HSC Indonesian Beginners flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

sudah, telah, akan

Time markers placed before verbs. 'Sudah' and 'telah' mean already or completed, 'akan' means will, and 'belum' means not yet, because Indonesian verbs carry no tense endings.

meN- versus di- verbs

'MeN-' forms active verbs where the subject performs the action, as in 'menulis' (to write). 'Di-' forms passives where the subject receives the action, as in 'ditulis' (is written).

ter- prefix meanings

The prefix 'ter-' often marks an accidental or unintended action, as in 'terbuka' (got opened), or forms a superlative, as in 'terbaik' (best) and 'termahal' (most expensive).

ber- prefix functions

'Ber-' forms intransitive verbs and states such as 'berjalan' (to walk) and 'belajar' (to study), and expresses possession or wearing, as in 'bersepeda' (to ride a bike) and 'berbaju merah' (wearing red).

Reduplication for plural

Repeating a noun marks plurality or variety: 'buku-buku' means books, 'anak-anak' means children, 'teman-teman' means friends. With a numeral, the plural is not repeated: 'dua buku'.

The suffix -nya

Beyond possession, '-nya' marks definiteness, as in 'harganya mahal' (the price is expensive), or acts as a pronoun object. Translate it from context, not mechanically as his or her.

tidak, bukan, belum

'Tidak' negates verbs and adjectives, as in 'tidak datang' and 'tidak mahal'. 'Bukan' negates nouns, as in 'bukan guru'. 'Belum' means not yet.

di, ke, dari, pada

'Di' marks location, 'ke' marks destination, 'dari' marks origin, and 'pada' marks time or dates. As prepositions they are written separately from the following noun.

Adjective position after noun

Indonesian modifiers follow the noun: 'rumah besar' is a big house, 'buku baru' is a new book. Possessors also follow, so 'buku baru saya' means my new book.

yang relative clause

'Yang' links a noun to its description: 'Film yang saya tonton bagus' means the film that I watched was good. Omitting 'yang' in this structure produces an ungrammatical sentence.

Cohesion connectors list

Useful sequencers and linkers include 'pertama' (first), 'kemudian' (then), 'setelah itu' (after that), 'selain itu' (besides), 'karena itu' (therefore), and 'akhirnya' (finally).

Message text-type frame

A short message opens with a greeting such as 'Hai Sari,' or 'Halo Bu Ani,', states purpose and details in the middle, and closes with 'Salam' or 'Sampai jumpa'.

Formal versus informal address

Formal Indonesian uses 'saya' and 'Anda' with titles like Bapak and Ibu. Informal speech uses 'aku' and 'kamu' with slang such as 'nggak'. Keep one register throughout a text.

Word count expectations

The Beginners writing tasks are short: a scripted note or message of about 50 words and a longer piece of about 125 words, marked on content, range and accuracy.

Question word meanings

'Siapa' asks who, 'apa' asks what, 'kapan' asks when, 'di mana' asks where, 'mengapa' asks why, 'bagaimana' asks how, and 'berapa' asks how many or how much.

Cause and result connectors

'Karena' and 'sebab' introduce a cause, while 'sehingga' and 'akibatnya' introduce a result. 'Walaupun' and 'meskipun' concede a contrast, and 'sebaliknya' signals the opposite.

Notice and prohibition phrases

Common public notices use imperatives and prohibitions: 'Dilarang merokok' (no smoking), 'Harap antre di sini' (please queue here), and 'Hanya untuk anggota' (members only).

Contrast markers in listening

In recordings, 'tetapi' and 'sayangnya' introduce contrast or bad news, 'jadi' and 'oleh karena itu' introduce a conclusion, and 'sebenarnya' corrects something said earlier.

Two-hearing listening strategy

Each listening item is played twice with a pause before the second playing and writing time afterwards. Draft on the first hearing and confirm details on the second.

Price and number distractors

Recordings often mention two figures, as in 'tadinya dua puluh ribu, tapi sekarang lima belas ribu'. The correct answer is the figure attached to the final decision.

Past and future time words

'Kemarin' means yesterday, 'besok' tomorrow, 'minggu depan' next week, 'sudah' already, and 'belum' not yet. These words, not verb endings, establish when an action occurs.

Layered negation in speech

Constructions like 'tidak ada yang datang kecuali Sari' mean only Sari came, and 'bukan karena mahal, tapi karena jauh' means distance, not price, is the reason.

Announcement listening structure

Announcements open with 'Mohon perhatian' or 'Kepada penumpang', give the topic, then state the requested action last. Keep listening after the topic to catch the action.

Register clues from address terms

'Anda', 'Bapak' and 'Ibu' signal formal or service encounters, while 'kamu', 'aku' and first names signal friends. Register affects the correct paraphrase of tone and relationship.

Speaking test format

The Beginners speaking assessment is a short conversation with the examiner, about five minutes, on personal information, family, school, routine, hobbies, holidays and future plans.

Extending spoken answers

Answer with a statement plus a reason or detail: 'Ya, saya suka bermain bulu tangkis. Saya bermain dua kali seminggu dengan teman saya.' One-word answers limit the range mark.

Telling the time

Answer 'jam berapa' with 'jam tujuh pagi' or 'pukul tujuh lewat lima belas'. Dates use 'tanggal' plus the number, followed by the month name such as Januari or Agustus.

Repair phrases for speaking

Useful repair phrases are 'Maaf, bisa diulang?' (could you repeat?), 'Apa bahasa Indonesianya ...?' (what is the Indonesian for?), and 'Maksud saya...' (I mean...).

Classroom greetings and closings

Open with 'Selamat pagi' or 'Selamat siang' and address the examiner as 'Bapak' or 'Ibu'. Close with 'Terima kasih' and 'Sampai jumpa'.

Pronunciation of c and ng

The letter 'c' sounds like ch in 'cari', 'ng' is one sound as in 'sangat', and final 'k' is a glottal stop as in 'tidak'. Clear consonants aid intelligibility.

Personal inventory for conversation

Prepare one accurate sentence each for name, age, year, school, subjects, family, pets, hobbies, weekend routine, last holiday, and plans after school to cover likely questions.

Asking questions with -kah

The suffix '-kah' makes a question more formal, as in 'Apakah kamu tinggal di sini?'. The informal tag 'ya kan?' seeks confirmation in casual conversation with friends.