Demonstratives in Indonesian

Overview

Indonesian demonstratives are simple: ini means "this" and itu means "that." These two words are among the most frequently used in the language, appearing in everything from pointing at objects to linking clauses. They also combine with prepositions to create spatial adverbs: di sini (here) and di sana (there).

The position of ini and itu relative to the noun changes the meaning slightly. When placed after a noun, they function as determiners: buku ini (this book). When placed before a noun, they create an equative sentence: ini buku (this is a book).

How It Works

Ini and Itu

Word	Meaning	Spatial
ini	this, these	near the speaker
itu	that, those	far from the speaker

Position and Meaning

Pattern	Example	Meaning
Noun + ini/itu	buku ini	this book
Ini/Itu + noun	ini buku	this is a book
Noun + ini/itu + adjective	buku ini bagus	this book is good

Spatial Adverbs

Indonesian	English
di sini	here (at this place)
di sana	there (at that place)
di situ	there (near listener)
ke sini	to here (come here)
ke sana	to there (go there)
dari sini	from here

Examples in Context

Indonesian	English	Note
Meja ini.	This table.	Determiner after noun
Orang itu siapa?	Who is that person?	Itu after noun
Di sini.	Here.	Spatial adverb
Hari itu hujan.	That day it rained.	Past reference
Ini buku saya.	This is my book.	Equative sentence
Berapa harga itu?	How much is that?	Pointing at something
Saya suka makanan ini.	I like this food.	Ini as determiner
Di sana ada toko.	There is a shop over there.	Spatial location
Itu bagus!	That's good!	Ini/itu as subject
Ke sini, tolong.	Come here, please.	Direction

Common Mistakes

Confusing ini/itu position and meaning

• Wrong: Thinking ini buku and buku ini mean the same thing
• Right: ini buku = "this is a book" vs. buku ini = "this book"
• Why: Position changes the grammatical function — before the noun it creates a sentence, after the noun it modifies it.

Forgetting di/ke/dari with sini and sana

• Wrong: Sini bagus. (for "Here is nice.")
• Right: Di sini bagus.
• Why: Sini/sana/situ need a preposition to indicate location (di), direction (ke), or origin (dari).

Using ini/itu for plural without context

• Wrong: Looking for separate "these" and "those" words
• Right: Buku-buku ini (these books), orang-orang itu (those people)
• Why: Ini and itu serve for both singular and plural. Use reduplication on the noun for explicit plurality.

Practice Tips

1. Practice pointing at objects and making two types of sentences: Ini buku (This is a book) and Buku ini bagus (This book is good). This trains you to distinguish the two patterns.
2. Learn the spatial adverbs as fixed phrases: di sini, di sana, ke sini, ke sana. Use them to give simple directions.

Related Concepts

• Basic Prepositions — di, ke, dari combine with sini/sana