Questions & Answers about Kemejaku biru, sedangkan kemejamu putih.
Why is there no word for is in Kemejaku biru?
Indonesian doesn’t use a linking verb with adjectives. An adjective can be the predicate by itself, so Kemejaku biru literally means “My shirt blue,” i.e., “My shirt is blue.” Avoid adalah with adjectives; Kemejaku adalah biru sounds unnatural. A more formal option is Kemejaku berwarna biru (“My shirt is blue-colored”).
What do the endings -ku and -mu mean in kemejaku and kemejamu?
They are possessive clitics:
- -ku = “my,” so kemejaku = “my shirt” (≈ kemeja saya).
- -mu = “your (singular, informal),” so kemejamu = “your shirt” (≈ kemeja kamu). Register: -mu is informal; for polite/formal “your,” use Anda: kemeja Anda.
Can I write them separately, like kemeja ku or kemeja mu?
No. In standard spelling they attach directly to the noun with no space and no hyphen: kemejaku, kemejamu. You may see hyphens in older texts, but current norms prefer no hyphen.
Is kemeja the same as baju?