bagaimana

How with Bagaimana

Level 1

Bagaimana is the formal way to ask 'how' in Malay. It is used to inquire about the method of doing something, the state of a person or thing, or to make suggestions.

How It Works

Bagaimana is a question word used to ask about manner, condition, or suggestions. A critical rule in Malay is that bagaimana is only used for questions. If you want to express 'how' in a statement (e.g., 'I know how he did it'), you must use the noun cara (way/method) instead.

Positioning and -kah:
1. At the start: In formal written Malay, you must add the suffix -kah (e.g., Bagaimanakah...?). In spoken Malay, this is often dropped.
2. At the end: You can place bagaimana at the end of a sentence (e.g., Keadaan dia bagaimana?). In this position, you must not use the -kah suffix.

Register Note: In casual conversation, speakers almost always use macam mana instead of bagaimana. Using the latter in informal settings will sound very stiff.

Examples (4)

  1. Bagaimanakah keadaan ibu kamu sekarang?

    How is your mother's condition now?

    Word by Word: How [question-marker] condition mother you now?

    This uses the suffix -kah because the question word is at the start of the sentence in a formal written context.

  2. Bagaimanakah cara untuk membaiki kereta itu?

    How is the way to repair that car?

    Word by Word: How [question-marker] way for repair car that?

    In formal questions, 'bagaimana' asks about the method. Note that in a statement, you would use 'cara' (way) instead of 'bagaimana'.

  3. Keadaan ibu kamu sekarang bagaimana?

    How is your mother's condition now?

    Word by Word: Condition mother you now how?

    When 'bagaimana' is placed at the end of the sentence, the -kah suffix is never used.

  4. Bagaimana kalau kita bertolak awal pagi esok?

    How about if we leave early tomorrow morning?

    Word by Word: How if we leave early morning tomorrow?

    In semi-formal or spoken Malay, the -kah suffix is often omitted even at the start of a sentence.

Common Mistakes

  • Thinking 'bagaimana' cannot be used inside a statement.

    Different MeaningSaya tahu bagaimana dia buat itu.
    Saya tahu cara dia buat itu.

    The sentence is correct: 'bagaimana' can start an embedded question, so it means 'I know how (by what means) he did it'. 'Cara dia buat itu' means 'the way he did it' and points to the method itself.

  • Adding -kah to 'bagaimana' when it is at the end of a sentence.

    Keadaan dia bagaimanakah?
    Keadaan dia bagaimana?

    The -kah suffix normally goes on the question word at the front of the sentence. At the end of a sentence it sounds unnatural, so leave it off there.

  • Thinking the -kah suffix is required on a fronted question word.

    Different MeaningBagaimana dia buat itu?
    Bagaimanakah dia buat itu?

    Both questions are correct. 'Bagaimana dia buat itu?' is the normal form. Adding -kah makes it more formal and emphasises the question.

How It Connects

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bagaimanaLevel 1How with Bagaimana

Learn This First

To use 'bagaimana' (how), a learner needs to understand basic Malay sentence structure and how questions are formed. Since 'bagaimana' often asks about the condition of a noun, knowing how adjectives describe nouns without a copula is also helpful.

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bagaimana