Question words in embedded clauses
In Indonesian, question words like apa (what) or di mana (where) usually stay in their original position (in situ) when embedded in a sentence, unlike English which moves them to the front.
How It Works
Indonesian syntax for indirect questions is distinct because it often mirrors the word order of a direct question or a simple statement.
1. In Situ Position:
In natural and casual Indonesian, the question word remains where the answer would be. For example, in 'I don't know what he bought,' the word 'what' (apa) stays after the verb: Saya tidak tahu dia beli apa.
2. Structural 'Yang':
When a question word acts as the subject of the embedded clause, a common standard pattern uses the relativizer yang. For example: Saya tidak tahu siapa yang datang (I don't know who came). Learn siapa yang... as a clear pattern for a subject question; the use of yang depends on the construction, not simply on whether a question is embedded.
3. Prepositions:
Prepositions must remain with their question words. If you are embedding 'with whom' or 'to where', the preposition stays attached: Saya lupa dengan siapa dia bicara.
4. No 'Bahwa':
A common mistake is trying to use bahwa (that) to introduce the question. In Indonesian, the question word itself acts as the linker. You cannot say 'Saya tahu bahwa siapa dia.'
5. Yes/No Questions:
When embedding a yes/no question, use apakah (whether/if) for formal contexts. In casual speech, apa or kalau are frequently used as substitutes.
Examples (6)
- Saya tidak tahu dia tinggal di mana.
I don't know where he lives.
Word by Word: I not know he live at where.
This shows the natural 'in situ' position where di mana stays at the end of the clause.
- Dia bertanya apakah kamu sudah makan.
He asked whether you had already eaten.
Word by Word: He ask whether you already eat.
Use apakah to embed a yes/no question in formal contexts.
- Kami belum memutuskan siapa yang akan diundang.
We haven't decided who will be invited.
Word by Word: We not-yet decide who [relativizer] will [passive]-invite.
Siapa yang introduces the people whose identity is unknown; the passive clause akan diundang presents those people as the ones to be invited.
- Saya tidak ingat dengan siapa dia pergi.
I don't remember with whom he went.
Word by Word: I not remember with who he go.
Prepositions like dengan must stay attached to the question word in the embedded clause.
- Tolong beri tahu saya kapan rapat itu mulai.
Please tell me when that meeting starts.
Word by Word: Please give know me when meeting that start.
The question word kapan (when) introduces the time information gap.
- Saya lupa dia mau apa.
I forgot what he wants.
Word by Word: I forget he want what.
Common Mistakes
Using 'bahwa' before a question word.
Saya tahu bahwa siapa dia.Saya tahu siapa dia.In Indonesian, you must not use the complementizer bahwa (that) when an interrogative word like siapa is present.
Using formal apakah in a casual chat.
Different MeaningSaya tidak tahu apakah dia datang.Saya tidak tahu apa dia datang.Apakah is the standard word for whether and is correct in any register. In casual speech, apa is a common shorter choice: Saya tidak tahu apa dia datang. Use apakah in writing and formal talk.
Adding emphatic -kah unnecessarily to a relaxed indirect question.
Dia tanya di manakah saya tinggal.Dia tanya di mana saya tinggal.The emphatic -kah on di manakah gives the embedded question a marked formal tone. Di mana is the ordinary conversational choice here. This is a register edit, not a claim that -kah can never occur in an embedded question: apakah is itself a standard embedded marker.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To understand embedded question words, you need to be familiar with the question words themselves (like 'apa' or 'ke mana') and how Indonesian structures complex sentences where one clause acts as the object of another (similar to 'bahwa' clauses). Unlike English, Indonesian embedded questions often keep the question word in the same position it would occupy in a statement.
- apaWhat with Apa
Learners must first understand basic question words like 'apa', 'siapa', and 'mana' before they can use them in embedded clauses.
Level 1 - bahwaContent Clauses with Bahwa
Understanding how clauses are embedded as objects (content clauses) provides the structural foundation for embedding question words.
Level 2
Related Patterns
- apakah (pertanyaan tak langsung)Whether in Embedded Clauses
This is the specific pattern for embedding yes/no questions (whether/if).
Level 4 - yangRelative Clauses with Yang
Used in formal fronted embedded questions to link the question word to the rest of the clause.
Level 2 - -kahQuestion Suffix -kah
The focus marker used in direct questions but avoided in embedded ones.
Level 3 - kalauEveryday if with Kalau
Often used colloquially as a substitute for 'apakah' in indirect questions.
Level 2
Words in This Pattern
Practice Question words in embedded clauses in Bubblegum
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