saya

From Malay saya, from earlier sahaya, from Sanskrit सहाय (sahāya).

sahaya (alternative archaic)
saja (alternative)

Saya akan pergi ke kebun.

Mereka suka bercanda dengan saya.

Atasan saya sedang sibuk.

(polite) first person singular pronoun: I, me, my


itu

Inherited from Malay itu, from Proto-Malayic *(i)tu(ʔ), from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *(i-)tu, from Proto-Austronesian *(i-)Cu.


ia

From Proto-Malayic *ia, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *(si-)ia, from Proto-Austronesian *(si-)ia. Compare Maori ia, Tagalog siya.

Ia mengajarkan muridnya di sekolah.

they / he / she / it (genderless third person pronoun)


dia

ia (alternative)
doi (alternative)
doski (alternative)

From Malay dia, cognate with ia, -nya, from Proto-Malayic *ia, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *(si-)ia, from Proto-Austronesian *(si-)ia.

Dia bisa berbahasa Inggris.

Dia mempunyai kegemaran menari.


aku

titles (canonical)
akoe (alternative)
daku (alternative poetic)
-ku (alternative)
ku- (alternative)

Inherited from Malay aku, from Proto-Malayic *aku, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *aku, from Proto-Austronesian *aku.

Pagi ini aku makan ikan.

Dia mengajak aku berjalan-jalan di taman.

He invited me to take a walk in the park.

Kucing aku sedang tidur.

(casual or informal) first person singular pronoun: I, me, my


teman

têman (canonical)
temen (alternative colloquial)

From Malay teman, from Classical Malay teman, from Tamil தமன் (tamaṉ, “friend; relative”).

(colloquial, dialectal) first person singular pronoun.


sana

From Malay sana, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *sana (“there, yonder”).


kita

Inherited from Malay kita, from Proto-Malayic *kita(ʔ), from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *(i-)kita, from Proto-Austronesian *(i-)kita.

This table only shows personal pronouns that are commonly used in the standard language

The second person pronouns are often replaced by kinship terms

while the proclitic is only used as a subject

Siapkan pakaian gantimu, karena kita akan pergi ke pantai.

Get your change of clothes ready, because we are going to the beach.

Pak guru baru kita sangat ramah.

Di sini saja, biar dia tidak dapat kita.

first person plural inclusive (including you) pronoun: we, us, our

Kita nggak mau temenan sama kamu.

Tanya kita aja kalau kakak masih bingung cara mainnya.

Ask us if you are still confused about how to play it.

(colloquial, nonstandard) first person singular exclusive (not including you) pronoun: we, us, our


kami

Inherited from Malay kami, from Proto-Malayic *kami, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *kami, from Proto-Austronesian *kami.

Kami akan mengajarkan adik-adik tentang kebersihan.

Terima kasih telah membantu kami!

Ini tugas kami, bu.

first person plural exclusive (not including you) pronoun: we, us, our

editorial we; first person plural pronoun, which refers to institution the speaker/writer is acting for: we, us, our


mana

(colloquial, in some contexts only) not, doesn't (negates meaning of verb)


q

Q (uppercase)
ak (alternative)
aq (alternative)

in some loanwords from local languages, such as placenames

The seventeenth letter of the Indonesian alphabet, written in the Latin script.


w

The twenty-third letter of the Indonesian alphabet, written in the Latin script.


beta

Inherited from Malay beta, possibly from Hindi बेटा (beṭā, “son”). Some linguists propose that this word is a native derivation due to the similarity in form with kita (“we (inclusive)”).


mu

(text messaging, informal) alternative spelling of -mu


lu

From Betawi Udik lo (“you”), from Hokkien 汝 (lú). Doublet of lo.

(chiefly Jakarta, slang) Second-person singular pronoun: you, your, yours


ini

From Malay ini, from Proto-Malayic *(i)ni(ʔ), from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *(i-)ni, from Proto-Austronesian *(i-)ni.

this (known (thing) that the speaker does not think is known to the audience)


apa

Inherited from Malay apa, from Proto-Malayic *apa, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *apa. The sense 3 as a determiner is a clipping of apakah.

do (question marker)
Apa dia ngerti?
Does he understand?


apa

Nama tempatnya apa?


apa

Apa? Kucing kita sedang melahirkan?

who; anyone; anyone, mainly used in the front of a sentence; whoever; who (emphatic); anyone; who (emphatic)

siapasesiapa ()siapa pun ()siapa saja ()siapa-siapa ()


mereka

From Malay mereka, from earlier mareka, from Old Javanese marika. Displaced Proto-Malayic *sida(ʔ) (whence Iban sida).

