Like also other languages in the world, Indonesian language has a category of words that describe noun or pronoun. In English, words that perform this function is called adjectives. In Indonesia, the words in this category is named “Kata Sifat”.
Kata has a meaning “word” and “sifat” is character, attribute, property, quality. Kata sifat can be interpreted as a word that show character, property, or quality of a word, a noun, in Indonesian.
Example of Indonesian adjective are as follows :
- Marah (ma-rah) – Angry
- Sedih (se-dih) – Sad
- Baik (ba-ik) – good
- Buruk (bu-ruk) – bad
- Malas (ma-las) – lazy
- Rajin (ra-jin) – dilligent
How to use kata sifat, the Indonesian adjective?
There are two ways to use Kata Sifat but the basic rule is that Indonesian adjective has to be placed behind noun, not in front like in English.
For example
- good man – pria baik
- bad apple – apel buruk
This is the common way to use kata sifat.
However, Indonesians often adds a word of “YANG” behind when they use Kata Sifat. “Yang” is actually used to form a clause.
- good man – pria yang baik
- bad apple – apel yang busuk
How many types of Kata Sifat in Indonesian ?
Only one.
English has a category of adjective that can be made from another word such as verb by adding -ous, like continue –> continuous. But, there is no such form in Indonesian.
- continuous process – proses terus menerus atau proses yang terus menerus
- courageous act – tindakan berani atau tindakan yang berani
Can Indonesian Adjectives be made into Adverb (Kata Keterangan)?
Englosh language has adverbs that are formed from adjective by adding -ly, for example
- dilligent – dilligently
- brave – bravely
In Indonesian, there is no suffix like that. Indonesian Adjectives can be made into Adverb by adding a word “dengan”
- dilligent – rajin (ra-jin)
- dilligently – dengan rajin
- brave – berani (be-ra-ni)
- bravely – dengan berani
This is it. The introduction of Kata Sifat, the Indonesian Adjective.