Indonesian ini covers both English “this” and “these.” It normally follows the noun: buku ini “this book,” not English-order “this book.” It can also stand alone, as in Ini buku saya “This is my book” and Saya pilih yang ini “I choose this one.”
The basic logic is proximal reference: ini points to something close to the speaker, present in the current situation, or active in the current discussion. Inside a noun phrase, it normally comes at the end and closes the reference. This page focuses on that pattern while leaving classifier selection, noun derivation, and full relative-clause analysis to dedicated pages.
Put ini after the noun
The normal order is:
noun + ini
Buku ini milik saya.
This book is mine.
Saya mau mencoba baju ini.
I want to try on this shirt.
Apakah kursi ini masih kosong?
Is this seat still free?
English places this before the noun. Indonesian begins with the type of thing—buku, baju, kursi—and then uses ini to identify which member of that type is intended. This head-first organization is why postnominal order is not a decorative reversal; it is the ordinary noun-phrase pattern.
Ini does not mark number
The form ini stays the same with one item, several items, a reduplicated noun, or a counted phrase.
Buku-buku ini akan disumbangkan ke perpustakaan desa.
These books will be donated to the village library.
Dua tiket ini untuk kamu dan Rina.
These two tickets are for you and Rina.
Anak-anak ini sedang menunggu orang tua mereka.
These children are waiting for their parents.
English changes this to these. Indonesian shows plurality elsewhere when it matters: through a number, context, or reduplication. Thus buku ini can be singular, while buku-buku ini and dua buku ini are explicitly plural; ini itself never changes.
Do not reduplicate the demonstrative to imitate English plural agreement. The plural information belongs to the noun phrase, not to a special form of ini.
Physical and situational pointing
The clearest use of ini points to something near the speaker or something the speaker is holding, showing, or currently experiencing.
Coba cium kopi ini—aromanya kuat sekali.
Smell this coffee—the aroma is very strong.
Tolong tanda tangan di bagian ini.
Please sign in this section.
Hari ini panas sekali.
It is very hot today.
Nearness is not only measured in centimeters. Hari ini is the day containing the speech moment; minggu ini is the current week; bagian ini can be the section visible on a shared screen. What matters is inclusion in the speaker's current sphere of attention.
Discourse reference
Writers and speakers also use ini for an idea, problem, or passage they are introducing or actively discussing.
Masalah ini perlu kita selesaikan sebelum rapat besok.
We need to resolve this problem before tomorrow's meeting.
Dalam bab ini, kita akan membahas perubahan iklim.
In this chapter, we will discuss climate change.
Saya tidak setuju dengan pendapat ini.
I do not agree with this opinion.
The referent need not be physically nearby. It is “close” in discourse because the current sentence, screen, document, or conversation puts it in focus. English uses the same metaphor in “this idea,” but Indonesian still keeps ini after its noun.
Ini normally closes the noun phrase
When the noun has additional material, ini usually follows it:
| Structure | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| noun + adjective + ini | buku baru ini | this new book |
| noun + possessor + ini | tas saya ini | this bag of mine |
| number + noun + ini | dua kursi ini | these two chairs |
| noun + descriptive material + ini | rumah besar berwarna putih ini | this large white house |
Tas kecil saya ini cukup untuk perjalanan singkat.
This small bag of mine is enough for a short trip.
Calling ini a “closer” captures an important structural fact: it takes the completed description and makes the whole phrase identifiable. Longer phrases can create attachment ambiguity, so careful writers choose wording that makes its scope clear. Detailed noun-phrase structure is covered on the noun-phrase order page.
Standalone ini: “this” or “this is”
When ini appears without a preceding noun, it can point by itself.
Ini buku saya, bukan buku Rina.
This is my book, not Rina's book.
Ini terlalu mahal; ada yang lebih murah?
This is too expensive; is there a cheaper one?
