Tidak ada orang yang sempurna.

No one is perfect.

Breakdown of Tidak ada orang yang sempurna.

• tidak: not
• orang: the person
• yang: who
• ada: there is
• sempurna: perfect

Questions & Answers about Tidak ada orang yang sempurna.

What does tidak ada literally mean here, and how is it different from just tidak?

Literally, tidak ada means “does not exist / there is not / there are not.”

• tidak on its own = “not / no” (negates verbs and adjectives)
  
  • Saya tidak suka. = I do not like (it).
• ada = “there is / there are / exist / to be present.”
  
  • Ada orang. = There is (a) person.

When you combine them:

• Tidak ada orang… = “There is no person…” / “No one…”

So in Tidak ada orang yang sempurna, tidak ada is saying “there is no / there are no.”

Why is there no word for “is” in orang yang sempurna?

Indonesian generally doesn’t use a separate word for “is / am / are” before adjectives or nouns (except in some special cases).

• orang sempurna ≈ “a perfect person” (literally: person perfect)
• orang yang sempurna ≈ “a person who is perfect”

The idea of “is” is just understood from the structure.
You don’t say orang yang adalah sempurna here; that would be unnatural in this sentence. Adalah is used mainly to link to nouns, not to adjectives:

• Dia adalah dokter. = He/She is a doctor.
• But: Dia pintar. (not Dia adalah pintar) = He/She is smart.

So the “is” in “who is perfect” is simply implied in Indonesian.

What is the function of yang in orang yang sempurna?

Yang marks a relative clause or descriptive phrase that describes a noun.

• orang = person
• yang sempurna = “who is perfect / that is perfect”

Put together:

• orang yang sempurna = “a person who is perfect” / “the person who is perfect.”

In this sentence:

• Tidak ada orang yang sempurna.
  ≈ “There is no person who is perfect.”
  ≈ “No one is perfect.”

Yang is very common and flexible; it often corresponds to English “who, that, which” introducing a clause that describes something.

Could we just say Tidak ada orang sempurna without yang? What’s the difference?

You can say Tidak ada orang sempurna, and people will understand you.

However, there is a nuance:

• orang sempurna works more like “perfect people / perfect persons” (adjective directly modifying a noun).
• orang yang sempurna sounds more like “(a) person who is perfect”, emphasizing that being perfect is a state or quality, not a normal attribute.

For this proverb-like sentence, Tidak ada orang yang sempurna is more natural and idiomatic.
Tidak ada orang sempurna is grammatical but a bit less typical for this exact meaning / emphasis.

How would you say “No one is perfect” more literally word‑for‑word?

A close, natural equivalent is exactly:

• Tidak ada orang yang sempurna.
  Literally: “There is no person who is perfect.”

You could say:

• Tidak seorang pun yang sempurna.
  Literally: “Not a single person who is perfect.”

But the most common everyday version is the original sentence you gave.

Is orang singular or plural here? Does it mean “no person” or “no people”?

Orang can be singular or plural, depending on context:

• orang = person / people
• orang-orang = people (explicit plural, but not always necessary)

In Tidak ada orang yang sempurna, it’s understood in a general sense:

• “There is no person who is perfect”
• which naturally means “No one is perfect / Nobody is perfect (no people are perfect).”

So grammatically it looks singular, but in meaning it includes everyone.

Could we say Tidak ada seorang pun yang sempurna? How is that different?

Yes, that’s a very natural variation:

• Tidak ada seorang pun yang sempurna.
  Literally: “There is not even a single person who is perfect.”

Differences in nuance:

• Tidak ada orang yang sempurna.
  = No person is perfect. (general statement)
• Tidak ada seorang pun yang sempurna.
  = Not even one person is perfect. (slightly stronger emphasis on “not even one”)

Both are correct and common. The original is a bit shorter and more proverb-like.

Why do we use tidak and not bukan in this sentence?

Tidak and bukan are both negations, but used with different kinds of words.

• tidak negates verbs and adjectives, and also ada:

  • tidak suka (do not like)
  • tidak besar (not big)
  • tidak ada (there is not / does not exist)

• bukan negates nouns (or entire statements in some structures):

  • Dia bukan dokter. = He/She is not a doctor.
  • Ini bukan rumah saya. = This is not my house.

In Tidak ada orang yang sempurna:

• The negation is on ada (there is / exist).
• So we must use tidak → tidak ada.

Bukan ada would be ungrammatical in this context.

Is this sentence formal, informal, or neutral? Can I use it in conversation?

Tidak ada orang yang sempurna is neutral and very natural in almost any context:

• In everyday conversation
• In writing (articles, essays, books)
• In speeches or formal talks

It’s a common, proverb-like expression. You can use it casually with friends or in a more serious, reflective context; it fits both.

How do you pronounce the sentence naturally?

Syllable breakdown (with approximate English hints):

• Tidak → TEE-dak
• ada → AH-dah
• orang → OH-rung (the ng is like in “song”)
• yang → yahng (also like ng in “song”)
• sempurna → sehm-POOR-nah (short e like in “set”, u like “oo” in “foot”)

Natural rhythm (slashes for pauses / stress):

• Ti-dak a-da / o-rang yang sem-PUR-na.

Stress is normally a bit stronger on -dak, o-, and -PUR-. The whole sentence is said smoothly in one breath.