Demonstratives in Indonesian

In Brief

Indonesian ini means “this/these,” and itu means “that/those.” When they identify a noun, they normally come after it: buku ini (“this book”), orang itu (“that person”). For places, use di sini (“here”), di situ (“there, near you/at that place”), and di sana (“over there, farther away”).

Overview

A demonstrative is a pointing word: it directs attention to a person, object, place, time, or idea. English changes both distance and number—this/these versus that/those. Indonesian has a simpler core system. Ini points to something relatively close, while itu points to something farther away or already identified. Neither word changes for singular and plural.

This is an A1 topic because these forms appear constantly in introductions, shopping, directions, and everyday questions. You can use them to say nama ini (“this name”), ask Apa itu? (“What is that?”), or answer Di sini (“Here”). The most important word-order habit is that a demonstrative attached to a noun comes at the end of the noun phrase (the whole group of words built around a noun): meja ini, not ini meja, when you mean “this table.”

English speakers need to distinguish that noun phrase from a complete identifying sentence. Buku ini means “this book,” but Ini buku means “This is a book.” Indonesian often leaves out a present-tense equivalent of English is/are, so position changes the structure and meaning.

How It Works

The basic forms

Function	Indonesian	Usual English equivalent
Near the speaker	ini	this, these
Farther away or previously mentioned	itu	that, those
Place near the speaker	di sini	here
Place near the listener or at a specified location	di situ	there, at that place
Place away from both speaker and listener	di sana	there, over there

The distance contrast is flexible rather than mathematical. Speakers choose a form according to physical distance, conversational focus, or whether something has already been mentioned.

Ini and itu after a noun

To point out a particular noun, use this basic pattern:

noun + ini/itu

• rumah ini — this house
• kursi itu — that chair
• anak-anak ini — these children
• foto-foto itu — those photographs

A noun is a word for a person, place, thing, or idea. Indonesian puts many modifiers after the noun, and ini/itu normally occupies the final identifying position. If another modifier is present, it generally stays closer to the noun:

• buku baru ini — this new book
• mobil merah itu — that red car
• teman saya ini — this friend of mine
• rumah besar mereka itu — that large house of theirs

This order can be pictured as:

noun + description/owner + demonstrative

The demonstrative points to the entire phrase, not only to the word immediately before it.

No singular–plural change

Indonesian ini and itu do not change for number. Context, a number, a quantity word, or noun reduplication can show that more than one item is meant:

• buku ini — this book / these books, depending on context
• dua buku ini — these two books
• semua buku itu — all those books
• buku-buku itu — those books

Do not automatically repeat every plural noun. Indonesian often leaves number unmarked when it is already clear. Semua buku itu is natural because semua (“all”) already expresses plurality.

Ini/itu as a complete pointer

Ini and itu can stand without a following noun, much like English this and that:

• Ini enak. — This is delicious.
• Itu mahal. — That is expensive.
• Apa ini? — What is this?
• Siapa itu? — Who is that?

Indonesian normally does not require a word meaning is in these simple present-time statements. In Ini buku saya, ini is the subject (what the sentence is about), and buku saya identifies it: “This is my book.” Compare the two structures:

Structure	Indonesian	Meaning
noun + demonstrative	buku ini	this book
demonstrative + noun phrase	Ini buku.	This is a book.
demonstrative + noun phrase	Itu buku saya.	That is my book.

Capitalization and context help in writing, but word order carries the main grammatical distinction.

Referring to people

With a person noun, ini/itu still follows the noun:

• orang ini — this person
• perempuan itu — that woman
• guru saya itu — that teacher of mine

When asking who someone is, both of these patterns are useful:

• Orang itu siapa? — Who is that person?
• Siapa itu? — Who is that?

The first names the category (orang, “person”); the second lets itu stand alone.

Place words: di sini, di situ, and di sana

The preposition di marks a static location—where someone or something is. It is written as a separate word before sini, situ, or sana:

• Saya di sini. — I am here.
• Tasnya di situ. — The bag is there / at that spot.
• Mereka tinggal di sana. — They live over there.

