Question Words (Di mana, Kapan)
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Indonesian question words like 'Di mana' and 'Kapan' are placed at the start or end of a sentence to ask for information.
- Use 'Di mana' to ask about location: 'Di mana rumahmu?' (Where is your house?)
- Use 'Kapan' to ask about time: 'Kapan kamu datang?' (When are you coming?)
- Question words can move to the end of the sentence for a more casual tone.
3. Question Word Placement
| Position | Structure | Example | Tone |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Start
|
QW + Subject + Verb
|
Di mana kamu tinggal?
|
Formal/Standard
|
|
End
|
Subject + Verb + QW
|
Kamu tinggal di mana?
|
Casual/Conversational
|
|
Start
|
QW + Object
|
Kapan rapatnya?
|
Direct/Concise
|
|
End
|
Object + QW
|
Rapatnya kapan?
|
Casual/Direct
|
Common Variations
| Full Form | Short/Casual | Usage |
|---|---|---|
|
Di mana
|
Dimana
|
Casual text/informal
|
|
Kapan
|
Kapan
|
Standard
|
Meanings
These words are used to request specific information regarding location (di mana) and time (kapan). They function as the core of interrogative sentences in Indonesian.
Location (Di mana)
Asking for a physical place or position.
“Di mana kantornya?”
“Kamu kerja di mana?”
Time (Kapan)
Asking for a specific point in time or duration.
“Kapan kita makan?”
“Kapan ulang tahunmu?”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Location
|
Di mana + S + V
|
Di mana kamu bekerja?
|
|
Time
|
Kapan + S + V
|
Kapan kamu pulang?
|
|
Casual Loc
|
S + V + di mana
|
Kamu kerja di mana?
|
|
Casual Time
|
S + V + kapan
|
Kamu pulang kapan?
|
|
Emphatic
|
QW + pun + S + V
|
Di mana pun kamu berada
|
Spectre de formalité
Di manakah Anda tinggal? (Asking for residence)
Di mana kamu tinggal? (Asking for residence)
Tinggal di mana? (Asking for residence)
Tinggal di mana nih? (Asking for residence)
Question Word Map
Location
- Di mana Where
Time
- Kapan When
Formal vs Informal Placement
Exemples par niveau
Di mana rumahmu?
Where is your house?
Kapan kamu datang?
When are you coming?
Kamu tinggal di mana?
Where do you live?
Kapan kita makan?
When do we eat?
Di mana kamu menaruh kunci itu?
Where did you put that key?
Kapan acara ini selesai?
When does this event finish?
Kapan kamu akan pergi ke Bali?
When will you go to Bali?
Di mana toko buku terdekat?
Where is the nearest bookstore?
Di mana pun kamu berada, aku akan mencarimu.
Wherever you are, I will find you.
Kapan pun kamu siap, beri tahu saya.
Whenever you are ready, let me know.
Saya tidak tahu di mana dia tinggal.
I don't know where he lives.
Kapan terakhir kali kamu ke sini?
When was the last time you came here?
Di mana letak kesalahan dalam laporan ini?
Where is the error in this report?
Kapan kiranya proyek ini akan rampung?
When might this project be completed?
Di mana saja kamu sudah bepergian?
Where all have you traveled?
Kapan tepatnya kejadian itu berlangsung?
When exactly did that incident occur?
Di mana pun ia berpijak, ia selalu membawa pengaruh.
Wherever he stands, he always brings influence.
Kapan pun waktu yang kamu pilih, saya akan menyesuaikan.
Whatever time you choose, I will adjust.
Di mana letak urgensi dari usulan tersebut?
Where lies the urgency of that proposal?
Kapan kiranya kita bisa mencapai kesepakatan?
When might we reach an agreement?
Di mana pun takdir membawa kita, kita tetap bersaudara.
Wherever fate takes us, we remain brothers.
Kapan pun saatnya tiba, kita harus siap.
Whenever the time comes, we must be ready.
Di mana pun ia berada, ia selalu dirindukan.
Wherever he is, he is always missed.
Kapan pun Anda berkenan, pintu kami terbuka.
Whenever you please, our door is open.
Facile à confondre
Learners often use 'di mana' for movement.
