Question Particles
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
In Indonesian, you can turn a statement into a question by adding the suffix '-kah' to the first word.
- Attach '-kah' to the first word: 'Apakah kamu lapar?' (Are you hungry?)
- Use 'Apakah' at the start for formal yes/no questions: 'Apakah ini buku?'
- In casual speech, '-kah' is often dropped, relying on rising intonation instead.
Meanings
The particle '-kah' is a formal marker used to indicate that a sentence is a yes/no question.
Yes/No Question Marker
Used to transform a declarative statement into a formal interrogative sentence.
“Apakah dia guru?”
“Apakah hari ini hujan?”
Emphasis in Wh-questions
Attached to question words (siapa, apa, di mana) to add emphasis or formality.
“Siapakah nama Anda?”
“Di manakah dia tinggal?”
Question Formation Patterns
| Type | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Yes/No | Apakah + Subject + Predicate | Apakah kamu lapar? |
| Who | Siapakah + Predicate | Siapakah dia? |
| What | Apakah + Predicate | Apakah itu? |
| Where | Di manakah + Subject + Verb | Di manakah dia tinggal? |
| When | Kapankah + Subject + Verb | Kapankah kita pergi? |
| How | Bagaimanakah + Subject + Verb | Bagaimanakah kabarmu? |
Formal vs Informal
| Formal | Informal |
|---|---|
| Apakah kamu lapar? | Lapar? |
| Siapakah nama Anda? | Siapa namanya? |
| Di manakah dia? | Di mana dia? |
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative | Subject + Verb | Dia makan. |
| Negative | Subject + Tidak + Verb | Dia tidak makan. |
| Question | Apakah + Subject + Verb | Apakah dia makan? |
| Negative Question | Apakah + Subject + Tidak + Verb | Apakah dia tidak makan? |
| Wh-Question | Wh-word + -kah + Subject | Siapakah dia? |
| Short Answer (Yes) | Ya, [Subject] [Verb] | Ya, dia makan. |
| Short Answer (No) | Tidak, [Subject] tidak [Verb] | Tidak, dia tidak makan. |
正式程度
Apakah Anda akan pergi? (Asking about departure)
Apakah kamu akan pergi? (Asking about departure)
Mau pergi? (Asking about departure)
Cabut? (Asking about departure)
The Question Particle Family
Yes/No
- Apakah Is it?
Who
- Siapakah Who is it?
Where
- Di manakah Where is it?
Examples by Level
Apakah kamu lapar?
Are you hungry?
Apakah ini rumahmu?
Is this your house?
Apakah dia guru?
Is he/she a teacher?
Apakah mereka temanmu?
Are they your friends?
Siapakah nama Anda?
Who is your name?
Di manakah kantor pos?
Where is the post office?
Apakah Anda sudah makan?
Have you eaten?
Kapankah kita berangkat?
When are we leaving?
Apakah Anda yakin dengan keputusan ini?
Are you sure about this decision?
Bagaimanakah cara menggunakan alat ini?
How does one use this tool?
Mengapakah dia tidak datang hari ini?
Why did he not come today?
Adakah cara lain untuk menyelesaikan ini?
Is there another way to finish this?
Apakah kiranya Bapak bersedia membantu kami?
Would you perhaps be willing to help us?
Di manakah kiranya kita bisa menemukan solusi?
Where might we find a solution?
Siapakah yang bertanggung jawab atas proyek ini?
Who is responsible for this project?
Adakah bukti yang mendukung klaim tersebut?
Is there evidence supporting that claim?
Apalah arti sebuah nama jika tidak disertai tindakan?
What is the meaning of a name if not accompanied by action?
Di manakah letak keadilan dalam sistem ini?
Where does justice lie in this system?
Siapakah gerangan yang berani menentang aturan ini?
Who on earth dares to oppose this rule?
Adakah keraguan yang tersisa di benak Anda?
Is there any doubt remaining in your mind?
Bagaimanakah kiranya kita menafsirkan fenomena sosial ini?
How might we interpret this social phenomenon?
Siapakah yang mampu memprediksi masa depan ekonomi?
Who is capable of predicting the economic future?
Adakah urgensi yang mendasari kebijakan tersebut?
Is there an urgency underlying that policy?
Mengapakah kita harus mengabaikan sejarah?
Why must we ignore history?
Easily Confused
Learners often use 'Apa' when they should use 'Apakah'.
Both are suffixes, but they do different things.
Learners use formal -kah in casual settings.
常见错误
Kamu lapar-kah?
Apakah kamu lapar?
Apakah kamu lapar-kah?
Apakah kamu lapar?
Lapar kah?
Apakah kamu lapar?
Apakah lapar?