The three-way distinction is often described like this:

1. di sini: near the speaker, “here”
2. di situ: near the listener, or at a place just indicated or mentioned
3. di sana: away from both participants, “over there”

Real conversation is less rigid. Di situ may simply mean “at that place,” even when the place is not physically near the listener. Di sana highlights greater distance. If the exact contrast is unimportant, English may translate both as there.

Keep di separate in these location phrases. This is the same location word found in di rumah (“at home”), not the di- prefix attached to passive verbs.

Time and earlier references

Demonstratives can point through time as well as space:

• hari ini — today; literally “this day”
• malam ini — tonight
• minggu ini — this week
• saat itu — at that time
• hari itu — that day

Itu also refers back to something already known in the conversation. In this use, physical distance may not matter:

• Saya membeli sebuah kamus. Kamus itu sangat berguna. — I bought a dictionary. The dictionary is very useful.

Here kamus itu means “that/the dictionary just mentioned.” This discourse use is one reason itu sometimes resembles English the, but it is not a general replacement for the.

Examples in Context

Indonesian	English	Note
Meja ini bersih.	This table is clean.	Ini follows the noun.
Orang itu siapa?	Who is that person?	The complete noun phrase is orang itu.
Ini kopi saya.	This is my coffee.	Sentence-initial ini stands alone.
Apa itu?	What is that?	Itu replaces an unstated noun.
Saya mau membeli baju ini.	I want to buy this shirt.	The whole phrase is the object of membeli.
Mobil merah itu milik Rina.	That red car belongs to Rina.	The color stays between the noun and itu.
Dua kursi ini kosong.	These two chairs are empty.	Ini does not change in the plural.
Anak-anak itu bermain di luar.	Those children are playing outside.	Reduplication marks a clear plural here.
Saya menunggu di sini.	I am waiting here.	Location near the speaker.
Letakkan tasnya di situ.	Put the bag there.	A location indicated to the listener.
Gunung itu terlihat dari sini.	That mountain is visible from here.	Itu points to the mountain; dari sini means “from here.”
Mereka tinggal di sana.	They live over there.	A relatively distant place.
Malam ini kami memasak bersama.	Tonight we are cooking together.	A time expression with ini.
Hari itu hujan.	That day it rained.	Itu points back to a known day.
Saya membaca artikel itu kemarin.	I read that article yesterday.	The article is identifiable from context.

Common Mistakes

Putting ini before a noun when you mean “this noun”

• Wrong: ini buku — intended: “this book”
• Right: buku ini
• Why: As a modifier that identifies a noun, ini follows it. Ini buku is instead a complete sentence: “This is a book.”

Copying English singular and plural forms

• Wrong: trying to find separate Indonesian forms for this and these
• Right: buku ini or dua buku ini
• Why: Ini works with both singular and plural nouns. The same is true of itu for that/those.

Putting the demonstrative before an adjective

• Wrong: mobil itu merah — intended: “that red car”
• Right: mobil merah itu
• Why: Mobil itu merah is a sentence meaning “That car is red.” Inside one noun phrase, use noun + adjective + demonstrative.

Writing di sini as one word

• Wrong: disini, disana
• Right: di sini, di sana
• Why: Location di is a separate preposition. Informal messages may omit the space, but standard spelling keeps it.

Treating di situ and di sana as completely interchangeable

• Less precise: Taruh di sana while pointing to a spot beside the listener
• More natural: Taruh di situ.
• Why: Di situ often indicates a place near the listener or a specific place being pointed out; di sana suggests a more distant “over there.” Context can soften this distinction, but learning it makes directions clearer.

Using itu for every English “the”

• Wrong: Saya suka itu kopi. — intended: “I like coffee/the coffee.”
• Right: Saya suka kopi itu. — “I like that/the identified coffee.”
• Why: Itu follows the noun and makes it specifically identifiable. Indonesian can use a bare noun, kopi, where English requires the or no article at all.

