What is the Javanese for “to” before a verb?
English uses the little word “to” to mark the infinitive: “I want to sleep”, “I forgot to bring an umbrella”, “she went to buy rice”. Javanese has no infinitive and no infinitive marker. A Javanese verb has no special “dictionary form” different from the form used in a sentence, so the second verb simply follows the first: Aku pengin turu, “I want to sleep”, literally “I want sleep”. In most sentences, therefore, the English “to” is not translated at all.
Lesson 6 taught the other “to”, the preposition of direction and of the recipient: menyang pasar, “to the market”; marang anak, “to the child”. This lesson takes the “to” that stands before a verb, and shows the three ways Javanese expresses it:
- No word at all, after verbs of wanting, liking, intending, forgetting, daring and the like: aku pengin turu, “I want to sleep”; aja lali ngombé, “don’t forget to drink”. - No word at all after a verb of motion, when the second verb gives the purpose: Bapak lunga menyang pasar tuku beras, “Father went to the market to buy rice”. - A purpose word when the purpose must be made clear: kanggo + verb, “(in order) to, for”; supaya + clause, “so that, in order to”. Supaya is the headword of this lesson because it is the word a learner must add: Javanese can drop the English “to” almost everywhere except where it means “in order to”.
The three purpose words and their speech levels:
- supaya — ngoko, “so that, in order to”; krama supados. Supaya introduces a whole clause, which may have its own subject and may be negative: supaya ora telat, “so as not to be late”. - kanggo — ngoko, “for, (in order) to”; krama kanggé, krama inggil kagem. Kanggo is followed by a verb or a noun: kanggo sinau, “to study, for studying”. - bèn — colloquial ngoko, “so that”, shortened from karebèn. It is the everyday spoken form of supaya: sinau bèn pinter, “study to get clever”.
Etymology: the krama supados is formed on supaya as many krama words are, by keeping the first syllables and replacing the ending. Kanggo belongs with anggo and nganggo, “to use, to wear”: what is kanggo something is what is “used for” it. Bèn comes from karebèn, “as one wishes”.
Orthography: this course writes é for the close e, è for the open e and plain e for the neutral vowel (schwa). Bèn has the open e and is often written ben; kanggé, the krama of kanggo, has the close é and is often written kangge.
FAQ: How do I say “to” before a verb in Javanese?
Q: How do I say “I want to eat” in Javanese? A: Aku pengin mangan. No word is needed for “to”: the second verb follows the first directly. Politely: Kula kepéngin nedha.
Q: How do I say “in order to” in Javanese? A: With supaya before a clause (Aku tangi ésuk supaya ora telat, “I got up early so as not to be late”) or kanggo before a verb (Aku sinau basa Jawa kanggo ngomong karo simbah, “I am learning Javanese to talk with my grandmother”).
Q: What is the polite word for supaya? A: Supados (krama): Kula tumbas kalih bungkus supados cekap, “I’ll buy two bundles so that there is enough.”
Q: Does arep mean “to”? A: Arep means “to intend, to be going to”, and it is followed by the bare verb: Aku arep lunga, “I am going to leave”. Its krama is badhé, as in the polite opening Nyuwun sèwu, kula badhé nyuwun pirsa, “Excuse me, I would like to ask (something).”
Q: How do I say “It’s time to eat”? A: Wis wayahé mangan, literally “already its-time eat”. Again no word for “to”.
Key Takeaways:
- Javanese has no infinitive marker: after another verb, the English “to” is simply left out (pengin turu, lali nggawa, seneng maca) - After a verb of motion, the second verb gives the purpose without any linking word (lunga tuku, teka ngréwangi) - Purpose that must be stated: kanggo + verb (krama kanggé), supaya + clause (krama supados), colloquial bèn - “So as not to” is supaya ora: the clause after supaya can be negative and have its own subject - Directional “to” (menyang, marang) is a different word altogether (Lesson 6)
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
supaya /supɔjɔ/ — three syllables, su-pa-ya. Both a’s are pronounced as an open o, [ɔ], because the last two syllables of the word are open and both have a: “su-po-yo”. The spelling keeps a.
supados /supadɔs/ — su-pa-dos. Here the last syllable is closed by s, so the a before it stays [a] and the o is open [ɔ], as in British “hot”.
kanggo /kaŋɡo/ — ng is the sound of English “singer”, and the g after it is pronounced: kang-go, as in “finger”. The final o is close, nearer to the vowel of French “eau”. Krama kanggé /kaŋɡe/ ends in close é.
bèn /bɛn/ — one syllable with open è, as in English “ben”, but with the slack, slightly breathy b of Javanese.
pengin /pəŋɪn/ — the first e is the neutral vowel of “about”. In krama kepéngin /kəpeŋɪn/ the e of the second syllable is close é.
