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The pronoun "it" refers to a thing, animal, or abstract concept previously mentioned or easily identified in context. In Javanese, the demonstrative pronoun iku (iku) serves this function, meaning "that" or "it." This word is fundamental to Javanese communication, pointing to objects or concepts at a distance from the speaker. Javanese, an Austronesian language spoken by over 80 million people primarily in Central and East Java, Indonesia, uses a complex system of speech levels. The word iku belongs to the ngoko (informal) register. Throughout these 15 examples, you'll see how iku functions as a pronoun referring to previously mentioned items, abstract concepts, and distant objects, demonstrating its versatility in everyday Javanese speech.
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FAQ Schema: What does "iku" mean in Javanese? In Javanese, iku (iku) is a demonstrative pronoun meaning "that" or "it," used to refer to objects, concepts, or situations that are distant from the speaker or previously mentioned in conversation.
Educational Schema: This lesson is part of a comprehensive Javanese language learning course designed for autodidactic English speakers, utilizing interlinear glossing to make the non-Latin script accessible.
Key Takeaways: Master the use of iku as a third-person neuter pronoun, understand its role in Javanese sentence structure, and learn how demonstrative pronouns function differently in Javanese compared to English.
Javanese can be written in three scripts: the traditional Javanese script (Hanacaraka/Carakan), Arabic script (Pegon), and Latin script. This lesson uses Latin script with standard transliteration. Javanese is an agglutinative language where grammatical relationships are expressed through affixes. The language has three main speech levels: Ngoko (informal), Madya (semi-formal), and Krama (formal). Pronunciation note: 'e' can be pronounced as /ə/ (schwa) or /e/, 'é' as /e/, and 'è' as /ɛ/.
10.1 Iku (iku) that apik (apik) good tenan (tenan) very
10.2 Buku (buku) book iku (iku) that ana (ana) exist ing (ing) on meja (meja) table
10.3 Apa (apa) what iku (iku) that jenengé (jenengé) name-DEF
10.4 Aku (aku) I weruh (weruh) know iku (iku) that wingi (wingi) yesterday
10.5 Iku (iku) that dudu (dudu) not duwéku (duwéku) mine
10.6 Sapa (sapa) who sing (sing) REL tuku (tuku) buy iku (iku) that
10.7 Omah (omah) house iku (iku) that gedé (gedé) big banget (banget) very
10.8 Iku (iku) that wis (wis) already rusak (rusak) broken
10.9 Aja (aja) don't njupuk (njupuk) take iku (iku) that
10.10 Pira (pira) how-much regané (regané) price-DEF iku (iku) that
10.11 Wong (wong) person iku (iku) that teka (teka) come saka (saka) from Jakarta (Jakarta) Jakarta
10.12 Iku (iku) that kudu (kudu) must diresiki (diresiki) PASS-clean
10.13 Kembang (kembang) flower iku (iku) that arum (arum) fragrant gandané (gandané) smell-DEF
10.14 Aku (aku) I ora (ora) not seneng (seneng) like iku (iku) that
10.15 Iku (iku) that angel (angel) difficult kanggo (kanggo) for aku (aku) me
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10.1 Iku apik tenan. That's very good.
10.2 Buku iku ana ing meja. That book is on the table.
10.3 Apa iku jenengé? What is it called?
10.4 Aku weruh iku wingi. I saw it yesterday.
10.5 Iku dudu duwéku. That's not mine.
10.6 Sapa sing tuku iku? Who bought that?
10.7 Omah iku gedé banget. That house is very big.
10.8 Iku wis rusak. It's already broken.
10.9 Aja njupuk iku. Don't take that.
10.10 Pira regané iku? How much does it cost?
10.11 Wong iku teka saka Jakarta. That person came from Jakarta.
10.12 Iku kudu diresiki. It must be cleaned.
10.13 Kembang iku arum gandané. That flower smells fragrant.
10.14 Aku ora seneng iku. I don't like that.
10.15 Iku angel kanggo aku. That's difficult for me.
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10.1 Iku apik tenan.
10.2 Buku iku ana ing meja.
10.3 Apa iku jenengé?
10.4 Aku weruh iku wingi.
10.5 Iku dudu duwéku.
10.6 Sapa sing tuku iku?
10.7 Omah iku gedé banget.
10.8 Iku wis rusak.
10.9 Aja njupuk iku.
10.10 Pira regané iku?
10.11 Wong iku teka saka Jakarta.
10.12 Iku kudu diresiki.
10.13 Kembang iku arum gandané.
10.14 Aku ora seneng iku.
10.15 Iku angel kanggo aku.
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These are the grammar rules for iku.
Iku functions as both a demonstrative pronoun ("that") and as the equivalent of English "it" when referring to previously mentioned objects or concepts. Unlike English, Javanese does not have a dedicated third-person neuter pronoun separate from demonstratives. Iku refers to items at a medial distance from the speaker, contrasting with iki (this, near) and ika/kae (that over there, far).
Word order in Javanese typically follows Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) pattern, though variations occur for emphasis. Iku can appear in subject position at the beginning of sentences or after the noun it modifies (noun + iku pattern). When modifying a noun, iku follows the noun rather than preceding it as in English.