Mereka akan mengunjungi rumah kita.

Sekolah mereka bersih.

third person plural pronoun: they, them, their


hamba

From Malay hamba, from Sanskrit हम्भाय (hambhāya, “low”), compare to Sanskrit हंबतारा (haṃbatārā, “good man”).

cog

(archaic, humble) I, me, my, your servant


yang

Inherited from Malay yang, from Classical Malay يڠ (yang), from Old Malay [script needed] (yaṃ).

jang (alternative)
yg (alternative abbreviation)
jg (alternative)

Dia mau yang hijau


engkau

From Malay engkau, from Proto-Malayic *kau, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *(i-)kahu, from Proto-Austronesian *(i-)kaSu. The eng- component is epenthetical to avoid a monosyllabic pronunciation.

(Borneo, Medan, informal, poetic) Second-person singular pronoun: you, your, yours


beliau

(honorific) he, she; him, her (referring to someone highly respected, of higher status or older)


kamu

From Malay kamu, from Proto-Malayic *kamu(ʔ) (“you, your (plural)”), from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *(i-)kamu, *kamiu, from Proto-Austronesian *(i-)kamu, *kamiu.

inh

Kamu mau baju ini?

Dia mau berteman dengan kamu.

Pena kamu ada di laci ini.

(casual or informal, usually singular) second person pronoun: you, your


anda

alternative letter-case form of Anda (“you, your”)


sa

(Papuan) I (first person singular prononun)


daku

From Malay daku, variant of aku, from Proto-Malayic *aku, from Proto-Malayo-Chamic *aku, from Proto-Malayo-Sumbawan *aku, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *aku, from Proto-Austronesian *aku. Doublet of aku.


ane

Borrowed from Betawi Kota ane, from Arabic أَنَا (ʔanā). Doublet of ana.


siapa

Inherited from Malay siapa, from Proto-Malayic *si-apa. By surface analysis, si (“personal marker”) + apa (“what”).

surf

Siapa itu?

Baju siapa ini?


lo

Borrowed from Betawi Kota lo (“you”), from Hokkien 汝 (lú). Doublet of lu.

Oke, kalau lo baper, yuk cabut.


kenapa

Inherited from Malay kenapa, a blend of kena (“to be hit”) + apa (“what”).

blend

Kenapa air laut asin?

"Kenapa harus takut kalau tidak salah? Kenapa harus khawatir dengan omongan inkonsisten? Coba cek deh satu persatu, dari 2013 sampai jadi saksi-saksi kemarin apa ada satu saja yang konsisten?," terang Ganjar lagi.

2017 November 22, Linda Putri, “Ganjar: Kalau Tidak Salah Kenapa Takut [Ganjar: If Not Wrong Why Fear]”, in Suara Merdeka, archived from the original on 2018-12-31:

"Why should you be afraid if not wrong? Why should you worry about talking inconsistently? Try checking one by one, from 2013 to yesterday's witnesses, is there only one that is consistent?", Ganjar further explained.


mengapa

Inherited from Malay mengapa, from Proto-Malayic *mAŋ-apa, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *maŋ-apa. By surface analysis, meng- + apa.


ko

(Java, informal) Second-person singular pronoun: you, your, yours


tout le monde

Unadapted borrowing from French tout le monde (“everyone, everybody”, literally “all the world”).


aye

Borrowed from Betawi ayè. Doublet of saya.

(Jakarta, colloquial) First-person singular pronoun: I, me, my


eke

From informal Dutch ikke (standard Dutch ik), from Middle Dutch ic, from Old Dutch ik, from Proto-Germanic *ek, from Proto-Indo-European *éǵh₂. Compare to Afrikaans ek. Doublet of ego.

