Signification
A large urban area.
Contexte culturel
The 'Mudik' tradition involves millions of people leaving the 'kota besar' to return to their villages at the end of Ramadan. This causes the big cities to become ghost towns for a week. Jakarta is the ultimate 'kota besar' in Indonesia. It is often called 'The Big Durian' (like New York's Big Apple) because it's smelly and tough on the outside but sweet on the inside for those who succeed. In Java, there is a strong distinction between 'Kota' (urban) and 'Kampung' (rural/neighborhood). Even within a 'kota besar', people often identify strongly with their specific 'kampung'. Young people in big cities often use 'Bahasa Jaksel' (South Jakarta language), mixing Indonesian with English words like 'literally' or 'which is'.
Word Order
Always remember: Noun first, Adjective second. It's the golden rule of Indonesian grammar!
City vs Country
Don't call a country a 'kota'. It's a very common beginner mistake.
Signification
A large urban area.
Word Order
Always remember: Noun first, Adjective second. It's the golden rule of Indonesian grammar!
City vs Country
Don't call a country a 'kota'. It's a very common beginner mistake.
Plurals
If you want to sound natural, don't say 'kota-kota besar-besar'. Just repeat the first word: 'kota-kota besar'.
Teste-toi
Which is the correct way to say 'Big City' in Indonesian?
Jakarta adalah...
Adjectives must follow the noun in Indonesian.
Fill in the blank with the plural form of 'Big City'.
Indonesia memiliki banyak ______.
To make it plural, repeat the noun 'kota', but not the adjective 'besar'.
Match the sentence to the correct context.
'Hidup di kota besar sangat mahal.'
The sentence means 'Living in a big city is very expensive.'
Complete the dialogue.
A: Kamu suka tinggal di desa? B: Tidak, saya lebih suka tinggal di ______.
The speaker is contrasting 'desa' (village) with its opposite, 'kota besar'.
🎉 Score : /4
Aides visuelles
Kota Besar vs Desa
Banque d exercices
4 exercicesJakarta adalah...
Adjectives must follow the noun in Indonesian.
Indonesia memiliki banyak ______.
To make it plural, repeat the noun 'kota', but not the adjective 'besar'.
'Hidup di kota besar sangat mahal.'
The sentence means 'Living in a big city is very expensive.'
A: Kamu suka tinggal di desa? B: Tidak, saya lebih suka tinggal di ______.
The speaker is contrasting 'desa' (village) with its opposite, 'kota besar'.
🎉 Score : /4
Questions fréquentes
10 questionsNo, there are many others like Surabaya, Medan, Bandung, and Makassar.
Yes, but it's informal and mostly used in Java. 'Kota besar' is better for learners.
The opposite is 'desa' (village) or 'kota kecil' (small town).
No, Indonesian doesn't use articles like English. You just say 'Saya tinggal di kota besar'.
Technically yes, but it's usually called a 'negara' (country) or 'negara-kota' (city-state).
You say 'Saya suka kota besar'.
Yes, but mostly in formal news or writing. 'Kota besar' is more common in speech.
Yes, it can describe size, importance, or even 'adult' (orang besar).
You say 'Kota itu besar'.
Yes, it is perfectly neutral and polite for any situation.
Expressions liées
Kota kecil
contrastSmall town
Ibu kota
specialized formCapital city
Pusat kota
similarCity center / Downtown
Pinggiran kota
contrastSuburbs / Outskirts
Warga kota
builds onCity dweller / Citizen
