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Questions & Answers about Uang saya habis.
Why is the possessive pronoun saya placed after uang, while in English we say “my money”?
Indonesian uses a noun-head first structure. You say noun + possessor rather than possessor + noun. So:
- uang saya = money of me = my money
- rumah dia = house of him/her = his/her house
What does habis mean in this sentence?
Here habis means “used up,” “finished,” or “gone.” In English you’d translate Uang saya habis as:
- “My money is gone.”
- “I’ve run out of money.”
Is habis a verb or an adjective?
In Indonesian habis can function as either:
- A stative verb (intransitive): “to run out”
- A predicate adjective: “finished/used up”
In Uang saya habis, it works like a stative verb/adjective meaning “is gone.”
Why isn’t there a word for “is” in Uang saya habis?
Indonesian generally omits the copula (English “to be”) in present-state sentences. You don’t need adalah or is. The structure subject + predicate is complete on its own.
How would I express the idea “My money already ran out”?
Indonesian verbs don’t change form for tense. To indicate time you add adverbs or particles:
- Uang saya sudah habis. (“My money has already run out.”)
- Uang saya habis kemarin. (“My money ran out yesterday.”)
Can I say Uangku habis instead of Uang saya habis?
Yes. -ku is the informal 1st-person singular possessive suffix.
- Uangku habis. (casual)
- Uang saya habis. (neutral/polite)
If I omit uang, can I just say Saya habis?
No. Saya habis would be confusing because habis needs an object or topic that’s “used up.” You could say simply Habis! if context clearly points to money (e.g., at a cashier), but you cannot attach habis directly to saya.
What about saying Uangnya habis?
That’s fine if context has introduced whose money you’re talking about. -nya here is a neutral 3rd-person or definite article marker.
- Uangnya habis. = “His/her money is gone,” or “The money is gone,” depending on context.
Is the word order noun + possessor always fixed in Indonesian?
Yes, for standard possessive constructions:
- buku saya (my book)
- mobil dia (his/her car)
Reversing them (saya buku) would be ungrammatical.