benarkah?
Sudah kah dia pergi?
Sudahkah dia pergi?
Mengapakah kamu pergi?
Mengapa kamu pergi?
Bagaimanakah cara?
Bagaimana cara?
Di manakah kah kamu?
Di manakah kamu?
Siapakah gerangan kah?
Siapakah gerangan?
Adakah kah benar?
Adakah benar?
Perlukah kah kita?
Perlukah kita?
Sentence Patterns
Apakah ___ sudah ___?
___kah yang melakukan ini?
Perlukah kita ___?
Mungkinkah ___ akan ___?
Real World Usage
Apakah Bapak bersedia hadir?
Dapatkah Anda menjelaskan pengalaman Anda?
Apakah ini kereta ke Jakarta?
Apakah pesanan sudah siap?
Benarkah ini?
Apakah kamu sibuk?
Suffix, not word
Don't over-use
Focus word
Politeness
Smart Tips
Always use 'Apakah' to start your questions.
Attach -kah to the adjective or verb.
Use 'Apakah' to be polite.
Use -kah for rhetorical questions.
تلفظ
Suffix attachment
Pronounce as one word with the root.
Rising
Apakah kamu lapar? ↗
Standard yes/no question intonation
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Think of -kah as a 'hook' that catches the sentence and turns it into a question.
Visual Association
Imagine a fishing hook (the -kah) catching a word at the start of a sentence and pulling it up into the air to form a question mark.
Rhyme
Add a -kah to the start, to make your question look smart.
Story
Budi wanted to ask a formal question. He took his word 'Apa', added the hook '-kah', and suddenly it became 'Apakah'. He used it in his meeting and everyone was impressed by his formal tone.
Word Web
چالش
Write 5 formal questions using -kah for your next email.
نکات فرهنگی
Used in formal settings to show respect.
Often mixed with local particles, but -kah remains formal.
Rarely used; replaced by intonation.
The particle -kah is an ancient Austronesian interrogative marker.
Conversation Starters
Apakah Anda sudah makan?
Siapakah tokoh favorit Anda?
Benarkah rencana itu akan berhasil?
Dapatkah Anda menjelaskan situasinya?
Journal Prompts
Test Yourself
___ kamu sudah makan?
Find and fix the mistake:
Siapa kah itu?
Which is correct?
Arrange the words in the correct order:
All words placed
Click words above to build the sentence
Is it him?
Answer starts with: Dia...
How to ask 'Are you ready?' formally?
___ kita harus pergi?
Find and fix the mistake:
Mengapakah kamu menangis?
Score: /8
تمرینهای عملی
8 exercises___ kamu sudah makan?
Find and fix the mistake:
Siapa kah itu?
Which is correct?
kamu / Apakah / lapar / ?
Is it him?
How to ask 'Are you ready?' formally?
___ kita harus pergi?
Find and fix the mistake:
Mengapakah kamu menangis?
Score: /8
سوالات متداول (8)
Yes, it is generally used in formal writing and polite speech.
You can, but it might sound overly formal or stiff.
Because it is a suffix, not a separate word.
Yes, 'Siapakah' is common for formal identification.
In casual speech, you just use rising intonation.
It is standard, but rarely used in colloquial Jakarta dialect.
It is redundant and generally avoided in standard Indonesian.
No, -lah is for emphasis or commands, not questions.
In Other Languages
acaso / ¿...?
Spanish relies on syntax; Indonesian uses a particle.
est-ce que
French is a separate phrase; Indonesian is a suffix.
ob
German changes word order; Indonesian adds a particle.
ka
Japanese puts it at the end; Indonesian puts it at the start.
hal
Arabic is a separate word; Indonesian is a suffix.
ma
Chinese is at the end; Indonesian is at the start.
