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Course Index: https://latinum.substack.com/p/index
In this lesson, we explore daripada, the Indonesian word for “than” used in comparative constructions. Unlike English, which places “than” after the comparative adjective (bigger than), Indonesian builds comparisons using a distinct pattern: lebih (more) + adjective + daripada + the object of comparison.
Indonesian comparatives are remarkably regular. The word lebih functions like English “more” and precedes the adjective, while daripada follows the adjective and introduces what is being compared against. This structure applies universally regardless of the adjective’s length or type—Indonesian has no equivalent to the English “-er” suffix distinction.
The word daripada itself derives from dari (from) + pada (at/to), creating a compound preposition that literally suggests “from-at,” conveying the sense of measuring one thing against another point of reference. In colloquial speech, particularly in Java-influenced dialects, ketimbang serves as an informal synonym.
Beyond simple comparison, daripada can also express preference in the sense of “rather than” or “instead of,” as in Saya lebih suka membaca daripada menonton televisi (I prefer reading to watching television).
FAQ: What does “daripada” mean in Indonesian?
Daripada is the Indonesian word meaning “than,” used to make comparisons between two things. It appears in the construction lebih (more) + adjective + daripada + noun, equivalent to English comparative sentences like “bigger than” or “faster than.”
The comparative pattern lebih + adjective + daripada is invariable in Indonesian. The intensified form jauh lebih means “far more” or “much more.” For equality comparisons, Indonesian uses sama + adjective + -nya + dengan or the prefix se- attached to the adjective. The negative comparative uses kurang + adjective + daripada (less... than) or tidak lebih... daripada (not more... than).
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50.1a Rumah house saya my lebih more besar big daripada than rumah house Anda your
50.1b Rumah (ROO-mah) house saya (SAH-ya) my lebih (LEH-bih) more besar (beh-SAR) big daripada (dah-ree-PAH-dah) than rumah (ROO-mah) house Anda (AHN-dah) your
50.2a Dia she lebih more pintar smart daripada than kakaknya her-older-sibling
50.2b Dia (DEE-ah) she lebih (LEH-bih) more pintar (PEEN-tar) smart daripada (dah-ree-PAH-dah) than kakaknya (kah-KAHK-nya) her-older-sibling
50.3a Buah fruit anggur grape ini this jauh far lebih more mahal expensive daripada than buah fruit apel apple itu that
50.3b Buah (BOO-ah) fruit anggur (AHNG-goor) grape ini (EE-nee) this jauh (JAUH) far lebih (LEH-bih) more mahal (MAH-hal) expensive daripada (dah-ree-PAH-dah) than buah (BOO-ah) fruit apel (AH-pel) apple itu (EE-too) that
50.4a Tidak not ada exist yang REL lebih more baik good daripada than kesehatan health
50.4b Tidak (TEE-dahk) not ada (AH-dah) exist yang (YAHNG) REL lebih (LEH-bih) more baik (bah-EEK) good daripada (dah-ree-PAH-dah) than kesehatan (keh-seh-HAH-tahn) health
50.5a Kopi coffee lebih more pahit bitter daripada than teh tea
50.5b Kopi (KOH-pee) coffee lebih (LEH-bih) more pahit (PAH-hit) bitter daripada (dah-ree-PAH-dah) than teh (TEH) tea
50.6a Perjalanan journey dengan by kereta train lebih more nyaman comfortable daripada than dengan by bus bus
50.6b Perjalanan (per-jah-LAH-nahn) journey dengan (DENG-ahn) by kereta (keh-REH-tah) train lebih (LEH-bih) more nyaman (NYAH-mahn) comfortable daripada (dah-ree-PAH-dah) than dengan (DENG-ahn) by bus (BUHS) bus
50.7a Adikku my-younger-sibling berlari runs lebih more cepat fast daripada than aku I
