A1 · Beginner Chapter 6

Asking for Information

4 Total Rules
1 min
Rules in This Chapter Quick Practice

Chapter in 30 Seconds

Unlock the ability to start conversations and find information by mastering essential Indonesian question structures.

  • Identify core question words like what, who, where, and when.
  • Construct natural inquiries by adjusting word order.
  • Apply the -kah particle to transform statements into polite questions.
Ask, discover, and connect with confidence.

What You'll Learn

Focuses on question words and sentence structure. Teaches how to formulate basic inquiries and simple responses.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

  1. 1
    By the end you will be able to: Formulate basic questions to gather information about people and objects.

Tips & Tricks (4)

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Keep it simple

Don't add extra words. Just swap the noun for the question word.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Question Words (Apa, Siapa)
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Keep it simple

Don't overthink the word order. Indonesian is very flexible.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Question Words (Di mana, Kapan)
💡

Keep it simple

Don't overthink the grammar. If you are in doubt, just use rising intonation.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Formulating Questions
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Start with Apakah

When in doubt, start your yes/no question with 'Apakah'. It is always correct.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Question Particles

Key Vocabulary (6)

apa what siapa who di mana where kapan when apakah question marker nama name

Real-World Preview

user

Meeting Someone New

Review Summary

  • [Question Word] + [Subject]
  • [Question Word] + [Subject/Verb]
  • [Subject] + [Verb] + [Question Word]
  • Apakah + [Sentence]

Common Mistakes

You cannot use 'apa' for people. Always use 'siapa' for identity questions.

Wrong: Apa kamu siapa?
Correct: Siapa nama kamu?

Use 'ke mana' for destination, not 'di mana' which is for static location.

Wrong: Di mana kamu pergi?
Correct: Ke mana kamu pergi?

The particle 'apakah' usually comes at the very beginning of the sentence.

Wrong: Kamu apakah makan?
Correct: Apakah kamu makan?

Next Steps

You've done an amazing job! Keep asking questions and stay curious about the world.

Write 5 questions to ask your Indonesian tutor.

Continue to: Saying No and Making Negations

Quick Practice (10)

Fill in the blank with the correct question word.

___ nama kamu?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Siapa
Siapa is for people.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Formulating Questions

Which sentence is correct?

Choose the formal question.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Apakah kamu lapar?
Apakah is the formal marker.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Formulating Questions

Choose the correct sentence.

Which is correct?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Kapan kamu datang?
Standard structure is QW + S + V.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Question Words (Di mana, Kapan)

Choose the correct question.

Which is the correct formal question?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Apakah kamu lapar?
The standard formal structure is Apakah + Subject + Predicate.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Question Particles

Correct the mistake.

Find and fix the mistake:

Di mana kamu pergi?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Ke mana kamu pergi?
Movement requires 'Ke mana'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Question Words (Di mana, Kapan)

Correct the sentence.

Find and fix the mistake:

Siapa itu? (pointing at a book)

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Apa itu?
Books are objects.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Question Words (Apa, Siapa)

Fill in the blank with the correct question word.

___ kamu tinggal?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Di mana
Asking for location requires 'Di mana'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Question Words (Di mana, Kapan)

Choose the correct word.

___ yang datang?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Siapa
People come.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Question Words (Apa, Siapa)

Fix the mistake.

Find and fix the mistake:

Adalah kamu pergi?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Apakah kamu pergi?
Adalah is not used.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Formulating Questions

Choose the correct question word.

___ nama kamu?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Siapa
Names belong to people.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Question Words (Apa, Siapa)

Score: /10

Common Questions (6)

No, that is incorrect. Always use Siapa for people.
You can use 'Siapa saja' to mean 'Who all'.
No, Indonesian verbs do not change based on person or tense.
No, 'di mana' is strictly for location.
No, it is only for formal yes/no questions.
Yes, Indonesian is very flexible.
Previous Chapter
The Power of Verbs
Next Chapter
Saying No and Making Negations
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