Search from various English teachers...
Alison
Question about the suffix "-nya"
Hello :-)
I have a question about this sentence from my Assimil Indonesian book:
There's a dialog:
- Upi, kami sudah beli oleh-oleh di sini?
- Belum. Saya sudah satu jam setengah mencarinya di toko ini.
Why is -nya added in mencarinya in that case? Does it mean "I have already been looking for IT (oleh-oleh) for one and a hour and a half"? Or what does it refer to?
Thank you for your answer. :-)
Jul 23, 2017 3:03 PM
Answers · 5
3
In your example, basically the function of the suffix –nya is the same as a definite article “the” in English. –nya refers to a specific noun (oleh-oleh) that has been informed earlier in the conversation.
-Saya membeli sebuah buku.
I bought a book.
-Saya membelinya (the book) from Amazon.
I bought the book from Amazon.
July 23, 2017
You are right. On that context, -nya refers to oleh-oleh
October 20, 2017
You are right. On that context, -nya refers to oleh-oleh
October 20, 2017
Yes, you're right.
October 15, 2017
Still haven’t found your answers?
Write down your questions and let the native speakers help you!
Alison
Language Skills
Danish, English, French, German, Indonesian, Spanish, Swiss-German Sign Language
Learning Language
French, Spanish, Swiss-German Sign Language
Articles You May Also Like

Same Word, Different Meaning: American, British, and South African English
18 likes · 14 Comments

How to Sound Confident in English (Even When You’re Nervous)
15 likes · 12 Comments

Marketing Vocabulary and Phrases for Business English Learners
12 likes · 6 Comments
More articles