50.7b Adikku (ah-DEEK-koo) my-younger-sibling berlari (ber-LAH-ree) runs lebih (LEH-bih) more cepat (CHEH-paht) fast daripada (dah-ree-PAH-dah) than aku (AH-koo) I
50.8a Belajar studying bahasa language baru new lebih more mudah easy daripada than yang that-which kamu you kira think
50.8b Belajar (beh-LAH-jar) studying bahasa (bah-HAH-sah) language baru (BAH-roo) new lebih (LEH-bih) more mudah (MOO-dah) easy daripada (dah-ree-PAH-dah) than yang (YAHNG) that-which kamu (KAH-moo) you kira (KEE-rah) think
50.9a Cuaca weather hari day ini this lebih more panas hot daripada than kemarin yesterday
50.9b Cuaca (CHWAH-chah) weather hari (HAH-ree) day ini (EE-nee) this lebih (LEH-bih) more panas (PAH-nahs) hot daripada (dah-ree-PAH-dah) than kemarin (keh-MAH-reen) yesterday
50.10a Gunung mountain itu that lebih more tinggi tall daripada than gedung building tertinggi tallest di in kota city kami our
50.10b Gunung (GOO-noong) mountain itu (EE-too) that lebih (LEH-bih) more tinggi (TEENG-gee) tall daripada (dah-ree-PAH-dah) than gedung (GEH-doong) building tertinggi (ter-TEENG-gee) tallest di (DEE) in kota (KOH-tah) city kami (KAH-mee) our
50.11a Menulis writing dengan by tangan hand kurang less efisien efficient daripada than mengetik typing
50.11b Menulis (meh-NOO-lees) writing dengan (DENG-ahn) by tangan (TAHNG-ahn) hand kurang (KOO-rahng) less efisien (eh-fee-SYEN) efficient daripada (dah-ree-PAH-dah) than mengetik (meng-eh-TEEK) typing
50.12a Daripada rather-than menunggu waiting di at sini here lebih more baik good kita we pergi go sekarang now
50.12b Daripada (dah-ree-PAH-dah) rather-than menunggu (meh-NOONG-goo) waiting di (DEE) at sini (SEE-nee) here lebih (LEH-bih) more baik (bah-EEK) good kita (KEE-tah) we pergi (PER-gee) go sekarang (seh-KAH-rahng) now
50.13a Tidak not ada exist tempat place yang REL lebih more indah beautiful daripada than rumah home sendiri own
50.13b Tidak (TEE-dahk) not ada (AH-dah) exist tempat (TEM-paht) place yang (YAHNG) REL lebih (LEH-bih) more indah (EEN-dah) beautiful daripada (dah-ree-PAH-dah) than rumah (ROO-mah) home sendiri (sen-DEE-ree) own
50.14a Pengalaman experience lebih more berharga valuable daripada than uang money
50.14b Pengalaman (peng-ah-LAH-mahn) experience lebih (LEH-bih) more berharga (ber-HAR-gah) valuable daripada (dah-ree-PAH-dah) than uang (OO-ahng) money
50.15a Film film dokumenter documentary ini this jauh far lebih more menarik interesting daripada than yang the-one kemarin yesterday kita we tonton watched
50.15b Film (FILM) film dokumenter (doh-koo-MEN-ter) documentary ini (EE-nee) this jauh (JAUH) far lebih (LEH-bih) more menarik (meh-NAH-reek) interesting daripada (dah-ree-PAH-dah) than yang (YAHNG) the-one kemarin (keh-MAH-reen) yesterday kita (KEE-tah) we tonton (TOHN-tohn) watched
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50.1 Rumah saya lebih besar daripada rumah Anda. “My house is bigger than your house.”
50.2 Dia lebih pintar daripada kakaknya. “She is smarter than her older sibling.”
50.3 Buah anggur ini jauh lebih mahal daripada buah apel itu. “These grapes are far more expensive than those apples.”
50.4 Tidak ada yang lebih baik daripada kesehatan. “There is nothing better than health.”
50.5 Kopi lebih pahit daripada teh. “Coffee is more bitter than tea.”
50.6 Perjalanan dengan kereta lebih nyaman daripada dengan bus. “Traveling by train is more comfortable than by bus.”
50.7 Adikku berlari lebih cepat daripada aku. “My younger sibling runs faster than me.”
50.8 Belajar bahasa baru lebih mudah daripada yang kamu kira. “Learning a new language is easier than you think.”
50.9 Cuaca hari ini lebih panas daripada kemarin. “The weather today is hotter than yesterday.”
50.10 Gunung itu lebih tinggi daripada gedung tertinggi di kota kami. “That mountain is taller than the tallest building in our city.”