Usage Notes

In speech, ini and itu are frequently shortened to nih and tuh when directly drawing attention to something. You may hear Nih, kopinya (“Here’s the coffee”) or Tuh, busnya datang (“Look, the bus is coming”). These are conversational particles, not the safest forms for formal writing. Master standard ini and itu first.

The choice between ini and itu can express conversational closeness, not just physical distance. A speaker may use ini for the matter currently under discussion—masalah ini (“this issue”)—and itu for an earlier or mentally more distant matter—masalah itu (“that issue”). Tone and shared knowledge guide the choice much as they do in English.

When pointing to people, direct use can sound blunt in some situations, just as repeatedly calling someone “that person” can in English. A name, title, or polite form may be better when the person can hear you. The grammar is correct; the social effect depends on context.

Beyond the Basics / Advanced Use

You do not need to master the following patterns at A1, but they are common and help explain how the basic demonstratives grow into a wider system.

Yang ini and yang itu

Yang introduces the person or thing characterized by what follows. With demonstratives, yang ini means “this one/these ones,” and yang itu means “that one/those ones”:

• Saya pilih yang ini. — I’ll choose this one.
• Yang itu lebih murah. — That one is cheaper.
• Bukan yang merah; yang biru. — Not the red one; the blue one.

This pattern is especially useful when choosing among visible options. Unlike bare ini, yang ini strongly suggests “the one that is here/this particular one.”

Itu as a marker of shared identity

After a noun, itu can mark something as identifiable because both speakers know it or because it has just been mentioned. Compare:

• Ada kucing di halaman. — There is a cat in the yard.
• Kucing itu tidur di bawah meja. — The/that cat is sleeping under the table.

English naturally switches from a cat to the cat. Indonesian can switch from bare kucing to kucing itu. However, Indonesian does not require this marking every time, so translating every English the with itu produces unnatural sentences.

Begini and begitu

The related forms begini (“like this; this way”) and begitu (“like that; that way; so”) point to a manner or situation rather than a noun:

• Caranya begini. — The way to do it is like this.
• Jangan begitu. — Don’t do that / Don’t be like that.
• Mengapa kamu begitu sedih? — Why are you so sad?

They belong to the same broad pointing system, but they are not substitutes for ini/itu after nouns. Say cara ini for “this method,” but begini for “like this.”

Movement toward and away from a place

For destinations and origins, Indonesian combines the same place stems with different prepositions:

Location	Destination	Origin
di sini — here	ke sini — to here	dari sini — from here
di situ — there	ke situ — to there	dari situ — from there
di sana — over there	ke sana — to over there	dari sana — from over there

Use di for position, ke for movement toward a destination, and dari for movement from an origin. Thus Saya di sini means “I am here,” while Saya datang ke sini means “I came here.”

Practice Tips

1. Build phrases from the noun outward. Pick five objects around you and say buku ini, meja ini, or pintu itu. Then add one description: buku baru ini, pintu putih itu. This trains Indonesian order instead of translating English word by word.
2. Contrast phrases with sentences. Make pairs such as tas ini (“this bag”) and Ini tas (“This is a bag”), then expand them: Tas ini berat (“This bag is heavy”) and Ini tas saya (“This is my bag”).
3. Map locations physically. Point near yourself for di sini, near a partner for di situ, and farther away for di sana. Then repeat with ke and dari once the static forms feel automatic.

Related Concepts

• Useful foundation: Personal Pronouns — combine people words with location statements such as saya di sini.
• Useful combination: Possession — learn why the owner precedes the final demonstrative in buku saya ini.
• Useful combination: Adjectives — build phrases such as mobil merah itu with natural modifier order.
• Next step: Question Formation — ask Apa ini?, Siapa itu?, and questions about location.
• Next step: Reduplication — understand explicit plural forms such as anak-anak itu.