Breakdown of Dia kehilangan satu anting di pesta tadi malam.
di
at
tadi malam
last night
pesta
the party
satu
one
Questions & Answers about Dia kehilangan satu anting di pesta tadi malam.
Why is dia used here? Does it mean he or she?
Dia can mean either he or she. Indonesian third-person singular pronouns usually do not show gender. You figure it out from context.
A learner should also know:
- dia is common in speech and everyday writing
- ia also means he/she, but sounds more formal and is more common in writing
So in this sentence, dia simply means he/she.
Why is it kehilangan instead of hilang?
Because kehilangan means to lose, while hilang means to be lost or to disappear.
Compare:
- Dia kehilangan satu anting. = He/She lost one earring.
- Satu antingnya hilang. = One of his/her earrings is lost / disappeared.
So:
- kehilangan focuses on the person experiencing the loss
- hilang focuses on the missing thing itself
What does the ke-...-an in kehilangan do?