(colloquial or dated) I: The speaker or writer, referred to as the grammatical subject, of a sentence


ente

From Betawi ente (“you”), from Arabic أَنْتَ (ʔanta, “you”).

(informal) Second-person singular pronoun: you, your, yours


ke mana

Mau ke mana?


yang mana

Baju yang mana mesti kupakai?

Yang mana bebas digunakan dengan atribusi yang masuk akal.

Which is free to use with reasonable attribution.


kau

Inherited from Malay kau, from Proto-Malayic *kau, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *(i-)kahu, from Proto-Austronesian *(i-)kaSu.

(poetic) Second-person singular pronoun: you, your, yours


Anda

→ Malay: anda

From -anda. Coined by Sarbini in 1957. Made popular by Rosihan Anwar in 1958.

(formal) second-person pronoun: you, your


tuan

From Malay tuan, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *qatuan (“deity”). Doublet of tuhan.


elo

(Jakarta, slang) Second-person singular pronoun: you, your, yours


mas

From Javanese ꦩꦱ꧀ (mas, “brother, older brother; gold”), from Old Javanese mas, mās, ĕmas, hĕmas, from Sanskrit माष (māṣa, “particular weight of gold”).

der

(formal) Second-person male singular pronoun: you, your, yours

saudara

used for people of either gender of equal status

bapak

father; lit. ; used for men of higher status

ibu

mother; lit. ; used for women of higher status


idem

Unadapted borrowing from Dutch idem, from Latin idem (“the same”).


x

The twenty-fourth letter of the Indonesian alphabet, written in the Latin script.


bila

From Malay bila, from Old Malay vela, from Sanskrit वेला (velā).


ak

(text messaging, slang) abbreviation of aku


beberapa

Inherited from Malay beberapa, from partial reduplication of berapa.


saja

aja (alternative colloquial)
sahaja (alternative archaic obsolete)
sadja (alternative)
sahadja (alternative)

From Malay sahaja, saja, from Classical Malay سهاج (sahaja), ساج (saja), from Sanskrit सहज (sahaja, “natural, innate, original”).

always
at all times; throughout all time


gua

wa (alternative Internet)
gw (alternative Internet)

From Betawi Udik gua (“I, me, my”), from Hokkien 我 (góa, “I, me, my”). Doublet of gue.

(Jakarta, casual or informal) First-person singular pronoun: I, me, my


anta

Borrowed from Arabic أَنْتَ (ʔanta, “you”).


loe

(chiefly Jakarta, slang, 1901–1947) obsolete spelling of lu


ngana

Clipping of menurut ngana? (“you think?”), from menurut (“according to”) + ngana (“you (Manado)”). Reanalyzed as a second-person pronoun for specific use in sarcastic and rhetorical responses.

clipping

Aku membentuk dua kerucut dengan tanganku dan menggabungkannya untuk menggambarkan yang kumaksud.
"Maksud ngana ciuman?"

2017, Sofi Meloni, Cinder Ana on Duty, Jakarta: Gramedia Pustaka Utama, →ISBN, page 110:

I made two finger purses with my palms and combined them to illustrate what I meant.
"(Duh,) you mean (they were) kissing?"

Ya ngana pikir pemirsa, kalau udah tua hidup bisa ongkang-ongkang kaki aja?

2021, Stefani Bella, Gak Capek Dituntut Mulu? [Aren't You Tired of Being Under Pressure?], Yogyakarta: Gradien Mediatama, →ISBN, page 20:

Well, think about it yourself, readers, would you spend old age idling around?


koen

From Suroboyoan Javanese koen (“you”). Doublet of kowe.

(slang, Surabaya) Second-person singular pronoun: you, your, yours


segala

From Malay segala, from Sanskrit सकल (sakala). Cognates with Central Malay gale, Musi galo.

Uang bukanlah segalanya.


gue

From Betawi Kota guè (“I, me, my”), from Hokkien 我 (góa, “I, me, my”). Doublet of gua.

Gue kagak sangka njir.

(Jakarta, colloquial) (First-person singular pronoun): I, me, my


kapan

From Malay kapan, from Javanese kapan (ꦏꦥꦤ꧀), from Old Javanese kapan. Equivalent to apa + ke- -an.

