Bahasa Indonesia Relative Clauses: How to Master Them with “Yang”

A relative clause is like adding extra information about something or someone. It helps you understand more about the thing or person being talked about. For example, in “The book that is on the table is mine,” the part “that is on the table” is a relative clause because it tells you which book is being talked about. It’s like giving more details to make things clearer.

Relative clauses in Indonesian are much simpler compared to English. They give more details about a noun in a sentence without making things complicated. While English uses different words like “who,” “whom,” “whose,” “that,” and “which” for this, Indonesian mostly uses one word: “yang.” You can use “yang” to add details about a person, object, ownership, or location without needing many different pronouns or complicated sentences.

Using “yang” in Indonesian

To avoid any confusion, it’s important to note that “yang” is also used with adjectives. This helps to point out specific qualities of nouns. Here’s a breakdown on how to use “yang” with adjectives:

  • For emphasizing and specifying descriptions: When you put “yang” before a describing word, it points out that specific thing’s quality. Like in “Mobil yang besar” (The big car), it talks about how big the car is.
  • For comparing things: Think of “yang” as a judge in comparisons. It helps say which thing is better. For example, in “Kucing ini lebih lincah dari yang itu” (This cat is more agile than that one), “yang” helps say which cat is more agile.
  • For saying something is the best: You also use “yang” when you talk about something as the ultimate or top. For example: “Dia siswa yang paling rajin di kelas” (He is the most diligent student in the class).

In this article, we’ll talk about different kinds of relative clauses in Indonesian sentences. We’ll see how they work and give examples to show how they’re used. Knowing these structures will help you understand Indonesian better and talk about things more clearly.

Types of Relative Clauses in Indonesian

Subject Clauses

These clauses in Indonesian function similarly to their English counterparts. They serve as the subject of the main clause and provide additional information about the noun they refer to.

  • “Orang yang mencuri dompet saya adalah tetangga saya.” (The person who stole my wallet is my neighbor.)
  • “Anjing yang menggonggong keras-keras itu milik teman saya.” (The dog that barks loudly belongs to my friend.)
  • “Pengemudi yang terlambat selalu membuat kami terlambat juga.” (The driver who is always late always makes us late too.)

Object Clauses

These clauses in Indonesian add depth by elaborating on the object in a sentence.

  • “Senjata yang dia pakai tidak berfungsi.” (The weapon which he used did not work.)
  • “Pekerja yang kami butuhkan harus memiliki pengalaman yang cukup.” (The workers whom we need must have sufficient experience.)
  • “Mobil yang dia parkir di depan rumah saya adalah milik istrinya.” (The car which he parked in front of my house belongs to his wife.)

Possessor Clauses

These clauses indicate ownership. For instance, “the person whose car was stolen” adds a layer of possession.

  • “Orang yang mobilnya dicuri itu sedang menunggu di luar.” (The person whose car was stolen is waiting outside.)
  • “Wanita yang dompetnya dicopet itu berteriak.” (The woman whose wallet was stolen screamed.)
  • “Pelukis yang lukisannya sangat terkenal itu sedang mengadakan pameran.” (The painter whose paintings are very famous is holding an exhibition.)

Prepositional Clauses

These clauses involve prepositions and offer information about location or direction.

For example:

  • “Rumah yang di belakangnya ada pohon mangga itu sangat sejuk.” (The house behind which there is a mango tree is very cool.)
  • “Bangku yang di sebelahnya ada lemari itu harus dipindahkan ke tempat lain.” (The bench next to which there is a cupboard should be moved somewhere else.)
  • “Kantor yang di depannya ada taman itu selalu ramai dikunjungi orang.” (The office in front of which there is a garden is always crowded with visitors.)

Locative Clauses

Unlike other types of clauses, locative clauses in Indonesian do not use “yang”. To indicate a location or where an action is happening, both “di mana” and “tempat” are commonly used. In the following examples, “di mana” and “tempat” serve the same purpose of pinpointing the location where a certain action takes place. So, depending on personal preference or stylistic choice, either word can be used interchangeably in locative clauses to convey the same meaning.

  • “Toko di mana saya membeli sepatu itu berada di pusat perbelanjaan.” (The store where I bought those shoes is located in the shopping center.)
  • “Kantor di mana mereka bekerja terletak di pusat kota.” (The office where they work is located in the city center.)
  • “Rumah sakit di mana saya dirawat sangat bersih dan teratur.” (The hospital where I was treated is very clean and orderly.)
  • “Restoran tempat kami makan malam kemarin sangat ramai.” (The restaurant where we had dinner last night was very crowded.)
  • “Sekolah tempat anak-anak itu belajar memiliki fasilitas yang lengkap.” (The school where those children study has complete facilities.)

To wrap things up, understanding relative clauses in Indonesian is like having a reliable tool in your language toolkit. Instead of a whole team of pronouns like in English, Indonesian keeps it simple with “yang.” With this little word, you can add details, make comparisons, and clarify ownership without any fuss.

We’ve covered various types of relative clauses, from subjects to prepositional and locative clauses, each serving its purpose in making Indonesian communication clear and straightforward. Armed with this knowledge, you’ll be able to spice up your Indonesian conversations and give them a fresh twist. So, don’t hold back—sprinkle some “yang” magic into your chats and watch your Indonesian skills soar to new heights!

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