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Questions & Answers about Dia pasti datang besok pagi.
What exactly does dia mean here? Does it mean he or she?
Dia is a gender‑neutral third‑person singular pronoun. It can mean he or she, depending entirely on context. Indonesian pronouns usually do not show gender, so you have to know from the situation who is being talked about. Dia is typically used only for people (not things); for objects or animals you’d normally just use the noun again, or restructure the sentence instead of using dia.
Why does this sentence refer to the future even though there is no will or future tense marker?
Indonesian verbs do not change form for tense. Time is usually shown by context or by time expressions like besok pagi (tomorrow morning). In Dia pasti datang besok pagi, the verb datang is just the base form come; besok pagi tells you it is about the future, so the natural English translation becomes will (definitely) come or is (definitely) coming.
What is the function of pasti in this sentence?
Pasti indicates a high degree of certainty: definitely, surely, for sure. So dia datang besok pagi is He/She is coming tomorrow morning, while dia pasti datang besok pagi is He/She will definitely come tomorrow morning or He/She is sure to come tomorrow morning. It reflects the speaker’s confidence that the event will happen, not an obligation.
Could this sentence also mean He must come tomorrow morning, in the sense of obligation?
Usually no. Dia pasti datang besok pagi is about the speaker’s certainty (He/She will definitely come tomorrow morning), not about a requirement. For obligation, Indonesian normally uses harus, e.g. Dia harus datang besok pagi (He/She must come tomorrow morning, i.e. is required to come). Pasti = sure / certain; harus = must / have to.
Can I also say Dia akan datang besok pagi? How is that different from Dia pasti datang besok pagi?
Yes, Dia akan datang besok pagi is correct and common.
- Dia akan datang besok pagi focuses on the future aspect: He/She will come tomorrow morning (fairly neutral statement).
- Dia pasti datang besok pagi adds certainty: He/She will definitely come tomorrow morning (the speaker is very sure).
You can even combine them as Dia pasti akan datang besok pagi, but everyday speech often just uses one of pasti or akan.
Where can pasti go in the sentence? Is Dia pasti datang besok pagi the only correct word order?
Dia pasti datang besok pagi is the most straightforward order. However, pasti is quite flexible:
- Besok pagi dia pasti datang.
- Dia besok pagi pasti datang.
All are possible and natural; the differences are mostly about emphasis and rhythm. Putting besok pagi at the front (Besok pagi dia pasti datang) slightly emphasizes the time (As for tomorrow morning, he/she is definitely coming), but the basic meaning stays the same.
What is the difference between besok pagi and pagi besok?
Both can mean tomorrow morning, but besok pagi is far more common and neutral.
- Besok pagi: literally tomorrow (in the) morning; very natural and standard.
- Pagi besok: literally the morning tomorrow; can sound a bit more formal or stylistic, and is used less often in everyday speech.
In most situations, learners should prefer besok pagi.
Can I just say Dia pasti datang besok without pagi? What changes?
Yes.
- Dia pasti datang besok. = He/She will definitely come tomorrow (time is the whole day).
- Dia pasti datang besok pagi. = He/She will definitely come tomorrow morning (more specific time).
So dropping pagi simply makes the time less specific while keeping the same structure and meaning of certainty.
Can dia be omitted, like Pasti datang besok pagi?
In very casual spoken Indonesian, people sometimes drop pronouns when the subject is completely clear from context, so Pasti datang besok pagi could be understood as (He/She) will definitely come tomorrow morning. However, this is quite informal and can sound incomplete if the context is not obvious. For learners, it’s safer and clearer to keep the subject: Dia pasti datang besok pagi.
Are there more polite or formal alternatives to dia?
Yes. For someone respected (an older person, a teacher, a superior), you can use beliau instead of dia:
- Beliau pasti datang besok pagi. = He/She (honorific) will definitely come tomorrow morning.
Another written, somewhat formal form is ia, but ia is less common in everyday speech and doesn’t carry the same respectful nuance as beliau. Dia is neutral and fine in most casual and semi‑formal contexts.
Does dia ever mean they?
Dia is singular: he or she. For they, Indonesian uses mereka.
- Dia pasti datang besok pagi. = He/She will definitely come tomorrow morning.
- Mereka pasti datang besok pagi. = They will definitely come tomorrow morning.
Context may sometimes be ambiguous if you don’t know how many people are being discussed, but grammatically dia is one person.
