A1 Plurals 1 min read 简单

Pluralization Exceptions

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Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds

In Indonesian, you make most nouns plural by simply repeating the word twice with a hyphen.

  • Repeat the noun: 'buku' (book) becomes 'buku-buku' (books).
  • Use hyphens: Always connect the two words with a hyphen.
  • Context matters: If the sentence implies many, you don't always need to repeat the word.
Noun + '-' + Noun = Plural Noun

Meanings

Reduplication is the standard method for indicating plurality in Indonesian nouns when the plural sense is not already clear from context.

1

Simple Plural

Indicates multiple distinct items of the same category.

“meja-meja”

“kursi-kursi”

2

Variety/Diversity

Suggests a variety of types within a category.

“sayur-sayuran”

“buah-buahan”

Basic Pluralization Table

Singular Plural Meaning
buku buku-buku books
meja meja-meja tables
anak anak-anak children
mobil mobil-mobil cars
baju baju-baju clothes
teman teman-teman friends

Reference Table

Reference table for Pluralization Exceptions
Form Structure Example
Affirmative Noun-Noun Buku-buku itu baru.
Negative Tidak + Noun-Noun Tidak ada buku-buku di sini.
Question Apakah + Noun-Noun? Apakah buku-buku itu mahal?
Quantified Number + Noun Dua buku (Not buku-buku)
Collective Noun-Noun + -an Sayur-sayuran
Human Plural Para + Noun Para guru

正式程度

正式
Buku-buku itu berada di atas meja.

Buku-buku itu berada di atas meja. (Describing location)

中性
Buku-bukunya ada di meja.

Buku-bukunya ada di meja. (Describing location)

非正式
Bukunya ada di meja.

Bukunya ada di meja. (Describing location)

俚语
Buku-bukunya di meja nih.

Buku-bukunya di meja nih. (Describing location)

Pluralization Logic

Noun

General

  • buku-buku books

Variety

  • buah-buahan fruits

Pluralization Rules

Reduplication
meja-meja tables
Quantifier
tiga meja three tables

Do I Reduplicate?

1

Is there a number?

YES
No, just use singular noun
NO
Yes, use reduplication

Common Plurals

📦

Objects

  • • buku-buku
  • • meja-meja
👥

People

  • • anak-anak
  • • teman-teman
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按水平分级的例句

1

Saya punya buku-buku.

I have books.

2

Ada meja-meja di kelas.

There are tables in the class.

3

Dia melihat mobil-mobil.

He sees cars.

4

Ibu membeli baju-baju.

Mother buys clothes.

1

Banyak orang-orang di pasar.

Many people are at the market.

2

Saya suka buah-buahan.

I like fruits (a variety).

3

Anak-anak sedang bermain.

The children are playing.

4

Toko itu menjual sayur-sayuran.

That shop sells vegetables.

1

Para tamu sedang duduk di kursi-kursi itu.

The guests are sitting on those chairs.

2

Dia membawa berbagai macam buku-buku.

He brought various kinds of books.

3

Pohon-pohon itu sangat tinggi.

Those trees are very tall.

4

Teman-teman saya datang hari ini.

My friends are coming today.

1

Peraturan-peraturan itu harus diikuti.

Those regulations must be followed.

2

Gedung-gedung pencakar langit itu indah.

Those skyscrapers are beautiful.

3

Masalah-masalah ini sangat rumit.

These problems are very complex.

4

Ide-ide cemerlang muncul saat rapat.

Brilliant ideas emerged during the meeting.

1

Fenomena-fenomena sosial ini menarik.

These social phenomena are interesting.

2

Keputusan-keputusan strategis telah diambil.

Strategic decisions have been taken.

3

Perbedaan-perbedaan budaya sangat nyata.

Cultural differences are very real.

4

Karya-karya seni ini sangat berharga.

These artworks are very valuable.

1

Perdebatan-perdebatan filosofis ini terus berlanjut.

These philosophical debates continue.

2

Kecenderungan-kecenderungan pasar sedang berubah.

Market trends are changing.

3

Penyelesaian-penyelesaian masalah ini bersifat holistik.

These problem-solving methods are holistic.

4

Ketidakpastian-ketidakpastian ini menghambat kemajuan.

These uncertainties hinder progress.

容易混淆

Pluralization Exceptions 对比 Reduplication vs Quantifiers

Learners often use both together.

Pluralization Exceptions 对比 Reduplication vs Para

Using both for people.

Pluralization Exceptions 对比 Reduplication vs Suffixes

When to add -an.

常见错误

✗

tiga buku-buku

✓

tiga buku

Do not reduplicate when a number is present.
✗

buku buku

✓

buku-buku

Always use a hyphen in formal writing.
✗

banyak buku-buku

✓

banyak buku

Quantifiers like 'banyak' make the noun plural already.
✗

anak-anak-anak

✓

anak-anak

Only repeat the word once.
✗

buah-buah

✓

buah-buahan

Some nouns take a suffix for variety.
✗

para anak-anak

✓

anak-anak

Don't use 'para' with reduplicated nouns.
✗

meja-meja-an

✓

meja-meja

Not all nouns need suffixes.
✗

para guru-guru

✓

para guru

Para is already a plural marker.
✗

banyak-banyak orang

✓

banyak orang

Banyak is a quantifier.
✗

pohon-pohon-an

✓

pohon-pohon

Suffixes are for variety, not just plural.
✗

para hadirin-hadirin

✓

para hadirin

Hadirin is already plural.
✗

berbagai-bagai buku-buku

✓

berbagai buku

Berbagai implies variety.
✗

semua-semua orang

✓

semua orang

Semua is a quantifier.

