Suffixes -ku, -mu and -nya — Indonesian Grammar

To indicate possession, place the pronoun immediately after the noun. There is no equivalent to the English apostrophe-s ('s) or the word "of". The word order is strictly Noun + Possessor.

While many pronouns remain separate words when used this way, three specific pronouns have shortened suffix forms that must be attached directly to the end of the noun.

The Three Suffixes

When the pronouns (informal I), (informal you), and (he/she/it) are used to show possession, they change form and connect to the previous word.

becomes (my)
becomes (your)
becomes (his/her/its)

Di mana rumahmu?
Where is your house?
Itu bukuku.
That is my book.
Namanya Budi.
His name is Budi.

Using '-nya' for Third Person

The suffix is incredibly versatile. Because the language does not distinguish gender in pronouns, can translate to "his", "her", or "its" depending on the context.

Ibunya sedang memasak.
Her mother is cooking.
Kakinya sakit.
Its leg hurts.
Dia lupa kuncinya.
He forgot his key.

Using Full Pronouns

Not all pronouns have a shortened suffix form. Formal pronouns like (I/my) and (you/your), as well as plural pronouns like (they/their) and (we/our), do not change.

When using these pronouns for possession, simply place them after the noun as a separate word. Do not attach them.

Ini mobil mereka.
This is their car.
Siapa nama anda?
What is your name?
Negara kita indah.
Our country is beautiful.

'-nya' as a Definite Article

It is important to note that has a second common function. Aside from indicating possession ("his/her"), it is often used to make a noun specific, acting like the English word "the".

If a sentence does not seem to involve a person possessing an object, is likely emphasizing that you are talking about a specific item.

Harganya mahal.
The price is expensive.
Kopinya panas.
The coffee is hot.

-nya in Words of Their Own

On some words no longer means his or the. It turns the word into an adverb, and the result is learned as a word of its own.

usual - usually
exact - to be exact
like - it seems
all - everything, all of it

(especially) and (next, following) work the same way.

In the course

Sentences from Lingora’s Indonesian course

151 of the course's 500 sentences use this, the first in lesson 2. A few of them, with the words “Suffixes -ku, -mu and -nya” is about in bold:

Ini temanku, Anna. Dia seorang pelajar.
This is my friend, Anna. She is a student.
Lesson 2
Aku menyayangi mereka dan mereka menyayangiku.
I love them and they love me.
Lesson 32
Aku juga membeli selusin telur dan sebatang permen untukmu.
I bought a dozen eggs and a candy bar for you too.
Lesson 47

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