50.11 Menulis dengan tangan kurang efisien daripada mengetik. “Writing by hand is less efficient than typing.”
50.12 Daripada menunggu di sini, lebih baik kita pergi sekarang. “Rather than waiting here, it’s better that we go now.”
50.13 Tidak ada tempat yang lebih indah daripada rumah sendiri. “There is no place more beautiful than one’s own home.”
50.14 Pengalaman lebih berharga daripada uang. “Experience is more valuable than money.”
50.15 Film dokumenter ini jauh lebih menarik daripada yang kemarin kita tonton. “This documentary is far more interesting than the one we watched yesterday.”
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50.1 Rumah saya lebih besar daripada rumah Anda.
50.2 Dia lebih pintar daripada kakaknya.
50.3 Buah anggur ini jauh lebih mahal daripada buah apel itu.
50.4 Tidak ada yang lebih baik daripada kesehatan.
50.5 Kopi lebih pahit daripada teh.
50.6 Perjalanan dengan kereta lebih nyaman daripada dengan bus.
50.7 Adikku berlari lebih cepat daripada aku.
50.8 Belajar bahasa baru lebih mudah daripada yang kamu kira.
50.9 Cuaca hari ini lebih panas daripada kemarin.
50.10 Gunung itu lebih tinggi daripada gedung tertinggi di kota kami.
50.11 Menulis dengan tangan kurang efisien daripada mengetik.
50.12 Daripada menunggu di sini, lebih baik kita pergi sekarang.
50.13 Tidak ada tempat yang lebih indah daripada rumah sendiri.
50.14 Pengalaman lebih berharga daripada uang.
50.15 Film dokumenter ini jauh lebih menarik daripada yang kemarin kita tonton.
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These are the grammar rules for daripada:
The Indonesian comparative construction follows a fixed pattern that differs from English. Where English uses either the “-er” suffix (taller, bigger) or “more” before adjectives (more beautiful), Indonesian uses a single, invariable pattern.
The Basic Comparative Formula
Subject + lebih + adjective + daripada + object of comparison
The word lebih (more) always precedes the adjective, regardless of the adjective’s length or syllable count. The word daripada (than) always follows the adjective and introduces the thing being compared against.
Saya lebih tua daripada dia means “I am older than him/her.” Notice that Indonesian does not change the adjective itself—tua (old) remains unchanged.
Intensified Comparisons
To express “much more” or “far more,” Indonesian adds jauh (far/much) before lebih. The construction becomes Subject + jauh lebih + adjective + daripada + comparison. For example, Ini jauh lebih bagus daripada itu means “This is much better than that.”
Negative Comparisons
To say “not more than,” Indonesian places tidak before lebih, producing tidak lebih... daripada. For “less than,” the word kurang (less/lacking) replaces lebih, creating Subject + kurang + adjective + daripada + comparison.
Daripada as “Rather Than”
When daripada appears at the beginning of a clause followed by a verb, it functions as “rather than” or “instead of.” This usage introduces an alternative that is being rejected in favor of something else. Daripada tidur, saya belajar means “Rather than sleeping, I study.”
Equality Comparisons
While not using daripada, equality (”as... as”) in Indonesian uses either sama + adjective + -nya + dengan or the prefix se- attached directly to the adjective. Dia setinggi saya means “She is as tall as me.”
Colloquial Variant
In informal speech, particularly in Java-influenced Indonesian, ketimbang may replace daripada with identical meaning. This is marked as cak (colloquial) in the Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia.
English speakers often attempt to place daripada immediately after the adjective without using lebih, producing ungrammatical sentences like Dia tinggi daripada saya instead of the correct Dia lebih tinggi daripada saya.
Another common error involves double-marking the comparative by adding both lebih and attempting to modify the adjective, which is unnecessary since Indonesian adjectives never change form for comparison.
Some learners confuse dari (from) with daripada (than). While both relate to separation or origin, only daripada functions in comparisons. Saya dari Jakarta means “I am from Jakarta,” while Saya lebih tinggi daripada dia means “I am taller than him.”
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Comparisons in Indonesian culture often carry subtle social implications. Direct comparisons between people, especially regarding intelligence, wealth, or status, may be considered impolite in formal settings. Indonesians frequently soften comparisons with hedging phrases like mungkin (perhaps) or sepertinya (it seems).
The phrase lebih baik daripada (better than) appears frequently in Indonesian proverbs and moral teachings. The traditional saying Lebih baik malu bertanya daripada sesat di jalan (Better to be embarrassed asking than lost on the road) exemplifies how comparison structures encode cultural wisdom about humility and practical reasoning.