Javanese verbs do not conjugate for person or tense. Context and time markers indicate when actions occur. The passive voice, marked by the prefix di-, is common when iku is the subject of an action being performed upon it.
English speakers often place iku before the noun (incorrect: iku buku), when it should follow (correct: buku iku). Another error is overusing iku where Javanese would naturally omit pronouns entirely. Javanese frequently drops pronouns when context is clear.
Demonstrative pronouns in ngoko register: -
iki (iki) - this (near speaker) -
iku (iku) - that/it (medial distance) -
kae/ika (kae/ika) - that over there (far)
Position rules: -
As pronoun: sentence-initial or object position -
As modifier: follows the noun -
Can be emphasized with particles like lho or kok
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In Javanese culture, the choice of pronouns and demonstratives reflects social relationships and politeness levels. While iku belongs to ngoko (informal speech), in formal situations speakers might use punika (krama) or menika (krama inggil). The appropriate choice depends on the speaker's relationship with the listener, their relative ages, and social status.
Javanese speakers often avoid direct pointing when using iku, instead using subtle head movements or glances. This reflects the Javanese value of alus (refinement) in behavior. In traditional contexts, especially in the courts of Yogyakarta and Surakarta, excessive use of demonstratives is considered unrefined.
The idiomatic expression iku-iku waé means "always the same thing" or "that's all there is," showing resignation or mild complaint. Iku mau refers to something just mentioned, literally "that earlier."
Regional variations exist across Java. East Javanese dialects may pronounce iku more like iko, while in some coastal areas influenced by Malay, speakers might alternate between iku and Indonesian itu. The Banyumasan dialect preserves older pronunciations, maintaining final consonants more clearly than standard Central Javanese.
In wayang (shadow puppet) performances, the dalang (puppeteer) uses iku frequently when narrating action or pointing out characters to the audience, making it a key word in traditional storytelling.
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From the Serat Centhini, describing Prince Jayengresmi's observation of a gamelan orchestra:
Gamelan (gamelan) gamelan iku (iku) that swarane (swarane) sound-DEF kaya (kaya) like swarga (swarga) heaven tumurun (tumurun) descending ing (ing) to bumi (bumi) earth. Gendingé (gendingé) melody-DEF alus (alus) refined tur (tur) and endah (endah) beautiful, nggugah (nggugah) awaken rasa (rasa) feeling sing (sing) REL jero (jero) deep ing (ing) in ati (ati) heart. Saben (saben) every wilahan (wilahan) key muni (muni) sound laras (laras) harmonious, kaya (kaya) like déwa (déwa) gods sing (sing) REL padha (padha) together nembang (nembang) sing. Iku (iku) that kabèh (kabèh) all dadi (dadi) become siji (siji) one ing (ing) in sawijining (sawijining) one kasampurnan (kasampurnan) perfection kang (kang) REL ora (ora) not bisa (bisa) able diucapake (diucapake) PASS-express nganggo (nganggo) using tembung (tembung) words.
Gamelan iku swarané kaya swarga tumurun ing bumi. Gendingé alus tur endah, nggugah rasa sing jero ing ati. Saben wilahan muni laras, kaya déwa sing padha nembang. Iku kabèh dadi siji ing sawijining kasampurnan kang ora bisa diucapaké nganggo tembung.
That gamelan's sound is like heaven descending to earth. Its melody is refined and beautiful, awakening deep feelings in the heart. Every key sounds in harmony, like gods singing together. All of that becomes one in a perfection that cannot be expressed with words.
Gamelan iku swarané kaya swarga tumurun ing bumi. Gendingé alus tur endah, nggugah rasa sing jero ing ati. Saben wilahan muni laras, kaya déwa sing padha nembang. Iku kabèh dadi siji ing sawijining kasampurnan kang ora bisa diucapaké nganggo tembung.
This passage demonstrates iku in two functions: first as a demonstrative modifier after gamelan, then as a pronoun subject referring to all the previously described elements. The passive voice diucapaké shows typical Javanese preference for passive constructions. Sanskrit loanwords like swarga (heaven) and déwa (gods) reflect Hindu-Buddhist influence on Javanese literature. The word laras means both "harmonious" and refers to the gamelan tuning system, showing Javanese linguistic precision in musical terminology.
