Use of ‘Yang’ in Indonesian – Grammar – Examples –

Vocabulary

As the biggest country with its isles, Indonesia also has different languages for its different
regions and tribes. At first, Indonesian people will be introduced to speak into their own tribe’s
language.

What if people who wants to visit Indonesia don’t know how to speak the tribe’s language? That
is why, the government of Indonesia decide to make one language which gathered all the tribes’
languages in Indonesia. The language is the Indonesian language.

Indonesian language has also different type of words as same as English or other famous and
International languages. It has verb, adjective, adverb, noun, and other types such as pronoun,
determiner, conjunction and etc.

The verb, adjective, adverb, and noun are common types of words. To gather and connect
those words, the words need the pronoun, conjunction and determiner. One of the important
determiner in Indonesia is the word yang. Here how to use of yang in Indonesia.

The meaning of the word ‘yang’ and the type of the word

The word yang can be applied not only as the determiner but also as the conjunction or
connection for and of other words. There are some meanings from the word yang in Kamus
Besar Bahasa Indonesia (KBBI: The Big Indonesian Dictionary). The main meaning
of yang word is the determiner to explain a main word or a main sentence and the word or
sentence are divided from others.

The word yang can be meant as noun. The word yang is usually spoken in formal ways. The
combination of the words is usually find in the formal written and spoken Indonesian language.

However, there is small amount of words which use yang in informal way, for
example yang which has the meaning of honey/my love, the short name from sayang.

The meaning of the word ‘yang’ and the meaning in English:

Yang: Which, What, Who, That (Relative Pronoun)

Yang: The, That, This, Those, and These (Determiner)

Yang: Which one? (Question)

Yang/yang-yang: gods/worshiping gods (Noun)

Yang-yang: Kind of plant roots, akar kerayun: Visti Hastata (Noun)

Yang (Sayang):  Honey/My love

When and How to Use ‘yang’ word

There are some combinations for yang word with other words which is connected by pronoun or
determiner. In Indonesia, if yang word is combined to other words, they become different
meaning. The word yang is used as connection from two sentences and/or a word and a
sentence.

The word yang has also to pay attention on how to write the words if it is applied in handwriting,
for example the word Yang Mulia (Your Highness), Yang Maha Kuasa, to show the God’s or
someone power.
The word yang can also has a meaning as a question word to choose among the choices. It is
important to know the different meaning in order to use of yang in Indonesia correctly. 

Example of Usage

Meaning
Phrase/
Usage (in
Sentences
English)

The
Roti lapis Cheese
As relative keju yang  Ib Sandwich 
pronouns/p u saya buat which my
ronouns rasanya Mom made
enak. for me was
delicious.

The
Seorang
man who is
lelaki  yang 
standing
berdiri di
beside my
sebelah Ibu
Mom is my
saya adalah
elder
kakak tertua
brother,
saya, John.
John.

Perkataan y The
ang  saya words what 
dengar I heard
tentangnya, about her
tidaklah was not
benar! true!

As Yang
Your
Determiner Mulia/Yang
majesty
s Terhormat

Yang Maha The

Kuasa Almighty

Yang kaya The rich

dan yang and The
miskin poor
 The King or
Yang
The one
dipertuankan
who is in
(from KBBI)
power

Untuk  yang  For those 

mendapat who have
kode got booking
pemesanan code part
bagian 1, please
pertama, step
harap maju! forward!

Yang  dimak
These are
annya
the
adalah
poisonous
makanan
food!
beracun!

Which fruit
Buah
s do you
mana yang 
As like,
kamu suka,
Questions orange,
jeruk, apel,
apple, or
atau persik?
peach?

Film
Which mov
mana yang 
ies did you
kamu suka
like we
setelah kita
watched
menonton
yesterday?
kemarin?

Ia adalah He is a
Nouns penyembah  worshiper
Yang. of gods.

Seorang
ilmuwan A biologist
menemukan  found yang
yang-yang  -yang in the
di dalam forest
hutan.
 What’s
Kamu
wrong, My
kenapa,
Love/Hone
Yang?
y?

 Those are the explanations and the examples of the word yang in Indonesian language.
After reading these examples then we can be ready to use of yang in Indonesia correctly in
everyday life while we are in Indonesia.