In commercial and advertising contexts, lebih and daripada constructions appear ubiquitously—products are described as lebih murah daripada (cheaper than), lebih cepat daripada (faster than), or lebih enak daripada (tastier than) competitors.
The colloquial form ketimbang derives from Javanese and reflects the significant Javanese cultural influence on standard Indonesian. While fully acceptable in casual conversation throughout Indonesia, formal writing and official documents prefer daripada.
Regional variations exist in comparative expressions. Some eastern Indonesian languages have influenced local Indonesian dialects to use different comparative markers, though lebih...daripada remains universally understood.
The expression daripada used to mean “instead of” or “rather than” often carries a tone of resignation or pragmatic acceptance—choosing the lesser of two options. Daripada tidak makan, lebih baik makan nasi saja (Rather than not eating, better to just eat rice) reflects a practical, acceptance-oriented worldview common in Indonesian discourse.
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The following passage comes from Anak Semua Bangsa (Child of All Nations), the second novel in Pramoedya Ananta Toer’s celebrated Buru Quartet, first published in 1980. This excerpt features the character Nyai Ontosoroh addressing the protagonist Minke about European colonial attitudes.
Eropa Europe tidak not lebih more terhormat honorable daripada than kau you sendiri self Nak son
Eropa (eh-ROH-pah) Europe tidak (TEE-dahk) not lebih (LEH-bih) more terhormat (ter-HOR-maht) honorable daripada (dah-ree-PAH-dah) than kau (KAU) you sendiri (sen-DEE-ree) self Nak (NAHK) son
Eropa Europe lebih more unggul superior hanya only di in bidang field ilmu science pengetahuan knowledge dan and pengendalian self-control diri self
Eropa (eh-ROH-pah) Europe lebih (LEH-bih) more unggul (OONG-gool) superior hanya (HAH-nya) only di (DEE) in bidang (bee-DAHNG) field ilmu (EEL-moo) science pengetahuan (peng-eh-tah-HOO-ahn) knowledge dan (DAHN) and pengendalian (peng-en-dah-LEE-ahn) self-control diri (DEE-ree) self
Lebih more tidak not
Lebih (LEH-bih) more tidak (TEE-dahk) not
Eropa tidak lebih terhormat daripada kau sendiri, Nak! Eropa lebih unggul hanya di bidang ilmu, pengetahuan dan pengendalian diri. Lebih tidak.
“Europe is not more honorable than you yourself, Son! Europe is only superior in the field of science, knowledge, and self-control. Nothing more.”
Eropa tidak lebih terhormat daripada kau sendiri, Nak! Eropa lebih unggul hanya di bidang ilmu, pengetahuan dan pengendalian diri. Lebih tidak.
This passage demonstrates two comparative constructions. The first, tidak lebih terhormat daripada, shows the negative comparative (”not more honorable than”), formed by placing tidak before lebih. The second, lebih unggul, appears without an explicit comparison object, as the context implies comparison to the Natives.
Key vocabulary includes terhormat (honorable), derived from hormat (respect) with the circumfix ter-...- indicating a state or quality. The word unggul (superior/excellent) represents formal register. The noun phrase pengendalian diri (self-control) combines pengendalian (control, from base kendali) with diri (self).
The emphatic final phrase Lebih tidak (Nothing more/More not) is a rhetorical device inverting normal word order for emphasis, characteristic of Pramoedya’s direct, forceful prose style.
Pramoedya Ananta Toer (1925-2006) is Indonesia’s most internationally acclaimed novelist, nominated multiple times for the Nobel Prize in Literature. The Buru Quartet, written mentally during his fourteen-year imprisonment without writing materials on Buru Island, chronicles Indonesian national awakening during the Dutch colonial period.
This passage exemplifies Pramoedya’s central theme: challenging colonial assertions of European superiority while acknowledging the genuine advances in science and governance that colonized peoples could learn and adapt. The comparison structure tidak lebih... daripada carries particular rhetorical force here, directly rejecting the premise of inherent European moral superiority while conceding specific material advantages.
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The following dialogue depicts a multi-generational Indonesian family discussing school choices, career paths, and life decisions over dinner—a context where comparisons naturally arise.
