The Suffix '-an' — Indonesian Grammar

Adding to the end of a word usually makes a noun: the thing an action produces, or the thing it is done with or to.

makanan
food
pilihan
choice

The Thing of an Action

to eat - food
to choose - choice
to cut - a cut, a discount
to be off work - holiday

More nouns are built the same way: (building), (plant), (answer), (bill), (change, the money you get back), (vegetables) and (forecast).

By the Unit

On a number it can mean per.

one - per piece, a unit

Together With se-

With in front as well, the word means sharing the same thing.

age - the same age

Not Every -an Is the Suffix

A word can end in an without having the suffix. Take the ending off: if what is left is not a word with a related meaning, the an is part of the root, as in (road) and (month).

In the course

Sentences from Lingora’s Indonesian course

34 of the course's 500 sentences use this, the first in lesson 42. A few of them, with the words “The Suffix '-an'” is about in bold:

Ya. Ayo makan makanan Cina.
Yes. Let's eat Chinese food.
Lesson 127
Aku ingin membeli tanaman ini. Ini akan terlihat bagus di kamarku.
I want to buy this plant. It will look great in my room.
Lesson 384

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