Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Rambut kakak laki-laki saya pendek.

So kakak laki-laki literally is older sibling (who is) male, which corresponds to older brother in English. Indonesian often uses a general kinship word (kakak) and then adds a gender word (laki-laki for male, perempuan for female) if needed.

Why is saya (meaning my) at the end of kakak laki-laki saya instead of at the beginning like in English?

In Indonesian, possessive pronouns usually come after the noun, not before it.

English: my older brother → possessive before the noun
Indonesian: kakak laki-laki saya → literally older sibling male I

So the structure is:

kakak laki-laki = older brother
saya = I / me
kakak laki-laki saya = older brother of me → my older brother

The same pattern:

rumah saya = my house
buku dia = his / her book
teman kita = our friend

What is the overall word order of the sentence Rambut kakak laki-laki saya pendek?

Breakdown:

Rambut = hair
kakak laki-laki saya = my older brother
pendek = is short

So the structure is essentially:

[Hair] [older brother my] [short]
= My older brother’s hair is short.

Indonesian doesn’t need a separate word for is here. The pattern is:

[Noun] [adjective] (subject + description)
- Rambut … pendek = Hair … short
- Dia tinggi = He / she (is) tall
- Makanan ini enak = This food (is) tasty

Why is there no word for is in Rambut kakak laki-laki saya pendek?

In Indonesian, when you describe a noun with an adjective, you usually do not use a separate verb like is / am / are.

So:

Rambut kakak laki-laki saya pendek.
Literally: Hair my older brother short.
Meaning: My older brother’s hair is short.

Other examples:

Dia cantik. = She is beautiful.
Mobil itu mahal. = That car is expensive.

A linking verb like adalah is used in different structures, typically noun = noun, not noun = adjective:

Dia adalah dokter. = He / she is a doctor.

Why does pendek (short) come after rambut (hair), not before it?

In Indonesian, adjectives normally come after the noun they describe.

rambut pendek = short hair
baju merah = red shirt
rumah besar = big house

So in the sentence:

Rambut kakak laki-laki saya pendek.
The adjective pendek describes rambut kakak laki-laki saya (my older brother’s hair), and it comes at the end.

If you add degree words, they also come after the noun:

rambut sangat pendek = very short hair
rambut kakak laki-laki saya sangat pendek = my older brother’s hair is very short

Could I just say kakak saya instead of kakak laki-laki saya?

Yes, you can, but the meaning changes slightly.

kakak saya = my older sibling (gender not specified; could be older brother or older sister)
kakak laki-laki saya = specifically my older brother
kakak perempuan saya = specifically my older sister

If the gender is already clear from context, many Indonesians just say kakak saya.

Is kakak laki-laki the only way to say older brother?

No. There are several common options, depending on region and formality:

kakak laki-laki – neutral, clear, standard
kakak – can mean older brother or older sister, gender-neutral
abang / bang – common in some regions / informal contexts for older brother or older male
mas – used in Java and some other areas for an older male

In a textbook or neutral Indonesian, kakak laki-laki is a safe, clear choice for older brother.

Could I say rambut kakakku pendek instead of rambut kakak laki-laki saya pendek?

Yes, but it changes both style and specificity:

rambut kakakku pendek
- kakak
  - -ku = my older sibling
- More informal / natural in speech
- Does not specify male; just “older sibling”
rambut kakak laki-laki saya pendek
- Explicitly older brother
- Uses saya, which is more neutral / formal

All of these are grammatical:

Rambut kakakku pendek.
Rambut kakak laki-laki saya pendek.
Rambut kakak saya pendek.

Choice depends on how formal you want to be and whether you need to specify gender.

Is laki-laki always written with a hyphen, and what does it mean by itself?

Yes, in standard Indonesian it is written with a hyphen: laki-laki.

Meaning:

laki-laki = male (as a gender), man
- anak laki-laki = boy / son
- orang laki-laki = a man
- kakak laki-laki = older brother

Spoken Indonesian sometimes contracts it (e.g. cowok in informal speech), but laki-laki is the standard, neutral word.

How would I say My older sister’s hair is short using the same pattern?

Just change laki-laki (male) to perempuan (female):

Rambut kakak perempuan saya pendek.
- kakak perempuan = older sister
- Full sentence: My older sister’s hair is short.

You could also say:

Rambut kakak saya pendek.
if it’s already clear from context that the kakak is female.

How would I make it plural, like My older brothers’ hair is short?

Indonesian usually does not change the noun form for plural; plural is shown by context or extra words.

You can say:

Rambut kakak-kakak laki-laki saya pendek.
- kakak-kakak = older siblings (plural)
- Literally: The hair of my older brothers is short.

Often, people rely on context and add something like semua (all):

Rambut semua kakak laki-laki saya pendek.
= The hair of all my older brothers is short.

Remember: Indonesian doesn’t mark plural like English brothers vs brother; it uses repetition (kakak-kakak) or words like banyak (many), semua (all), or just context.

Can I change the order to Kakak laki-laki saya rambutnya pendek? Is that still correct?

Yes, that is also natural and commonly used in speech:

Kakak laki-laki saya rambutnya pendek.

Here, the focus shifts a bit:

Kakak laki-laki saya = my older brother (topic)
rambutnya pendek = his hair is short

So it feels more like “My older brother – his hair is short.”

Both sentences are correct:

Rambut kakak laki-laki saya pendek.
→ focusing on the hair
Kakak laki-laki saya rambutnya pendek.
→ starting from my older brother, then describing his hair.