apakah (pertanyaan tak langsung)
Whether in Embedded Clauses
Apakah can embed a yes-no or alternative question in a larger statement, like English whether or if. It is common in formal writing and also available in conversation.
How It Works
The word apakah is a standard marker for embedded yes-no and alternative questions. In this role, it transforms a standalone question into a noun clause that serves as the object of the main verb.
1. Usage with Specific Verbs
It is most commonly used after verbs that imply a question or uncertainty, such as:
- Menanyakan (to ask)
- Memastikan (to ensure/confirm)
- Tidak tahu (to not know)
- Ragu (to doubt)
- Mempertimbangkan (to consider)
2. Yes/No and Alternative Questions
Apakah introduces a question about whether something holds, or a choice between stated alternatives. TBBI gives Saya tidak tahu apakah dia akan menjual mobilnya atau meminjam uang dari bank. If the indirect question involves a question word like siapa (who) or di mana (where), you must use that word as the connector instead of apakah.
3. Structure
The basic Indonesian embedded clause can retain Subject-Verb-Object order within the embedded clause. Apakah is placed at the start of that clause. English embedded questions also normally use statement word order, so do not teach inversion as an English requirement here.
4. Register and Alternatives
It is common in formal writing, but is not restricted to it. Conversation also uses kalau or just apa. Which form fits depends on the situation; apakah is not automatically stiff with friends. Kalau also introduces declarative content in conversation, so its meaning must be read in context.
5. Optional 'Or Not'
To emphasize the two possibilities, you can add a negative alternative at the end of the clause. The choice of negation depends on the predicate type and aspect:
- Use atau tidak if the predicate is a verb or adjective (e.g., ...apakah dia datang atau tidak).
- Use atau bukan if the predicate is a noun or pronoun (e.g., ...apakah itu tasnya atau bukan).
- Use atau belum to contrast already holding with not yet holding, without asserting in advance which answer is true (e.g., ...apakah dia sudah makan atau belum).
Examples (5)
- Saya tidak tahu apakah dia akan datang.
I do not know whether he/she will come.
Word by Word: I not know whether he/she will come.
Apakah introduces the uncertain arrival as the complement of tidak tahu.
- Polisi memastikan apakah pintu itu terkunci.
The police are confirming whether the door was locked.
Word by Word: Police confirm whether door that locked.
The verb 'memastikan' (to confirm/ensure) is frequently followed by 'apakah' in formal reports.
- Kami menanyakan apakah rapat akan ditunda atau tidak.
We asked whether the meeting would be postponed or not.
Word by Word: We ask whether meeting will postponed or not.
The addition of 'atau tidak' at the end is a common way to explicitly state the alternatives for verbs.
- Manajer mempertimbangkan apakah perusahaan perlu menambah karyawan baru.
The manager is considering whether the company needs to add new employees.
Word by Word: Manager consider whether company need add employee new.
In formal business contexts, 'apakah' is used with 'mempertimbangkan' to discuss options.
- Dia ragu apakah itu miliknya atau bukan.
He/she is unsure whether that belongs to him/her or not.
Word by Word: He/she doubt whether that his/hers or not.
When the predicate is a noun or possessive, 'atau bukan' is used instead of 'atau tidak' for the 'or not' construction.
Common Mistakes
Using 'apakah' with Wh-question words (who, what, where, etc.).
Saya tidak tahu apakah siapa dia.Saya tidak tahu siapa dia.For the intended question about identity, siapa directly introduces the missing information: Saya tidak tahu siapa dia. Do not mechanically stack apakah before siapa in this basic model. Apakah also introduces stated alternatives, not only yes-no choices.
Using 'apabila' instead of 'apakah' for indirect questions.
Saya ragu apabila dia jujur.Saya ragu apakah dia jujur.Apabila introduces a condition, not the intended embedded whether question. Saya ragu apakah dia jujur questions honesty; a conditional reading with apabila would describe the circumstances under which doubt occurs. The two structures do different jobs.
Using 'bahwa' (that) when a question is intended.
Saya tidak tahu bahwa dia datang.Saya tidak tahu apakah dia datang.Bahwa introduces declarative content; apakah introduces a question. Saya tidak tahu bahwa dia datang is valid with a different meaning, I did not know that he/she came. It is not the intended whether question. Bahwa itself does not guarantee that reported content is true.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To understand indirect questions with 'apakah', a learner must first be familiar with how 'apakah' forms basic yes-no questions. Additionally, they need to understand how Indonesian embeds clauses (similar to 'bahwa' clauses) and how to form the active transitive verbs that typically introduce these embedded questions.
- apakahFormal Questions with Apakah
Understanding how 'apakah' functions as a marker for yes-no questions in independent clauses is essential before using it in embedded contexts.
Level 1 - bahwaContent Clauses with Bahwa
The structure of indirect questions mirrors the structure of content clauses introduced by 'bahwa', representing the general concept of clausal embedding.
Level 2
Related Patterns
- kalauEveryday if with Kalau
Kalau can introduce embedded content in conversation, but is not a mechanical substitute for every apakah question; distinguish declarative that content from whether alternatives.
Level 2 - atauAlternatives with Atau
Often used at the end of 'apakah' clauses in the phrase 'atau tidak' (or not).
Level 1 - apa ... atau ...Embedded Alternative Question
A related structure for presenting specific alternatives in a question.
Level 4
Words in This Pattern
Practice apakah (pertanyaan tak langsung) in Bubblegum
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