Apakah kamu lapar?
Siapa-kah nama?
Siapakah nama Anda?
Di mana-kah kamu?
Di manakah kamu?
Kapankah kamu pergi-kah?
Kapankah kamu pergi?
Apakah dia tidak-kah makan?
Apakah dia tidak makan?
Mengapa-kah dia tidak-kah datang?
Mengapakah dia tidak datang?
Adakah dia tahu-kah?
Adakah dia tahu?
Apakah kiranya-kah dia datang?
Apakah kiranya dia datang?
Siapakah gerangan-kah itu?
Siapakah gerangan itu?
Bagaimanakah-kah kita mulai?
Bagaimanakah kita mulai?
Sentence Patterns
Apakah ___ [verb]?
Siapakah ___?
Di manakah ___ [verb]?
Bagaimanakah ___ [verb]?
Real World Usage
Lapar?
Apakah Bapak bersedia?
Siapakah yang memimpin tim ini?
Di manakah stasiun?
Apakah pesanan sudah siap?
Kapankah kebijakan ini berlaku?
Start with Apakah
Don't over-formalize
Attach to Wh-words
Politeness first
Smart Tips
Always use 'Apakah' to start your questions to ensure a professional tone.
Use 'Siapakah' instead of 'Siapa' to show extra respect.
Use 'Di manakah' to be clear and polite.
Err on the side of formality by using '-kah'.
发音
Stress
The stress usually falls on the second-to-last syllable of the root word, even with the -kah suffix.
Rising
Apakah kamu lapar? ↑
Standard yes/no question.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Think of '-kah' as a 'Question Hook'. It hooks onto the front of the sentence to pull the answer out of the listener.
Visual Association
Imagine a fisherman (the speaker) throwing a hook (the '-kah' particle) into a pond (the listener) to catch a fish (the answer).
Rhyme
When you want to know the way, add -kah to start the day.
Story
Budi wants to ask his teacher a question. He stands up, takes a deep breath, and adds 'Apakah' to the start of his sentence. The teacher smiles because Budi is being very polite. Budi realizes that '-kah' is his key to formal communication.
Word Web
挑战
Write 5 questions using 'Apakah' and 5 questions using 'Siapakah' or 'Di manakah' today.
文化笔记
In Javanese culture, politeness is paramount. Using 'Apakah' is seen as respectful and avoids being too direct.
In Jakarta, people often drop 'Apakah' and use intonation, but they might add 'deh' or 'sih' for flavor.
In government or academic settings, the use of '-kah' is strictly enforced to maintain professional distance.
The particle '-kah' is an ancient Austronesian interrogative marker found in many related languages.
Conversation Starters
Apakah Anda suka kopi?
Siapakah penulis favorit Anda?
Di manakah Anda tinggal?
Bagaimanakah pendapat Anda tentang cuaca hari ini?
Journal Prompts
Test Yourself
___ kamu sudah makan?
Which is the correct formal question?
Find and fix the mistake:
Kamu lapar-kah?
nama / Siapakah / Anda / ?
A: ___ tinggal di mana? B: Saya tinggal di Jakarta.
You should use '-kah' when texting your best friend.
Dia guru.
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
Score: /8
练习题
8 exercises___ kamu sudah makan?
Which is the correct formal question?
Find and fix the mistake:
Kamu lapar-kah?
nama / Siapakah / Anda / ?
A: ___ tinggal di mana? B: Saya tinggal di Jakarta.
You should use '-kah' when texting your best friend.
Dia guru.
Match: 1. Siapakah, 2. Di manakah, 3. Kapankah
Score: /8
常见问题 (8)
No, only in formal writing or speech. In casual conversation, you can just use rising intonation.
No, that is grammatically incorrect. It should be at the start or attached to the question word.
It is one word, a combination of 'apa' and '-kah'.
If you are speaking, it is fine—people will understand you from your tone. If you are writing, it might look unprofessional.
No, it is invariant. It is the same for 'saya', 'kamu', 'dia', etc.
'Apa' is the informal version. 'Apakah' is the formal version.
Yes, 'Apakah kamu tidak lapar?' (Are you not hungry?).
It is standard in formal Indonesian, but regional dialects have their own ways of asking questions.
In Other Languages
ka
Japanese 'ka' is always at the end; Indonesian '-kah' is usually at the start.
¿...?
Spanish uses punctuation marks; Indonesian uses a morphological suffix.
est-ce que
French uses a phrase; Indonesian uses a single suffix.
Verb-first
German changes word order; Indonesian adds a particle.
ma
Chinese 'ma' is always at the end; Indonesian '-kah' is at the start.
hal
Arabic 'hal' is a separate word; Indonesian '-kah' is a suffix.
