Suffix -an (Nouns) in Indonesian

Overview

The suffix -an is one of the most productive noun-forming suffixes in Indonesian. It transforms verbs and adjectives into nouns that represent the result of an action, a collection, or a place. For example, makan (eat) becomes makanan (food — the thing eaten), tulis (write) becomes tulisan (writing — the thing written), and minum (drink) becomes minuman (drink/beverage).

This suffix is extremely common and appears in everyday vocabulary. Learning to recognize and create -an nouns will significantly expand your Indonesian word power.

How It Works

Functions of -an

Function	Root	-an Form	Meaning
Result of action	makan (eat)	makanan	food (thing eaten)
Result of action	tulis (write)	tulisan	writing (thing written)
Result of action	baca (read)	bacaan	reading material
Collection	lauk (side dish)	laukan	side dishes
Place	kubur (bury)	kuburan	cemetery
Characteristic	malas (lazy)	malasan	lazybones
Abstract concept	teman (friend)	temanan	friendship (informal)

Common -an Nouns

Indonesian	Root	English
makanan	makan	food
minuman	minum	drink/beverage
tulisan	tulis	writing
bacaan	baca	reading material
pikiran	pikir	thought
tujuan	tuju	goal/destination
aturan	atur	rule/regulation
pekerjaan	pekerja	job/occupation
jalanan	jalan	road/street
lautan	laut	ocean (expanse)

Sound Changes

Root ending	Change	Example
Most consonants	add -an	tulis → tulisan
Final vowel	add -an	baca → bacaan
Some roots	vowel change	temu → temuan (finding)

Examples in Context

Indonesian	English	Note
makanan	food (thing eaten)	Result noun
tulisan	writing (thing written)	Result noun
bacaan	reading material	Result noun
lautan	ocean (expanse of sea)	Collective/expanse
Makanan Indonesia enak sekali.	Indonesian food is very delicious.	In a sentence
Tulisannya bagus.	His writing is good.	With -nya
Saya suka bacaan ini.	I like this reading material.	As object
Apa tujuan kamu?	What is your goal?	Abstract noun
Aturan harus dipatuhi.	Rules must be followed.	Formal
Pikiran saya berubah.	My thoughts changed.	Abstract noun

Common Mistakes

Confusing -an nouns with their root verbs

• Wrong: Using tulisan as a verb
• Right: tulisan is a noun (writing); the verb is tulis/menulis
• Why: The -an suffix creates nouns, not verbs.

Not recognizing -an in common words

• Wrong: Not realizing makanan comes from makan
• Right: Many common nouns are -an derivatives — recognizing the root helps vocabulary building
• Why: Understanding word formation helps you guess meanings and remember vocabulary.

Creating -an nouns that do not exist

• Wrong: tidur → tiduran for "sleeping place" (actually tiduran means lounging around)
• Right: Check whether the -an form exists and what it actually means
• Why: Not every root takes -an, and some -an forms have unexpected meanings.

Usage Notes

The -an suffix is one of the most commonly encountered word-formation tools in Indonesian. It appears in both formal and informal registers. Some -an nouns have become so common that speakers may not even think of them as derived forms (makanan, minuman, jalanan). In casual speech, -an can also create informal adjective-like forms: malasan (lazy person), takutan (scaredy-cat).

Practice Tips

1. Take common verbs and create -an nouns: makan → makanan, minum → minuman, tulis → tulisan, baca → bacaan. Practice using them in sentences.
2. When you encounter an -an word, try to identify the root. This reverse-engineering builds your understanding of Indonesian word formation.

Related Concepts

• Basic Verb Structure — the root verbs that -an nouns derive from