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Sudahkah kamu sampaikan salam kepada orang tuanya?

Sudahkah kamu sampaikan salam kepada orang tuanya?
Have you conveyed greetings to her/his parents?
FromLesson 32inHardcore Indonesian
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Questions & Answers about Sudahkah kamu sampaikan salam kepada orang tuanya?

What does the -kah in Sudahkah do, and where can it attach?
  • -kah is a clitic that turns a clause into a yes/no question and lightly focuses the word it attaches to.
  • It attaches directly to the focused element: Sudahkah kamu…?, Maukah kamu…?, Apakah kamu…? (here -kah attaches to apa).
  • It sounds more formal/literary than everyday speech.
Is Sudahkah… natural in conversation? How else would people ask this?
  • It’s correct but formal/polite.
  • Casual alternatives:
    • Udah kamu sampaikan salam ke orang tuanya?
    • Kamu udah sampaikan salam ke orang tuanya belum?
    • Udah titip salam ke orang tuanya?
    • Udah bilang salam ke orang tuanya? (very casual)
Why is it sampaikan and not menyampaikan?
  • After aspect/modals like sudah, belum, bisa, mau, Indonesian often uses the bare verb (without meN-), especially in speech: sudah sampaikan, bisa kirim.
  • The fully affixed form is also fine and a bit more formal: Sudahkah kamu menyampaikan salam…?
  • Both are acceptable; just keep your register consistent.
What does the suffix -kan in sampaikan mean?
  • Base sampai = arrive/reach.
  • sampaikan ≈ cause something to reach someone → deliver/relay/convey.
  • It commonly allows a recipient, marked with kepada/ke: sampaikan [salam] kepada [orang tuanya].
Could I say titip salam instead of sampaikan salam? Any difference?
  • Sampaikan salam = deliver/relay greetings.
  • Titip salam = I entrust you to pass on my regards; slightly warmer and idiomatic.
  • Both are common: Tolong sampaikan/titip salam saya kepada orang tuanya.
Why kepada and not ke or untuk?
  • kepada is the careful/neutral preposition for recipients (especially people).
  • ke is very common in casual speech: … ke orang tuanya.
  • untuk means for (beneficiary/purpose), so it doesn’t fit this recipient meaning.
Who does -nya in orang tuanya refer to?
  • -nya is third person: his/her/their, or sometimes a definite marker (the).
  • Here it most naturally means his/her parents (someone mentioned in context).
  • If you mean your parents, say orang tuamu (informal) or orang tua Anda (formal).
  • In some service/casual contexts -nya can politely refer to you (e.g., KTP-nya), so context matters.
Can orang tua also mean “old person/people”? Is there any ambiguity here?
  • Yes, orang tua can mean parents or old person/people, depending on context.
  • In a greetings-to-recipients context, kepada orang tuanya will be understood as parents, not old people.
Is the word order kamu sampaikan normal?
  • Yes. With an aspect marker it’s common: (Sudah) kamu sampaikan…
  • More formal: (Sudah) kamu menyampaikan… or Sudahkah kamu menyampaikan…?
How do you answer this kind of Sudahkah…? question naturally?
  • Use sudah (already) or belum (not yet), optionally with details:
    • Sudah, tadi pagi.
    • Belum, nanti sore.
  • Indonesians don’t typically answer with ya/tidak here.
Is kamu appropriate here? What if I need to be more formal or respectful?
  • kamu is neutral–informal and fine for peers/younger people.
  • More formal/respectful options:
    • Sudahkah Anda menyampaikan…?
    • Sudahkah Bapak/Ibu menyampaikan…? (addressing an older man/woman)
Do I need to add saya after salam to show whose greetings?
  • Optional. salam alone usually implies the speaker’s regards from context.
  • To be explicit: sampaikan salam saya kepada… or titip salam dari saya kepada…
Can I make this sentence passive?
  • Yes:
    • Sudahkah salam disampaikan kepada orang tuanya? (neutral passive)
    • Sudahkah salamnya kamu sampaikan kepada orang tuanya? (object-fronting; mixed register)
  • Passive emphasizes the action/result rather than the doer.
Is it orang tua or orangtua?
  • Standard spelling is two words: orang tua.
  • You’ll often see orangtua in real life; many style guides still prefer orang tua.
Can I omit the preposition and say sampaikan salam orang tuanya?
  • Don’t omit it here. Without kepada/ke, sampaikan salam orang tuanya is likely read as deliver the parents’ greetings (i.e., the greetings belong to them), not greetings to them. Keep kepada/ke to mark the recipient.

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