50.16a Ibu mother menurut according-to Ibu mother sekolah school negeri public lebih more bagus good daripada than sekolah school swasta private tidak no
50.16b Ibu (EE-boo) mother menurut (meh-NOO-root) according-to Ibu (EE-boo) mother sekolah (seh-KOH-lah) school negeri (neh-GEH-ree) public lebih (LEH-bih) more bagus (BAH-goos) good daripada (dah-ree-PAH-dah) than sekolah (seh-KOH-lah) school swasta (SWAHS-tah) private tidak (TEE-dahk) no
50.17a Belum not-yet tentu certain Nak child tergantung depends pada on gurunya its-teachers fasilitas facilities di at sekolah school swasta private sering often lebih more lengkap complete daripada than di at negeri public
50.17b Belum (BEH-loom) not-yet tentu (TEN-too) certain Nak (NAHK) child tergantung (ter-GAHN-toong) depends pada (PAH-dah) on gurunya (GOO-roo-nyah) its-teachers fasilitas (fah-see-LEE-tahs) facilities di (DEE) at sekolah (seh-KOH-lah) school swasta (SWAHS-tah) private sering (SEH-reeng) often lebih (LEH-bih) more lengkap (LEHNG-kahp) complete daripada (dah-ree-PAH-dah) than di (DEE) at negeri (neh-GEH-ree) public
50.18a Tapi but Pak father biaya cost sekolah school swasta private jauh far lebih more mahal expensive daripada than negeri public
50.18b Tapi (TAH-pee) but Pak (PAHK) father biaya (bee-AH-yah) cost sekolah (seh-KOH-lah) school swasta (SWAHS-tah) private jauh (JAUH) far lebih (LEH-bih) more mahal (MAH-hal) expensive daripada (dah-ree-PAH-dah) than negeri (neh-GEH-ree) public
50.19a Investasi investment pendidikan education lebih more penting important daripada than uang money yang that kita we simpan save
50.19b Investasi (een-vehs-TAH-see) investment pendidikan (pen-dee-DEE-kahn) education lebih (LEH-bih) more penting (PEN-teeng) important daripada (dah-ree-PAH-dah) than uang (OO-ahng) money yang (YAHNG) that kita (KEE-tah) we simpan (SEEM-pahn) save
50.20a Nenek grandmother dulu past tidak not ada exist pilihan choice seperti like sekarang now sekolah school zaman era Nenek grandmother lebih more sederhana simple daripada than sekarang now
50.20b Nenek (NEH-nehk) grandmother dulu (DOO-loo) past tidak (TEE-dahk) not ada (AH-dah) exist pilihan (pee-LEE-hahn) choice seperti (seh-PER-tee) like sekarang (seh-KAH-rahng) now sekolah (seh-KOH-lah) school zaman (ZAH-mahn) era Nenek (NEH-nehk) grandmother lebih (LEH-bih) more sederhana (seh-der-HAH-nah) simple daripada (dah-ree-PAH-dah) than sekarang (seh-KAH-rahng) now
50.21a Kakak older-sibling menurutku according-to-me belajar studying di in luar outside negeri country lebih more menantang challenging daripada than di in dalam inside negeri country
50.21b Kakak (KAH-kahk) older-sibling menurutku (meh-noo-ROOT-koo) according-to-me belajar (beh-LAH-jar) studying di (DEE) in luar (LOO-ar) outside negeri (neh-GEH-ree) country lebih (LEH-bih) more menantang (meh-NAHN-tahng) challenging daripada (dah-ree-PAH-dah) than di (DEE) in dalam (DAH-lahm) inside negeri (neh-GEH-ree) country
50.22a Tentu of-course saja just tapi but kerinduan longing pada for keluarga family kadang sometimes lebih more berat heavy daripada than beban burden kuliah studies
50.22b Tentu (TEN-too) of-course saja (SAH-jah) just tapi (TAH-pee) but kerinduan (keh-reen-DOO-ahn) longing pada (PAH-dah) for keluarga (keh-loo-AR-gah) family kadang (KAH-dahng) sometimes lebih (LEH-bih) more berat (beh-RAHT) heavy daripada (dah-ree-PAH-dah) than beban (beh-BAHN) burden kuliah (koo-LEE-ah) studies
50.23a Adik younger-sibling daripada rather-than pergi go jauh far lebih more baik good kuliah study di in sini here saja just dekat near dengan with keluarga family
50.23b Adik (AH-deek) younger-sibling daripada (dah-ree-PAH-dah) rather-than pergi (PER-gee) go jauh (JAUH) far lebih (LEH-bih) more baik (bah-EEK) good kuliah (koo-LEE-ah) study di (DEE) in sini (SEE-nee) here saja (SAH-jah) just dekat (deh-KAHT) near dengan (DENG-ahn) with keluarga (keh-loo-AR-gah) family
