ke

Direction with Ke

Level 1

The preposition ke means 'to' or 'toward'. It is used when you are moving from one place to another.

How It Works

The preposition ke is a fundamental part of Indonesian used to show direction.

1. Usage with Places
It is most commonly used with nouns representing locations.
Example: ke kantor (to the office), ke sekolah (to school).

2. Usage with Directional Words
It combines with words that indicate relative position.

  • ke mana (to where)
  • ke sini (to here)
  • ke sana (to there)
  • ke dalam (to the inside/into)
  • ke atas (to the top/upward)

3. Writing Rules (EYD V)
According to Standard Indonesian Spelling (EYD V), ke is written with a space before the destination.
Exception: The word kemari (to here) is always written as one word.

4. Keluar vs. Ke Luar
It is important to distinguish between the verb and the preposition:

  • keluar (one word): A verb meaning 'to exit' or 'to go out'. Example: Dia keluar sekarang.
  • ke luar (two words): A prepositional phrase meaning 'to the outside'. Example: Dia pergi ke luar negeri.

5. Preposition vs. Prefix
Do not confuse the preposition ke (which stands alone) with the prefix ke- used for ordinal numbers (e.g., kedua) or certain nouns (e.g., ketua). The prefix is always attached without a space.

6. Ke vs. Kepada
A critical distinction is that ke is for places, while kepada is used for people or entities. You can hear ke dia in conversation. For an unambiguous formal recipient model, use kepada; a recipient and a physical destination have different roles.

Examples (5)

  1. Saya pergi ke pasar.

    I am going to the market.

    Word by Word: I go to market.

    A standard use of 'ke' showing movement toward a physical location (the market).

  2. Ayah berangkat ke kantor setiap pagi.

    Father leaves for the office every morning.

    Word by Word: Father leave to office every morning.

    Here 'ke' indicates the destination of the verb 'berangkat' (to leave/set out).

  3. Silakan masuk ke dalam.

    Please come inside.

    Word by Word: Please enter to inside.

    When combined with 'dalam' (inside), 'ke' indicates the direction of entry.

  4. Kamu mau pergi ke mana?

    Where do you want to go?

    Word by Word: You want go to where?

    'Ke mana' is the standard way to ask 'to where' or 'where to'.

  5. Kami pindah ke Bali bulan depan.

    We are moving to Bali next month.

    Word by Word: We move to Bali month front.

    'Ke' is used here to show the destination of a move.

Common Mistakes

  • Writing 'ke' and the destination as one word (except for 'kemari').

    Saya mau pergi kesana.
    Saya mau pergi ke sana.

    In Standard Indonesian Spelling (EYD V), the preposition 'ke' must be separated by a space from the destination. The only exception is the word 'kemari' (to here).

  • Confusing 'keluar' (verb) with 'ke luar' (preposition).

    Dia pergi keluar negeri.
    Dia pergi ke luar negeri.

    Use 'keluar' as a single word when it is a verb meaning 'to exit' or 'to go out'. Use 'ke luar' as two words when it indicates movement toward the outside of a specific place.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

keLevel 1Direction with Ke

Learn This First

To understand 'ke' for direction, learners should first be familiar with the basic prepositional system in Indonesian, specifically the locative 'di', and understand how these phrases fit into standard sentence structures.

Words in This Pattern