Expressing Existence with 'ada' — Indonesian Grammar

The word is a versatile verb that primarily conveys the concept of existence. Depending on the sentence structure and context, it corresponds to the English meanings there is/are, to have, or to be present.

Expressing Existence (There is / There are)

The most direct use of is to state that something exists or is available. Unlike English, which distinguishes between singular (there is) and plural (there are), remains the same regardless of the quantity.

Ada seekor kucing di taman.
There is a cat in the park.
Ada banyak alasan untuk pergi.
There are many reasons to go.
Ada gula di dalam kopi ini?
Is there sugar in this coffee?

Expressing Possession (To Have)

is frequently used to indicate possession, functioning similarly to the English verb to have. In this structure, the subject is placed before .

Saya ada uang.
I have money.
Dia ada mobil baru.
He has a new car.
Kami ada waktu besok.
We have time tomorrow.

Expressing Location and Presence

When followed by a preposition like (at/in), indicates the physical location of a person or object. It confirms that the subject is present at a specific place.

Ibu ada di rumah.
Mother is at home.
Buku itu ada di atas meja.
That book is on the table.
Apakah dokter ada di kantor?
Is the doctor at the office?

Negation

To express the opposite—there is not, do not have, or is not present—you place the negative marker before . This forms the phrase .

Tidak ada masalah.
There is no problem.
Saya tidak ada pertanyaan.
I do not have questions.
Dia tidak ada di sini.
He is not here.

In the course

Sentences from Lingora’s Indonesian course

31 of the course's 500 sentences use this, the first in lesson 22. A few of them, with the words “Expressing Existence with 'ada'” is about in bold:

Halo, Dokter. Saya ada masalah.
Hello, Doctor. I (pol.) have a problem.
Lesson 91
Aku ada kencan malam ini. Dia bekerja sebagai pelayan.
I have a date tonight. She works as a waitress.
Lesson 439
Kuncinya ada di bawah mejaku.
The key is below my desk.
Lesson 483

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