50.24a Setiap every orang person punya has jalan path sendiri own pengalaman experience Adik younger-sibling tidak not akan will sama same dengan with Kakak older-sibling
50.24b Setiap (seh-TEE-ahp) every orang (OH-rahng) person punya (POO-nyah) has jalan (JAH-lahn) path sendiri (sen-DEE-ree) own pengalaman (peng-ah-LAH-mahn) experience Adik (AH-deek) younger-sibling tidak (TEE-dahk) not akan (AH-kahn) will sama (SAH-mah) same dengan (DENG-ahn) with Kakak (KAH-kahk) older-sibling
50.25a Ayah father yang REL paling most penting important adalah is kamu you bahagia happy dengan with pilihanmu your-choice itu that lebih more berharga valuable daripada than prestise prestige universitas university
50.25b Ayah (AH-yah) father yang (YAHNG) REL paling (PAH-leeng) most penting (PEN-teeng) important adalah (AH-dah-lah) is kamu (KAH-moo) you bahagia (bah-HAH-gee-ah) happy dengan (DENG-ahn) with pilihanmu (pee-LEE-hahn-moo) your-choice itu (EE-too) that lebih (LEH-bih) more berharga (ber-HAR-gah) valuable daripada (dah-ree-PAH-dah) than prestise (prehs-TEE-seh) prestige universitas (oo-nee-ver-SEE-tahs) university
50.26a Betul true sekali very Pak father kesuksesan success tidak not selalu always diukur measured dari from gelar degree tapi but dari from kebahagiaan happiness
50.26b Betul (beh-TOOL) true sekali (seh-KAH-lee) very Pak (PAHK) father kesuksesan (keh-sook-SEH-sahn) success tidak (TEE-dahk) not selalu (seh-LAH-loo) always diukur (dee-OO-koor) measured dari (DAH-ree) from gelar (geh-LAR) degree tapi (TAH-pee) but dari (DAH-ree) from kebahagiaan (keh-bah-hah-gee-AH-ahn) happiness
50.27a Kakek grandfather waktu time muda young Kakek grandfather memilih chose kerja work daripada than kuliah college dan and tidak not pernah ever menyesal regret
50.27b Kakek (KAH-kehk) grandfather waktu (WAHK-too) time muda (MOO-dah) young Kakek (KAH-kehk) grandfather memilih (meh-MEE-lih) chose kerja (KER-jah) work daripada (dah-ree-PAH-dah) than kuliah (koo-LEE-ah) college dan (DAHN) and tidak (TEE-dahk) not pernah (PER-nah) ever menyesal (meh-NYEH-sahl) regret
50.28a Zaman times berbeda different Kek grandpa persaingan competition sekarang now jauh far lebih more ketat tight daripada than dulu past
50.28b Zaman (ZAH-mahn) times berbeda (ber-BEH-dah) different Kek (KEHK) grandpa persaingan (per-sah-EENG-ahn) competition sekarang (seh-KAH-rahng) now jauh (JAUH) far lebih (LEH-bih) more ketat (keh-TAHT) tight daripada (dah-ree-PAH-dah) than dulu (DOO-loo) past
50.29a Memang indeed benar true tapi but nilai values kejujuran honesty dan and kerja work keras hard tidak not pernah ever berubah change itu that lebih more abadi eternal daripada than ijazah diploma manapun any
50.29b Memang (meh-MAHNG) indeed benar (beh-NAR) true tapi (TAH-pee) but nilai (nee-LAH-ee) values kejujuran (keh-joo-JOO-rahn) honesty dan (DAHN) and kerja (KER-jah) work keras (keh-RAHS) hard tidak (TEE-dahk) not pernah (PER-nah) ever berubah (beh-ROO-bah) change itu (EE-too) that lebih (LEH-bih) more abadi (ah-BAH-dee) eternal daripada (dah-ree-PAH-dah) than ijazah (ee-JAH-zah) diploma manapun (mah-nah-POON) any
50.30a Ayo come-on makan eat dulu first nasi rice sudah already dingin cold percakapan conversation yang REL hangat warm lebih more enak pleasant daripada than makanan food yang REL panas hot
50.30b Ayo (AH-yoh) come-on makan (MAH-kahn) eat dulu (DOO-loo) first nasi (NAH-see) rice sudah (SOO-dah) already dingin (DEE-ngeen) cold percakapan (per-chah-KAH-pahn) conversation yang (YAHNG) REL hangat (HAHNG-aht) warm lebih (LEH-bih) more enak (EH-nahk) pleasant daripada (dah-ree-PAH-dah) than makanan (mah-KAH-nahn) food yang (YAHNG) REL panas (PAH-nahs) hot
50.16 “Ibu, menurut Ibu, sekolah negeri lebih bagus daripada sekolah swasta, tidak?” “Mom, in your opinion, is public school better than private school, or not?”
