Breakdown of Adik perempuan saya alergi susu.
adalah
to be
saya
my
susu
the milk
adik perempuan
the younger sister
Questions & Answers about Adik perempuan saya alergi susu.
Where is the word “is” here? Why isn’t there an “adalah”?
Indonesian doesn’t need a linking verb with adjectives or stative predicates. In this sentence, alergi functions like “is allergic,” so Adik perempuan saya alergi susu literally reads “My younger sister allergic milk.” You generally use adalah only to link two nouns (e.g., Adik perempuan saya adalah perawat = “My younger sister is a nurse”), not with adjectives like “alergic.”
Why does the possessive pronoun come after the noun (adik perempuan saya) instead of before it?
Indonesian puts the possessor after the thing possessed: adik perempuan saya = “my younger sister.” Alternatives:
- With a clitic: adik perempuanku (more informal).
- Without specifying gender: adikku = “my younger sibling.” Note: Using the clitic, it’s natural to attach it to the end of the phrase: adik perempuanku.
Does “adik” mean “little sister”? What exactly does it imply?
Adik means “younger sibling” (younger than the speaker), regardless of gender. It’s about relative age, not size. To specify female, add perempuan: adik perempuan. For an older sibling, use kakak (then specify gender if needed).
Can I just say “adik saya alergi susu”?