Kapan dia akan pergi?


kalian

Inherited from Malay kalian, a clipping of sekalian, from se- + kali + -an.


saudara

saudara-saudara (plural)
saudari (alternative)
sudara (alternative)
sodara (alternative)

From Malay saudara, from Sanskrit सोदर (sodara, “brother from the same womb”), सउदर (saüdara), स (sa, “having the same”) + उदर (udara, “uterus”); or Sanskrit सहोदर (sahodara).

compound

relative, someone in the same family; someone connected by blood, marriage, or adoption


patik

(obsolete) singular first person pronoun


-nya

From Malay -nya, from Proto-Malayic *ña, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *ni-a, from Proto-Austronesian *ni-a (compare Tagalog niya, Javanese -ne, Madurese -na).

ibunya

third person singular oblique enclitic pronoun

aku memeluknya

kami belum memberitahukannya tentang ini

aku pinjam pensil ini darinya

as an object of a preposition, with the exception for 'di', 'ke', and sometimes 'dalam' (see the usage notes below)

bukunya aku

abangnya Dani

used to mark possessive, especially in some context where it needs to be clear


saudari

(formal, used for women of equal status) Second-person singular pronoun: you, your, yours


gw

(text messaging) alternative form of gue


awak

From Malay awak, from Classical Malay awak, from Proto-Malayic *awak, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *hawak, from Proto-Austronesian *Sawak (“waist”).
* Semantic loan from Minangkabau awak for sense of a Minangkabau person.
* Semantic loan from Javanese ꦲꦮꦏ꧀ (awak, “body”).
* Semantic loan from Batak
* Semantic loan from Acehnese [Term?] (“group of people”)
* Semantic loan from Kerinci [Term?] (“someone who is older, but younger than mother and father”)
* Semantic loan from Lun Bawang [Term?] (“felled wood pieces”)


dikau

From Malay dikau, variant of engkau, from Proto-Malayic *kau(ʔ), from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *(i-)kahu, from Proto-Austronesian *(i-)kaSu.


andika

From Javanese ꦲꦤ꧀ꦢꦶꦏ (andika, “to tell; you (honourable)”), from Old Javanese andika (“words, command, order, decree”).

der

(honourable, archaic) you, e.g. Your Majesty


sahaya

From Malay sahaya, from Sanskrit सहाय (sahāya). Doublet of saya.

(archaic) alternative form of saya (“I, me, my”)


kau-

From Malay kau-, from kau, shortened form of engkau, from Proto-Malayic *kau, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *(i-)kahu, from Proto-Austronesian *(i-)kaSu.


manira

Inherited from Malay manira, from Javanese ꦩꦤꦶꦫ (manira, “first person pronoun”), from Old Javanese manira (“first person pronoun”).


kawula

Borrowed from Javanese ꦏꦮꦸꦭ (kawula, “servant; subject; I, me”), from Old Javanese kawula (“servant, follower, subject”). Reconstructed as ke- + *wula.


tiada

From Malay tiada, from Proto-Malayic *ti (“basic negator”) + *ada (“to exist”).

Tiada orang di jalan ini.


dalem

From Javanese ꦢꦊꦩ꧀ (dalem), from Old Javanese dalem, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *daləm (“inside, deep”), from Proto-Austronesian *daləm. Doublet of dalam.
* The term is associated with the inner part of a royal compound, throughout the Malayo-Javanic cultural area. The reference to “inner” and “inner area” as related to a socially higher status (king, royal residence, and respect) in Malay, Old Javanese, Sundanese, Balinese and Sasak, which appears to be a later innovation related to with Indicized cultural concepts, the development of complex social stratification systems based on increasingly hereditary ranks that extended clan based or tribal relations and ascribed status systems, and the development of economies based on wet rice agriculture.
* The sense of term of address is a semantic loan from Sundanese ᮓᮜᮨᮙ᮪ (dalem). Compare to Javanese ꦢꦊꦩ꧀ (dalem, “a term of address for person of an aristocratic family”).


kowe

(Java, slang) Second-person singular pronoun: you, your, yours


sendiri

id-adj

sêndiri (comparative lebih sendiri, superlative paling sendiri)

sêndiri (canonical)
lebih sendiri (comparative)
paling sendiri (superlative)

Affixed diri + se- (probably through affixed Old Javanese aṅḍiri, aṇḍiri (“to stand; to be functional, to reign; standing alone; outstanding”), probably ultimately from Sanskrit [Term?] instead of Malay diri directly), inherited from Malay sendiri.

cog

Nelayan merasa di laut seperti di rumah sendiri.

