Breakdown of Baik saya maupun dia setuju dengan rencana itu.
itu
that
saya
I
dia
he/she
dengan
with
setuju
to agree
rencana
the plan
baik ... maupun
both ... and
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Questions & Answers about Baik saya maupun dia setuju dengan rencana itu.
What does the construction baik … maupun … mean here?
It’s a correlative conjunction meaning “both … and …,” emphasizing that both listed items are included. So Baik saya maupun dia = “Both I and he/she.”
Is baik here the adjective “good”?
No. In the fixed pair baik … maupun …, baik functions as part of a conjunction, not as the adjective “good.” It doesn’t describe quality.
Can I just say Saya dan dia setuju instead?
Yes. Saya dan dia setuju (dengan rencana itu) is perfectly natural. Baik … maupun … is a bit more formal/emphatic, while dan is neutral and very common in speech.
How formal is the original sentence?
Neutral-to-formal. In casual speech you might hear:
- Saya dan dia setuju dengan rencana itu.
- Kami berdua setuju.
Can I use aku instead of saya?
Yes, but it’s less formal and more intimate: Baik aku maupun dia setuju … In very casual Jakarta speech, people might say gue: Gue dan dia setuju … (colloquial).
Should I use dia or ia?
Both mean “he/she.” Dia is the everyday, all-purpose form. Ia is more literary/formal and mostly used in subject position. Here, Baik saya maupun ia setuju … is acceptable, but dia sounds more natural in speech.
Does dia mean “he” or “she”?
It’s gender-neutral; context decides. If you need to be explicit, add a clarifier: dia laki-laki (he, male) / dia perempuan (she, female), or just use the person’s name. Use beliau for a respected person.
Why is it setuju dengan and not another preposition?
The common collocation is setuju dengan + noun (“agree with”). Alternatives exist:
- setuju atas (more formal) — e.g., setuju atas usulan itu.
- setuju terhadap (used, but less common than dengan). Avoid setuju pada for this meaning.
How do I say “approve the plan,” not just “agree with the plan”?
Use the transitive verb menyetujui (“to approve”): Baik saya maupun dia menyetujui rencana itu.
- setuju dengan rencana itu = agree with the plan
- menyetujui rencana itu = approve the plan
Can I drop dengan and say setuju rencana itu?
No. That sounds unidiomatic. Use setuju dengan rencana itu or switch to the transitive verb: menyetujui rencana itu.
Why is itu after rencana? Can I say itu rencana?
Indonesian demonstratives follow the noun: rencana itu = “that plan/the plan.” Itu rencana usually means “that’s the plan” (a full clause), not “that plan.”
What if I add an adjective—where does itu go?
Order is Noun + Adjective + Demonstrative: rencana besar itu = “that big plan.”
Is there a shorter way to say “both of us agree”?
Yes:
- Kami berdua setuju. (we two, excluding the listener)
- Kita berdua setuju. (we two, including the listener)
How do I say “Neither he nor I agree”?
Negate the predicate: Baik saya maupun dia tidak setuju dengan rencana itu. This means both of us do not agree.
Do Indonesian verbs change for plural subjects?
No. Verbs don’t inflect for number or person. Setuju stays the same regardless of whether the subject is singular or plural.
Any quick pronunciation tips?
- baik ≈ “bah-ik” (two vowels: a + i; often sounds like “bah-eek”)
- maupun ≈ “mao-poon” (au like “ow” in “cow”)
- setuju ≈ “suh-TOO-joo” (j like English “j” in “judge”)
- rencana ≈ “ruhn-CHA-nah” (c = ch)
- dengan ≈ “DUH-ngan” (ng as in “sing”)