tentang

About with Tentang

Level 1

Use tentang to introduce the subject matter of a conversation, book, movie, or thought.

How It Works

The preposition tentang is used to link a verb of communication or a noun to its specific topic.

1. Usage with Verbs
It typically follows verbs related to thinking, speaking, or writing, such as berbicara (to speak), berpikir (to think), or menulis (to write).

2. Transitive Alternatives
In Indonesian, you can often replace a 'verb + tentang' phrase with a single transitive verb using the -kan suffix. For example, berbicara tentang (to speak about) becomes membicarakan (to discuss [something]).

3. Register and Nuance

  • Tentang is the standard, neutral choice for most situations.
  • For more formal or legal contexts, mengenai is often preferred.
  • In casual conversation, speakers sometimes use soal instead of tentang.

4. Syntactic Rules

  • Tentang introduces a topic. A noun phrase is the basic model, but an action understood as a topic or an embedded question can also fill this role; not every topic requires an overt noun such as rencana.
  • Unlike English 'about', it cannot be used for numerical approximations (e.g., 'about five people'). For numbers, use sekitar with cardinal numbers instead.

Examples (4)

  1. Saya membaca buku tentang sejarah.

    I am reading a book about history.

    Word by Word: I read book about history.

    Here, 'tentang' connects the noun 'buku' (book) to its topic 'sejarah' (history).

  2. Kami berbicara tentang rencana liburan.

    We are talking about holiday plans.

    Word by Word: We speak about plan holiday.

    In this sentence, 'tentang' introduces the topic of the conversation.

  3. Dia berpikir tentang masa depan.

    He/She is thinking about the future.

    Word by Word: He/She think about time front.

    The preposition 'tentang' follows the verb 'berpikir' to show the object of thought.

  4. Film ini bercerita tentang persahabatan.

    This movie tells a story about friendship.

    Word by Word: Movie this tell-story about friendship.

    The verb 'bercerita' (to tell a story) is commonly paired with 'tentang'.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'tentang' for numerical approximations.

    Ada tentang sepuluh orang di sana.
    Ada sekitar sepuluh orang di sana.

    'Tentang' is only for topics. For 'about' meaning 'approximately' with numbers, use 'sekitar' or 'kira-kira'.

  • Leaving tentang without a recoverable topic in a standalone sentence.

    Saya berpikir tentang.
    Saya berpikir tentang rencana pergi.

    Supply the intended topic in this standalone statement. Rencana pergi explicitly names a plan, but actions can also be topics and tentang can take a clause such as tentang bagaimana pesawat bisa terbang. Rencana is not universally required before an action.

How It Connects

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tentangLevel 1About with Tentang

Learn This First

To use 'tentang' (about), you simply need to understand the basic word order of Indonesian sentences and how to follow a preposition with a noun or topic.

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Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

tentang