Questions & Answers about Saya kenal dia dari perpustakaan.
What exactly does kenal mean, and how is it different from tahu and mengenal?
kenal = to know someone in the sense of being acquainted with them.
- Saya kenal dia. → I know him/her (we’ve met / I’m acquainted with this person).
tahu = to know information or facts.
- Saya tahu dia dokter. → I know (that) he’s a doctor.
- Saya tahu namanya. → I know his/her name.
mengenal = a more formal / complete version of kenal, often used in writing or more formal speech.
- Saya mengenal dia dari perpustakaan. → same meaning, but sounds a bit more formal.
In daily conversation, kenal is very common when talking about people you’ve met or are acquainted with.
Why is dia used for both “he” and “him”? Doesn’t Indonesian distinguish subject and object pronouns?
Indonesian does not change pronouns for subject vs object like English does.
- dia can mean he, she, him, or her, depending on position and context:
- Dia datang. → He/She comes. (subject)
- Saya kenal dia. → I know him/her. (object)
The role is determined by word order, not by changing the pronoun form.