Saya suka bukunya.

the book

Breakdown of Saya suka bukunya.

• saya: I
• suka: to like
• nya: their

Questions & Answers about Saya suka bukunya.

What exactly does -nya in bukunya mean here?

-nya is a suffix that usually means “his/her/its/their” or sometimes acts like “the” / “that” (a definite marker).

In Saya suka bukunya, bukunya can mean:

• “his book / her book / their book” → I like his/her/their book.
• or just “the book” (a specific book already known from context) → I like the book.

Which one it is depends on context, because -nya doesn’t show gender or number.

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How do I know if bukunya means “the book” or “his/her book”?

You decide the meaning from context, not from the word itself.

Examples:

• If you were already talking about “John’s book,” Saya suka bukunya will naturally be understood as “I like his book.”
• If you were talking about a particular book everyone can see (e.g., on the table), it’s more naturally “I like the book.”

Indonesian often leaves out information that English insists on, such as whose book it is, if that’s already clear from the situation.

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Could I split buku and nya and write buku nya as two words?

No. When -nya is attached as a suffix, it must be written together with the noun:

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