When at sea, fishermen feel as if in their own home.

Aku harus membayar dari kantongku sendiri.

Sayur-sayuran ini dari kebun ibu sendiri.

These vegetables are from mother's own garden.


panjenengan

(Central Java, formal) Second-person singular pronoun: you, your, yours


baginda

Affixed *bagi + -anda, from Malay baginda, from Classical Malay baginda (“his majesty”), from Old Malay baginda. Probably from Sanskrit भाग्य (bhāgya).

he, she (honorific, usually used for monarch)


ogut

Initially from a comedian Ogud Tomtam whom frequently refer himself by ogut.

(Jakarta, dated) First-person singular pronoun: I, me, my


mbak

From Javanese [Term?], from Old Javanese [Term?].

(formal) Second-person female singular pronoun: you, your, yours


sampeyan

(Central & East Java, formal) Second-person singular pronoun: you, your, yours


sesuatu

id-adj

sesuatu (comparative lebih sesuatu, superlative paling sesuatu)

lebih sesuatu (comparative)
paling sesuatu (superlative)


seseorang

someone (one or some person of unspecified identity)


seseorang

someone (a partially specified but unnamed person)


diriku

(with the prepositons 'di', 'ke', and 'dalam') me

(nonstandard, used in a non-reflexive way) I, me


kmn

(text messaging) abbreviation of ke mana


barang siapa

Compound of barang (“marker of indefiniteness”) + siapa (“who”), from Malay barang siapa. The sense in law was coined to translate Dutch Hij Die.

com

Barangsiapa yang secara melawan hukum di muka umum dengan lisan, tulisan, dan atau melalui media apapun, menyebarkan atau mengembangkan ajaran Komunisme/Marxisme-Leninisme dalam segala bentuk dan perwujudan, dipidana dengan pidana penjara paling lama 12 (dua belas) tahun.

Whoever unlawfully disseminates or develops the Communist/Marxist-Leninist ideology publicly in any way, shape or form through oral, textual, or any other media, will be imprisoned for a maximum time of 12 (twelve) years.


antum

Borrowed from Arabic أَنْتُمْ (ʔantum), masculine plural form of أَنْتَ (ʔanta, “you”).

(informal) Second-person singular pronoun: you, your, yours


idem ditto

Unadapted borrowing from Latin idem ditto via Dutch idem ditto, compound of idem (“same”) + ditto (“aforesaid”).


dukuh

(dialect) greeting words for only children


sinuhun

Inherited from Malay senuhun, sinuhun, from Javanese ꦱꦶꦤꦸꦲꦸꦤ꧀ (sinuhun), from Old Javanese sinuhun.


apa pun

Aku suka cemilan apa pun yang pedas.


apapun

(proscribed) alternative form of apa pun


itulah

itulah hal yang perlu diketahui


anakanda

(somewhat archaic) alternative form of ananda


ananda

Inherited from Malay ananda. Equivalent to anak (“child, kid”) + -anda (honorific suffix).

suf

(honorific, poetic) second person (plural) pronoun, used towards children


(taxation) initialism of kantor pelayanan, penyuluhan, dan konsultasi perpajakan


sokap

Prokem derivation, from siapa, sapa (“who”) + -ok- with the final rime elided. Backronymed as a blend of sok (“as if”) + akrab (“close, familiar”), due to its frequent use in sarcastic responses to someone being overly friendly.

blend

Pertama kali di kelas ini, aku sokap banget sama semuanya.

2018, Muhammad Alfarisyi, Pelarian Qolbu [Refuge for the Soul], Bogor: Guepedia, page 220:

When I first got into this class, I was very buddy-buddy with everyone.

(colloquial, derogatory) overly friendly (as if with someone familiar); buddy-buddy


anda semua

alternative letter-case form of Anda semua