句型

Saya punya ___.

Ada ___ di pasar.

___ itu sangat menarik.

Kita harus memikirkan ___.

Real World Usage

Market constant

Saya beli buah-buahan.

Texting very common

Teman2 datang!

Classroom common

Buku-buku di meja.

Business common

Peraturan-peraturan baru.

Social Media common

Foto-foto liburan!

Travel occasional

Mobil-mobil itu disewakan.

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💡

Hyphen Rule

Always use a hyphen in formal writing. It makes your Indonesian look professional.
⚠️

Number Conflict

Never use a number with a reduplicated noun. It is redundant and incorrect.
🎯

Variety Suffixes

Use -an for variety, like 'buah-buahan' for a mix of fruits.
💬

Casual Texting

In casual texts, people often use '2' instead of repeating the word, like 'teman2'.

Smart Tips

Always use the hyphen for reduplication.

Saya punya buku buku. → Saya punya buku-buku.

Drop the reduplication.

Saya beli dua buku-buku. → Saya beli dua buku.

Add -an for variety.

Saya beli buah-buah. → Saya beli buah-buahan.

Use 'para' for respect.

Guru-guru itu datang. → Para guru itu datang.

发音

bu-ku-bu-ku

Hyphen pause

There is a very slight glottal stop or pause at the hyphen.

Flat

buku-buku ↗

Standard statement

记住它

记忆技巧

Double the word to double the count, add a hyphen to keep it sound.

视觉联想

Imagine a mirror reflecting a single object. The reflection is the second word, and the mirror glass is the hyphen.

Rhyme

One word is one, two words are many, just add a hyphen and you'll have plenty.

Story

Budi went to the market. He saw one apple (buah). Then he saw many apples (buah-buahan). He bought two apples (dua buah). He was happy.

Word Web

buku-bukumeja-mejaanak-anakmobil-mobilteman-temanbaju-baju

挑战

Look around your room and name 5 items in their plural form using the hyphen rule.

文化笔记

Reduplication is often used in casual speech to show emphasis or affection.

Similar to Indonesian, but usage of suffixes can vary.

Often uses specific slang reduplication.

Reduplication is a common feature in Austronesian languages.

对话开场白

“

Apa yang kamu beli di pasar?

“

Siapa saja yang datang?

“

Bagaimana pendapatmu tentang buku-buku ini?

“

Apakah masalah-masalah ini bisa diselesaikan?

日记主题

List 5 things you see in your room.
Describe a trip to the market.
Write about your friends.
Discuss a social issue.
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Test Yourself

Make the noun plural.

Saya melihat ___ (buku).

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: buku-buku
Reduplication is the standard plural form.
Find the mistake. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Tiga mobil-mobil itu bagus.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Tiga mobil itu bagus.
No reduplication with numbers.
Which is correct? 多项选择

___ sedang bermain.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Anak-anak
Anak-anak is the correct plural.
Change to plural. Sentence Transformation

Meja itu besar.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Meja-meja itu besar.
Only the noun needs to be reduplicated.
Match singular to plural. Match Pairs

Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Baju-baju
Standard reduplication.
Is this true? True False Rule

You can use 'para' and reduplication together.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: False
It is redundant.
Complete the dialogue. Dialogue Completion

A: Apa yang kamu beli? B: Saya beli ___.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: buah-buahan
Variety of fruits.
Order the words. Sentence Building

buku-buku / saya / membaca

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Saya membaca buku-buku.
Subject-Verb-Object.

Score: /8

练习题

8 exercises
Make the noun plural.

Saya melihat ___ (buku).

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: buku-buku
Reduplication is the standard plural form.
Find the mistake. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Tiga mobil-mobil itu bagus.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Tiga mobil itu bagus.
No reduplication with numbers.
Which is correct? 多项选择

___ sedang bermain.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Anak-anak
Anak-anak is the correct plural.
Change to plural. Sentence Transformation

Meja itu besar.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Meja-meja itu besar.
Only the noun needs to be reduplicated.
Match singular to plural. Match Pairs

Baju -> ?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Baju-baju
Standard reduplication.
Is this true? True False Rule

You can use 'para' and reduplication together.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: False
It is redundant.
Complete the dialogue. Dialogue Completion

A: Apa yang kamu beli? B: Saya beli ___.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: buah-buahan
Variety of fruits.
Order the words. Sentence Building

buku-buku / saya / membaca

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Saya membaca buku-buku.
Subject-Verb-Object.

Score: /8

常见问题 (8)

Yes, in formal writing. In casual texting, it is often omitted.

No, that is incorrect. Use the singular noun with the number.

You can use reduplication or the word 'para'.

Most nouns can be reduplicated, but some are already collective.

It indicates variety or a collective group.

Yes, the system is very similar.

It's fine in casual contexts, but try to use it in formal writing.

No, Indonesian is very consistent!

Scaffolded Practice

1

1

2

2

3

3

4

4

Mastery Progress

Needs Practice

Improving

Strong

Mastered

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In Other Languages

Spanish low

Suffixes (-s/-es)

Suffixes vs. Repetition.

French low

Suffixes (-s)

Grammatical gender vs. No gender.

German low

Suffixes/Umlaut

Complexity vs. Simplicity.

Japanese partial

Tachi/Rura

Selective vs. Universal.

Arabic low

Broken Plurals

Internal change vs. Repetition.

Chinese low

Men (for people)

Optionality vs. Systematic.

Learning Path

Prerequisites

Previous
Quantifiers

Related Grammar Rules

A1

Quantifiers
A1

Reduplication for Plurals
A1

Collective Nouns
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