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10.16 Mbak (mbak) sister pira (pira) how-much iku (iku) that témpe (témpe) tempeh sak (sak) one bungkus (bungkus) package
10.17 Iku (iku) that rong (rong) two èwu (èwu) thousand rupiah (rupiah) rupiah Mas (mas) brother
10.18 Wah (wah) EXCL larang (larang) expensive tenan (tenan) very iku (iku) that mbak (mbak) sister
10.19 Iku (iku) that wis (wis) already rega (rega) price pasar (pasar) market saiki (saiki) now mas (mas) brother
10.20 Tak (tak) 1SG-will golèk (golèk) search liyané (liyané) other-DEF waé (waé) just yen (yen) if iku (iku) that larang (larang) expensive
10.21 Lha (lha) PART iku (iku) that sing (sing) REL paling (paling) most murah (murah) cheap nèng (nèng) at kéné (kéné) here
10.22 Jeruk (jeruk) orange iku (iku) that pira (pira) how-much sekilo (sekilo) per-kilo mbak (mbak) sister
10.23 Iku (iku) that sepuluh (sepuluh) ten èwu (èwu) thousand mas (mas) brother manis (manis) sweet lho (lho) PART
10.24 Tak (tak) 1SG-will cobané (cobané) try-DEF siji (siji) one dhisik (dhisik) first iku (iku) that ya (ya) yes
10.25 Monggo (monggo) please mas (mas) brother iku (iku) that énggal (énggal) quickly dicoba (dicoba) PASS-try
10.26 Wah (wah) EXCL bener (bener) true iku (iku) that manis (manis) sweet tenan (tenan) very mbak (mbak) sister
10.27 Aku (aku) I tuku (tuku) buy rong (rong) two kilo (kilo) kilo waé (waé) just iku (iku) that
10.28 Iki (iki) this duwité (duwité) money-DEF pas (pas) exact ora (ora) not iku (iku) that mbak (mbak) sister
10.29 Ora (ora) not apa-apa (apa-apa) what-what mas (mas) brother iku (iku) that tak (tak) 1SG-will kembalèkaké (kembalèkaké) return
10.30 Matur (matur) say nuwun (nuwun) thanks mbak (mbak) sister iku (iku) that kabèh (kabèh) all apik (apik) good
10.16 Mbak, pira iku témpe sak bungkus? Sister, how much is that tempeh per package?
10.17 Iku rong èwu rupiah, Mas. That's two thousand rupiah, brother.
10.18 Wah, larang tenan iku mbak. Wow, that's really expensive, sister.
10.19 Iku wis rega pasar saiki, mas. That's already the market price now, brother.
10.20 Tak golèk liyané waé yen iku larang. I'll just look for another one if that's expensive.
10.21 Lha iku sing paling murah nèng kéné. But that's the cheapest one here.
10.22 Jeruk iku pira sekilo, mbak? How much are those oranges per kilo, sister?
10.23 Iku sepuluh èwu mas, manis lho. That's ten thousand brother, they're sweet you know.
10.24 Tak cobané siji dhisik iku ya. Let me try one first, okay?
10.25 Monggo mas, iku énggal dicoba. Please brother, quickly try it.
10.26 Wah, bener iku manis tenan mbak. Wow, it's true, that's really sweet, sister.
10.27 Aku tuku rong kilo waé iku. I'll buy just two kilos of that.
10.28 Iki duwité pas ora iku mbak? Is this money exact or not, sister?
10.29 Ora apa-apa mas, iku tak kembalèkaké. No problem brother, I'll give you change for that.
10.30 Matur nuwun mbak, iku kabèh apik. Thank you sister, all of that is good.
10.16 Mbak, pira iku témpe sak bungkus?
10.17 Iku rong èwu rupiah, Mas.
10.18 Wah, larang tenan iku mbak.
10.19 Iku wis rega pasar saiki, mas.
10.20 Tak golèk liyané waé yen iku larang.
10.21 Lha iku sing paling murah nèng kéné.
10.22 Jeruk iku pira sekilo, mbak?
10.23 Iku sepuluh èwu mas, manis lho.
10.24 Tak cobané siji dhisik iku ya.
10.25 Monggo mas, iku énggal dicoba.
10.26 Wah, bener iku manis tenan mbak.
10.27 Aku tuku rong kilo waé iku.
10.28 Iki duwité pas ora iku mbak?
10.29 Ora apa-apa mas, iku tak kembalèkaké.
10.30 Matur nuwun mbak, iku kabèh apik.
This market dialogue showcases colloquial Javanese with frequent use of iku in various positions. The kinship terms mas (brother) and mbak (sister) function as polite address forms, borrowed into Indonesian from Javanese. The prefix tak- represents first person singular future/volitional marking, showing pronoun incorporation into the verb. Particles like lho and lha add emphasis and maintain conversational flow, essential features of spoken Javanese.
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Vowels: -
a = /a/ as in "father" -
e = /ə/ (schwa) as in "about" or /e/ as in "way" (context-dependent) -
é = /e/ as in "way" -
è = /ɛ/ as in "bed" -
i = /i/ as in "machine" -
o = /o/ as in "go" -
u = /u/ as in "food"
Consonants: Most consonants are pronounced as in English, with these exceptions: -
dh = /ɖ/ retroflex d (tongue curled back) -
th = /ʈ/ retroflex t -
ng = /ŋ/ as in "sing" (can occur initially) -
ny = /ɲ/ as in "canyon" -
c = /tʃ/ as in "church" -
j = /dʒ/ as in "judge"
Common pronunciation errors: -
Failing to distinguish between e, é, and è -
Not pronouncing initial ng- (exists in Javanese but not English) -
Over-aspirating consonants (Javanese consonants are unaspirated) -
Applying English stress patterns (Javanese stress is generally on the penultimate syllable)
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