50.17 “Belum tentu, Nak. Tergantung pada gurunya. Fasilitas di sekolah swasta sering lebih lengkap daripada di negeri.” “Not necessarily, child. It depends on the teachers. Facilities at private schools are often more complete than at public ones.”
50.18 “Tapi Pak, biaya sekolah swasta jauh lebih mahal daripada negeri.” “But Dad, the cost of private school is far more expensive than public.”
50.19 “Investasi pendidikan lebih penting daripada uang yang kita simpan.” “Investment in education is more important than money we save.”
50.20 “Dulu tidak ada pilihan seperti sekarang. Sekolah zaman Nenek lebih sederhana daripada sekarang.” “In the past there weren’t choices like now. School in Grandma’s era was simpler than now.”
50.21 “Menurutku, belajar di luar negeri lebih menantang daripada di dalam negeri.” “In my opinion, studying abroad is more challenging than studying domestically.”
50.22 “Tentu saja, tapi kerinduan pada keluarga kadang lebih berat daripada beban kuliah.” “Of course, but longing for family is sometimes heavier than the burden of studies.”
50.23 “Daripada pergi jauh, lebih baik kuliah di sini saja, dekat dengan keluarga.” “Rather than going far away, it’s better to just study here, close to family.”
50.24 “Setiap orang punya jalan sendiri. Pengalaman Adik tidak akan sama dengan Kakak.” “Everyone has their own path. Your experience won’t be the same as your older sibling’s.”
50.25 “Yang paling penting adalah kamu bahagia dengan pilihanmu. Itu lebih berharga daripada prestise universitas.” “The most important thing is that you’re happy with your choice. That’s more valuable than university prestige.”
50.26 “Betul sekali, Pak. Kesuksesan tidak selalu diukur dari gelar, tapi dari kebahagiaan.” “Very true, Dad. Success isn’t always measured by degrees, but by happiness.”
50.27 “Waktu muda, Kakek memilih kerja daripada kuliah, dan tidak pernah menyesal.” “When young, Grandpa chose work over college, and never regretted it.”
50.28 “Zaman berbeda, Kek. Persaingan sekarang jauh lebih ketat daripada dulu.” “Times are different, Grandpa. Competition now is far tighter than before.”
50.29 “Memang benar, tapi nilai kejujuran dan kerja keras tidak pernah berubah. Itu lebih abadi daripada ijazah manapun.” “That’s true indeed, but the values of honesty and hard work never change. Those are more eternal than any diploma.”
50.30 “Ayo makan dulu, nasi sudah dingin. Percakapan yang hangat lebih enak daripada makanan yang panas!” “Come on, let’s eat first, the rice is already cold. Warm conversation is more pleasant than hot food!”
50.16 “Ibu, menurut Ibu, sekolah negeri lebih bagus daripada sekolah swasta, tidak?”
50.17 “Belum tentu, Nak. Tergantung pada gurunya. Fasilitas di sekolah swasta sering lebih lengkap daripada di negeri.”
50.18 “Tapi Pak, biaya sekolah swasta jauh lebih mahal daripada negeri.”
50.19 “Investasi pendidikan lebih penting daripada uang yang kita simpan.”
50.20 “Dulu tidak ada pilihan seperti sekarang. Sekolah zaman Nenek lebih sederhana daripada sekarang.”
