-an

Result or Object Nouns with -an

Level 2

The suffix -an forms nouns with meanings such as the result of an action, material affected by it, an action itself, or an instrument. Learn the established meaning of each word rather than assuming every noun names a concrete result.

How It Works

The -an suffix is a versatile tool for forming nouns in Indonesian. This lesson starts with outcomes and objects of actions, then contrasts other established uses. The meaning depends on the base and the resulting word.

1. Result Nouns: These represent the physical or abstract product created by an action.

  • tulis (to write) → tulisan (a writing, text, or handwriting)
  • bangun (to build) → bangunan (a building)

2. Object Nouns: These represent the thing that is affected or consumed by the action.

  • makan (to eat) → makanan (food)
  • minum (to drink) → minuman (a drink)

3. Action Nouns: These represent the action itself or an instance of the action.

  • serang (to attack) → serangan (an attack)
  • bantu (to help) → bantuan (assistance or help)

4. Nouns Used as Modifiers: An -an noun can modify another noun, with a meaning translated by an English adjective or phrase. This does not make -an a general passive-adjective suffix.

  • sewa (to rent) → sewaan (rented, e.g., mobil sewaan = rented car)
  • buat (to make) → buatan (made by/in, e.g., tas buatan lokal = locally made bag)

5. Instruments: It can form nouns representing tools used to perform an action.

  • timbang (to weigh) → timbangan (scales)
  • saring (to filter) → saringan (filter or strainer)

6. Locations: It can indicate a place where an action occurs or a specific area.

  • parkir (to park) → parkiran (parking lot)
  • kubur (to bury) → kuburan (cemetery)

7. Toys, Imitations, and Variety: When combined with reduplication, the -an suffix often indicates toys, imitations, or a wide variety of items.

  • mobil (car) → mobil-mobilan (toy car)
  • buah (fruit) → buah-buahan (a variety of fruits)

8. Adjective Roots: The suffix can turn adjectives into nouns representing things with that quality.

  • manis (sweet) → manisan (sweets or candied fruit)
  • kotor (dirty) → kotoran (dirt or waste)

9. Noun-to-Noun Extensions (Magnification): Attached to a noun base, it creates a related noun, often indicating a larger scale or extended area.

  • laut (sea) → lautan (ocean)
  • pinggir (edge) → pinggiran (outskirts or border)

10. Numbers, Time, and Measurements: Added to numbers, time words, or units, it indicates multiples, periods, decades, or "by the [unit]".

  • ratus (hundred) → ratusan (hundreds)
  • hari (day) → harian (daily)
  • kilo (kilogram) → kiloan (by the kilo)
  • tahun 90 (year 90) → tahun 90-an (the 90s)

11. Colloquial Comparatives: In casual speech, adding -an to an adjective can mean "more [adjective]".

  • bagus (good) → bagusan (better)
  • gede (big) → gedean (bigger)

Warning: Be very careful with murahan (from murah, cheap). While it might seem like it should mean "cheaper", it usually carries a strong negative meaning of "cheap quality", "tacky", or "trashy". To say "cheaper", it is much safer to use lebih murah.

12. Morphological Rules:
Write -an directly after the base: bacaan, ujian, bantuan, kiloan. Pronunciation may include a glottal separation between adjacent a vowels or a [j]/[w] transition after other vowels, depending on the word and variety. These sounds do not add letters to the spelling; a glottal stop is not itself a glide.

13. Register:
The noun pattern occurs in everyday and formal Indonesian. Individual words and other functions have their own register: the adjective comparatives discussed above are colloquial.

Examples (5)

  1. Tulisan adik saya sangat rapi.

    My younger sibling's writing is very neat.

    Word by Word: Writing younger-sibling my very neat.

    'Tulisan' is the result of the verb 'tulis' (to write).

  2. Ibu sedang menyiapkan makanan dan minuman.

    Mother is preparing food and drinks.

    Word by Word: Mother [progressive] prepare food and drink.

    'Makanan' and 'minuman' are the objects of 'makan' (to eat) and 'minum' (to drink).

  3. Dia memberikan sumbangan yang besar.

    He gave a large contribution.

    Word by Word: He give contribution which large.

    'Sumbangan' is the result of the verb 'sumbang' (to contribute).

  4. Bangunan itu sangat tinggi.

    That building is very tall.

    Word by Word: Building that very tall.

    'Bangunan' is the physical result of the verb 'bangun' (to build).

  5. Bacaan ini sangat menarik.

    This reading material is very interesting.

    Word by Word: Reading-material this very interesting.

    'Bacaan' refers to the material being read, from the verb 'baca' (to read).

Common Mistakes

  • Using the process noun when the intended referent is a tall physical building.

    Pembangunan itu sangat tinggi.
    Bangunan itu sangat tinggi.

    For the physical building whose height is being described, use bangunan. Pembangunan names construction or development. This lexical contrast is useful, but peN-...-an and -an do not divide all meanings into process versus result without exceptions.

  • Using makanan as the verb when the intended meaning is wanting to eat rice.

    Saya mau makanan nasi.
    Saya mau makan nasi.

    Learners sometimes add -an to verbs in sentences where a verb is still needed. 'Makanan' is a noun (food), while 'makan' is the verb (to eat).

How It Connects

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

-anLevel 2Result or Object Nouns with -an

Learn This First

To understand result nouns formed with the -an suffix, learners should be familiar with basic verb roots (often encountered via the meN- prefix) and how nouns function in simple phrases, such as possessive constructions.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

-an