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Apartemen yang mana sih yang paling dekat dengan stasiun?

Apartemen yang mana sih yang paling dekat dengan stasiun?
Which apartment is the closest to the station?
FromLesson 35inHardcore Indonesian
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Questions & Answers about Apartemen yang mana sih yang paling dekat dengan stasiun?

Why is yang used, and why is it there twice?
  • yang introduces a clause that describes or identifies a noun (like “the one that…”).
  • First yang is part of the fixed phrase yang mana (“which one”).
  • The second yang introduces the identifying clause yang paling dekat dengan stasiun (“that is the closest to the station”).
  • In everyday speech people more often say: Apartemen mana yang paling dekat dengan stasiun? (only one yang).
What does sih add? Is it necessary or rude?
  • sih is an informal particle that adds nuance: soft insistence, curiosity, or mild impatience (“so, which one actually?”).
  • It’s not rude by itself, but tone matters. In formal or written contexts, omit it.
  • Without it the sentence is perfectly fine and more neutral.
Is Apartemen yang mana correct? I thought it should be Apartemen mana.
  • Both occur. Apartemen mana is the default and most common.
  • Apartemen yang mana often implies choosing from a visible/known set and sounds a bit more pointed or conversational, especially with sih.
  • For neutral style, prefer: Apartemen mana yang paling dekat dengan stasiun?
Why does mana come after the noun?
  • In Indonesian, “which” is expressed with post-nominal mana: noun + mana (e.g., apartemen mana, bus mana, orang mana).
  • If you insert yang, it still follows the noun: apartemen yang mana.
Can I drop the second yang before paling dekat?
  • In casual speech: yes. Apartemen mana paling dekat dengan stasiun? is common.
  • In careful or written Indonesian, keep it: Apartemen mana yang paling dekat dengan stasiun?
What’s the difference between paling dekat and terdekat?
  • They’re equivalent superlatives.
  • paling + adjective = analytic superlative: paling dekat.
  • ter- + adjective = synthetic superlative: terdekat.
  • All of these are fine:
    • Apartemen mana yang paling dekat dengan stasiun?
    • Apartemen mana yang terdekat dengan stasiun?
Which preposition goes with dekat: dengan, ke, or dari?
  • Standard: dekat dengan
    • noun. Example: dekat dengan stasiun.
  • Also common: di dekat + noun (“near the station”): di dekat stasiun.
  • Avoid dekat ke in standard Indonesian.
  • dekat dari is often heard but considered nonstandard; use it only in set contrasts like tidak jauh dari stasiun (“not far from the station”), not with dekat itself.
Is a copula like adalah needed here?
  • No. Indonesian questions and noun-modifying clauses don’t need a copula.
  • Use adalah in statements that equate things: Apartemen yang paling dekat dengan stasiun adalah Tower A.
Should I say stasiun or stasiunnya?
  • stasiun is fine; definiteness is usually clear from context.
  • stasiunnya can mark a specific, known station (“the station we’ve been talking about”) or “its station” depending on context.
  • In most questions like this, stasiun (without -nya) is the default.
Is the whole sentence informal? How would I make it neutral or formal?
  • The original with sih is informal conversation.
  • Neutral/formal: Apartemen mana yang paling dekat dengan stasiun?
  • For very formal writing, you could also use terdekat or manakah: Apartemen manakah yang terdekat dengan stasiun?
Can I front the descriptive part for emphasis?
  • Yes, topicalization is natural:
    • Yang paling dekat dengan stasiun, apartemen yang mana (sih)?
  • This highlights the criterion first (“the one closest to the station”).
Do I ever need a classifier like buah with apartemen here?
  • Not in this question. Apartemen mana… is correct.
  • A classifier like sebuah appears when counting or introducing one apartment: sebuah apartemen baru (“a new apartment”).
How would I ask a comparative instead of a superlative?
  • Use lebih (“more”):
    • Apartemen mana yang lebih dekat dengan stasiun, A atau B?
    • Or simply: Mana yang lebih dekat dengan stasiun, A atau B?
Any quick pronunciation tips for tricky words here?
  • yang: final “ng” like in “sung”; don’t say “yangg.”
  • sih: the final h is soft; the vowel is like “see.”
  • dekat: often pronounced “də-kat” (first vowel can be a schwa).
  • stasiun: three syllables “sta-si-un,” not like English “station.”
  • mana: “MAH-nah.”
Is yang here like English “that/which/who,” or something else?
  • Yes, yang is the particle that turns a phrase into a noun-modifying clause (“the one that/which…”).
  • It also works as a focus marker when fronted: Yang paling dekat (adalah) Apartemen A.

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