50.21 “Menurutku, belajar di luar negeri lebih menantang daripada di dalam negeri.”
50.22 “Tentu saja, tapi kerinduan pada keluarga kadang lebih berat daripada beban kuliah.”
50.23 “Daripada pergi jauh, lebih baik kuliah di sini saja, dekat dengan keluarga.”
50.24 “Setiap orang punya jalan sendiri. Pengalaman Adik tidak akan sama dengan Kakak.”
50.25 “Yang paling penting adalah kamu bahagia dengan pilihanmu. Itu lebih berharga daripada prestise universitas.”
50.26 “Betul sekali, Pak. Kesuksesan tidak selalu diukur dari gelar, tapi dari kebahagiaan.”
50.27 “Waktu muda, Kakek memilih kerja daripada kuliah, dan tidak pernah menyesal.”
50.28 “Zaman berbeda, Kek. Persaingan sekarang jauh lebih ketat daripada dulu.”
50.29 “Memang benar, tapi nilai kejujuran dan kerja keras tidak pernah berubah. Itu lebih abadi daripada ijazah manapun.”
50.30 “Ayo makan dulu, nasi sudah dingin. Percakapan yang hangat lebih enak daripada makanan yang panas!”
The family dialogue demonstrates several advanced uses of daripada and related comparative structures.
Elliptical Comparisons: In 50.17, lebih lengkap daripada di negeri omits the repeated noun sekolah, as Indonesian readily allows such ellipsis when context is clear.
Daripada with Verbs: Example 50.27 shows daripada used to compare actions rather than qualities: memilih kerja daripada kuliah (chose work over college). This “rather than” usage is common when presenting alternatives.
Intensified Time Comparisons: Example 50.28 uses jauh lebih ketat daripada dulu to compare present and past conditions, with dulu (the past/before) serving as the comparison point.
Abstract Comparisons: Examples like 50.29 compare intangible qualities: lebih abadi daripada ijazah (more eternal than a diploma), showing how the comparative structure works with abstract concepts.
Rhetorical Comparisons: The final example (50.30) uses comparison for humor: percakapan yang hangat lebih enak daripada makanan yang panas plays on the double meaning of hangat (warm) as both temperature and emotional warmth.
Family Address Terms: The dialogue showcases Indonesian kinship terms used as pronouns. Ibu/Pak (mother/father), Kakak/Adik (older/younger sibling), Nenek/Kakek (grandmother/grandfather) all function as both address terms and self-reference, creating the characteristic indirectness of Indonesian family discourse.
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Indonesian pronunciation is highly regular, with consistent letter-to-sound correspondence.
Key Sounds for This Lesson
The word daripada is pronounced dah-ree-PAH-dah, with stress on the penultimate syllable. The vowel a is always open as in “father,” never reduced as in English unstressed syllables.
The word lebih is pronounced LEH-bih, with the final h very lightly aspirated or silent. Some speakers pronounce it as LEH-bee.
Common Pronunciation Challenges
English speakers often stress Indonesian words incorrectly. Indonesian stress typically falls on the penultimate (second-to-last) syllable, but is much lighter than English stress. Avoid heavy emphasis.
The Indonesian r is rolled or trilled, similar to Spanish. In daripada, both r sounds should be lightly rolled.
The letter c in Indonesian is always pronounced CH as in “church.” Thus cepat (fast) is CHEH-paht, not SEH-paht.
The vowel e has two pronunciations: open é as in “bed” (written e in most words) and schwa ə as in “about” (common in prefixes like me-, ke-, se-).
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This Indonesian course follows the Universal Language Learning Curriculum, systematically introducing the 1000 most frequent words of the language through carefully designed lessons. Each lesson is self-contained, with the interlinear glossing format making all vocabulary immediately accessible regardless of the learner’s current level.
The dual-line interlinear format—with Indonesian text followed by pronunciation guidance and English glosses—creates complementary learning pathways. The first line builds script-to-meaning associations, while the second reinforces pronunciation patterns.
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Lesson 50 Complete
Nexal Code: @ᴸᴱˢˢᴼᴺ.50.ᴵᴺᴰᴼᴺᴱˢᴵᴬᴺ.ᴰᴬᴿᴵᴾᴬᴰᴬ.ᶜᴼᴹᴾᴬᴿᴬᵀᴵⱽᴱ
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