Learners use 'kapan' for specific clock times.
Learners confuse 'where' with 'which'.
Erreurs courantes
Di mana kamu pergi?
Ke mana kamu pergi?
Kapan kamu makan?
Kapan kamu makan?
Di mana kamu?
Di mana kamu?
Kapan adalah kamu datang?
Kapan kamu datang?
Di mana kamu tinggal di?
Di mana kamu tinggal?
Kapan kamu akan pergi?
Kapan kamu akan pergi?
Di mana rumah?
Di mana rumahnya?
Dimana saya tinggal, itu bagus.
Tempat saya tinggal itu bagus.
Kapan pun kamu mau.
Kapan pun kamu mau.
Di mana kamu berada?
Di mana kamu?
Di mana pun dia pergi, dia sukses.
Ke mana pun dia pergi, dia sukses.
Kapan kiranya?
Kapan kiranya?
Di mana letak masalahnya?
Di mana letak masalahnya?
Structures de phrases
Di mana ___?
Kapan ___?
Kamu ___ di mana?
Kapan kamu akan ___?
Real World Usage
Di mana stasiun kereta?
Kamu di mana?
Kapan saya bisa mulai?
Di mana bisa pesan?
Kapan rilisnya?
Di mana jalan ke sana?
Keep it simple
Static vs Movement
Casual flow
Politeness
Smart Tips
Distinguish between static (di) and movement (ke).
Use 'kapan' for general time, 'jam berapa' for clock time.
Move the question word to the end.
Keep the question word at the start.
Prononciation
Intonation
Questions in Indonesian often have a rising intonation at the end.
Rising
Di mana kamu tinggal? ↗
Standard question
Mémorise-le
Moyen mnémotechnique
Di-mana is for the place, Kapan is for the time. Think: 'Di' (in) 'mana' (where) and 'Kapan' (clock-pan).
Association visuelle
Imagine a map for 'Di mana' and a clock for 'Kapan'.
Rhyme
Di mana for a place to be, Kapan for the time you see.
Story
Budi is lost. He asks 'Di mana stasiun?' (Where is the station?). He checks his watch and asks 'Kapan kereta datang?' (When does the train arrive?).
Word Web
Défi
Write 5 questions about your day using 'Di mana' and 'Kapan' and ask a friend.
Notes culturelles
Asking 'Di mana' is very common, but be careful with personal questions.
In Javanese, there are different levels of politeness for asking questions.
Similar to Indonesian, but 'di mana' is also used.
These are native Austronesian interrogative roots.
Amorces de conversation
Di mana kamu tinggal?
Kapan kamu akan liburan?
Di mana kamu biasanya makan siang?
Kapan rapat dimulai?
Sujets d'écriture
Erreurs courantes
Test Yourself
___ kamu tinggal?
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
Di mana kamu pergi?
Arrange the words in the correct order:
All words placed
Click words above to build the sentence
When is the meeting?
Answer starts with: Kap...
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
A: ___? B: Saya tinggal di Jakarta.
Use 'Kapan' and 'pulang'.
Score: /8
Exercices pratiques
8 exercises___ kamu tinggal?
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
Di mana kamu pergi?
tinggal / di mana / kamu
When is the meeting?
Match 'Di mana' and 'Kapan'.
A: ___? B: Saya tinggal di Jakarta.
Use 'Kapan' and 'pulang'.
Score: /8
FAQ (8)
No, Indonesian verbs do not change based on person or tense.
No, 'di mana' is strictly for location.
Formally, it is two words 'di mana'.
Use 'ke mana'.
No, it is very common in casual speech.
Yes, 'kapan' works for dates and times.
You can use rising intonation on a statement.
Yes, 'ke mana' (to where) and 'dari mana' (from where).
Scaffolded Practice
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Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
Dónde / Cuándo
Spanish verbs change based on the subject; Indonesian verbs do not.
Où / Quand
Indonesian does not use an equivalent to 'est-ce que'.
Wo / Wann
German requires verb-second order in questions.
Doko / Itsu
Japanese uses 'ka' at the end to mark questions.
Ayna / Mata
Arabic interrogatives are often prefixes or distinct particles.
Na li / Shenme shihou
Chinese question words are often placed where the answer would be.