In Ini buku saya, ini is the subject-like pointing expression and buku saya identifies it. Indonesian needs no equivalent of English is in this simple nominal clause. This order therefore does not contradict the postnominal rule: ini is not modifying buku inside the phrase “this book”; it means “this [thing]” in a complete identification.
Yang ini: “this one”
Yang ini selects the nearby or currently relevant option without repeating its noun.
Saya pilih yang ini karena ukurannya pas.
I'll choose this one because the size fits.
Yang ini sudah matang, tetapi yang itu belum.
This one is ripe, but that one is not yet.
The word yang lets a property or pointing expression function as “the one(s).” Number still comes from context: yang ini may refer to one choice or a salient set. Full yang-clause analysis belongs to the relative-clause pages; at A1, learn yang ini as the everyday way to say “this one.”
Ini versus itu
Use ini to place a referent in the speaker's current sphere and itu for a distal, previously identified, or shared referent. Physical distance is only the easiest contrast.
Saya ambil cangkir ini; kamu pakai cangkir itu.
I'll take this cup; you use that cup.
The broader discourse contrast is developed on the itu page. Neither form changes for number.
Orthography
Write free determiner ini separately from its noun: buku ini, not bukuini. Keep it lowercase unless it begins a sentence. Personal names follow normal capitalization, as in buku Rina ini. The religious epithet Sang Pencipta is capitalized as prescribed by EYD V. Standard Indonesian uses no mandatory accent marks.
Common Mistakes
1. Copying English pre-noun order
❌ Saya membeli ini buku kemarin.
Incorrect Standard Indonesian order for the object noun phrase ‘this book.’
✅ Saya membeli buku ini kemarin.
I bought this book yesterday.
2. Changing ini for a plural noun
❌ Ini-ini buku sedang diskon.
Incorrect — ini has no special plural form.
✅ Buku-buku ini sedang diskon.
These books are on sale.
3. Putting ini before a possessor inside the noun phrase
❌ Saya membawa tas ini saya ke kabin.
Incorrect order for ‘this bag of mine.’
✅ Saya membawa tas saya ini ke kabin.
I am taking this bag of mine into the cabin.
4. Joining a free determiner to the noun
❌ Apakah kursiini kosong?
Incorrect spelling — ini is a separate word.
✅ Apakah kursi ini kosong?
Is this seat free?
5. Capitalizing ordinary words inside a phrase
❌ Saya sudah membaca Buku Ini.
Incorrect capitalization — ordinary buku and ini remain lowercase here.
✅ Saya sudah membaca buku ini.
I have read this book.
Key Takeaways
- Put ini after the noun: buku ini.
- One form covers both “this” and “these”: buku ini, buku-buku ini.
- Proximity can be physical, temporal, situational, or discourse-based.
- Standalone Ini buku saya means “This is my book.”
- Use yang ini for “this one,” and write the free determiner separately.
Now practice Indonesian
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Start learning Indonesian →Related Topics
- itu: That, Those, and Given ReferenceA1 — Use postnominal itu for distal, previously mentioned, or mutually identifiable referents, with no singular-plural change.
- tersebut in Formal Reference ChainsB1 — Use postnominal tersebut to retrieve a previously mentioned referent with a formal, institutional tone.
- Order Inside the Noun PhraseA1 — Build Indonesian noun phrases from a head noun toward right-side possessors, descriptions, and demonstratives, with numerals and classifiers before the head.
- Plurality Without Obligatory Plural MarkingA2 — Express Indonesian plurality through context, numerals, quantifiers, or meaningful reduplication without stacking markers mechanically.
- Definite and Indefinite ReadingsA2 — Track how Indonesian distributes definiteness across zero marking, discourse context, demonstratives, -nya, and optional one-expressions.
- ini versus itu versus tersebutA2 — Choose ini for the speaker's current sphere, itu for distal or mutually identifiable reference, and tersebut for formal retrieval of a prior textual mention.