word order

Word Order

Unlike in English the word order in bahasa Indonesia is ‘the primary word is placed in the front, followed by the defining word’, whilst in English the defining words precede the primary word. For example:

Blue book buku biru

The word “book” is called the ‘noun’, and the word “blue” is the ‘adjective’. In English the adjective comes before the noun. But in Indonesian the noun may come first and the adjective follows.

EXAMPLES

Kopi manis Sweet Coffee
Kopi pahit Black Coffee
Kopi susu Coffee with milk
Ayam goreng Fried chicken
Nasi goreng Fried rice
Air putih (white) Water

This also applies in noun phrases that express possession:

nama Anda your name
toko Anda your shop
gedung saya my building
kantor saya my office
sekolah John John’s school
rumah Bu Nur Mrs Nur’s house

EXAMPLES

Saya akan pergi ke pasar dengan ibu saya.
I am going to the market with my mother.

Saya suka minum kopi pahit di rumah bu Nur.
I like to drink black coffee at Mrs. Nur’s house.

Study these sentences and observe how word order works in noun phrases and place names.

Saya mau makan di Rumah Makan Padang.
I am going to eat at Padang Restaurant.

Santi akan pergi ke Mesjid An-Nur.
Santi is going to go to An-Nur Mosque.

Pak Purba di toko buku sekarang.
Mr Purba is at the book shop right now.

http://bahasakita.com/about/grammar/word-order/