Verbs beginning with a nasal: ngombé /ŋɔmbe/, nggawa /ŋɡɔwɔ/, nyoba /ɲɔbɔ/, njaluk /ɲɟalʊʔ/. Each nasal cluster is one onset; do not put a vowel in front of it. These nasals are the active prefix of the verb (ombé → ngombé, gawa → nggawa, coba → nyoba, jaluk → njaluk), and they are the form you use after pengin, lali, arep and the purpose words.
Final k is a glottal stop: njaluk [ɲɟalʊʔ], ésuk [esʊʔ], dhisik [ɖisɪʔ].
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
12.1a Aku I pengin want turu to-sleep
12.1b Aku /aku/ 1SG pengin /pəŋɪn/ want turu /turu/ sleep
12.2a Adhiku my-younger-sibling seneng likes maca to-read
12.2b Adhiku /aɖiku/ younger.sibling-POSS.1SG seneng /sənəŋ/ like maca /mɔcɔ/ AV.read
12.3a Aku I arep intend lunga to-go
12.3b Aku /aku/ 1SG arep /arəp/ FUT lunga /luŋɔ/ go
12.4a Aku I lali forgot nggawa to-bring payung umbrella
12.4b Aku /aku/ 1SG lali /lali/ forget nggawa /ŋɡɔwɔ/ AV-bring payung /pajʊŋ/ umbrella
12.5a Kula I kepéngin want sinau to-study
12.5b Kula /kulɔ/ 1SG.KR kepéngin /kəpeŋɪn/ want.KR sinau /sinau/ study
12.6a Bapak father lunga went menyang to pasar market tuku to-buy beras rice
12.6b Bapak /bapaʔ/ father lunga /luŋɔ/ go menyang /məɲaŋ/ to pasar /pasar/ market tuku /tuku/ buy beras /bəras/ rice
12.7a Aku I sinau study basa language Jawa Javanese kanggo to ngomong speak karo with simbah grandparent
12.7b Aku /aku/ 1SG sinau /sinau/ study basa /bɔsɔ/ language Jawa /ɟɔwɔ/ Java kanggo /kaŋɡo/ PURP ngomong /ŋɔmɔŋ/ AV-speak karo /karo/ with simbah /simbah/ grandparent
12.8a Ibu mother tangi gets-up ésuk early supaya so-that ora not telat late
12.8b Ibu /ibu/ mother tangi /taŋi/ wake.up ésuk /esʊʔ/ morning supaya /supɔjɔ/ so.that ora /ɔrɔ/ NEG telat /təlat/ late
12.9a Aja don’t lali forget ngombé to-drink banyu water putih white
12.9b Aja /ɔɟɔ/ PROH lali /lali/ forget ngombé /ŋɔmbe/ AV-drink banyu /baɲu/ water putih /putɪh/ white
12.10a Kowé you kudu must sregep diligent sinau study bèn so-that pinter clever
12.10b Kowé /kowe/ 2SG kudu /kudu/ must sregep /srəɡəp/ diligent sinau /sinau/ study bèn /bɛn/ so.that.COLL pinter /pintər/ clever
12.11a Nyuwun I-ask sèwu a-thousand kula I badhé would-like nyuwun to-ask pirsa to-know
12.11b Nyuwun /ɲuwʊn/ AV-ask.KR sèwu /sɛwu/ one.thousand kula /kulɔ/ 1SG.KR badhé /baɖe/ FUT.KR nyuwun /ɲuwʊn/ AV-ask.KR pirsa /pirsɔ/ know.KI
12.12a Simbah grandparent tindak goes menyang to masjid mosque kanggo to sembahyang pray
12.12b Simbah /simbah/ grandparent tindak /tindaʔ/ go.KI menyang /məɲaŋ/ to masjid /masɟɪt/ mosque kanggo /kaŋɡo/ PURP sembahyang /səmbahjaŋ/ pray
12.13a Aku I teka came mréné here ora not kanggo to njaluk ask-for dhuwit money nanging but kanggo to nulungi help kowé you
12.13b Aku /aku/ 1SG teka /təkɔ/ come mréné /mrene/ to.here ora /ɔrɔ/ NEG kanggo /kaŋɡo/ PURP njaluk /ɲɟalʊʔ/ AV-ask.for dhuwit /ɖuwɪt/ money nanging /naŋɪŋ/ but kanggo /kaŋɡo/ PURP nulungi /nuluŋi/ AV-help-APPL kowé /kowe/ 2SG
12.14a Supaya in-order bisa to-be-able ngomong to-speak basa language Jawa Javanese kowé you kudu must wani dare nyoba to-try
12.14b Supaya /supɔjɔ/ so.that bisa /bisɔ/ can ngomong /ŋɔmɔŋ/ AV-speak basa /bɔsɔ/ language Jawa /ɟɔwɔ/ Java kowé /kowe/ 2SG kudu /kudu/ must wani /wani/ dare nyoba /ɲɔbɔ/ AV-try
12.15a Wis already wayahé its-time mangan to-eat ayo come-on padha all wisuh wash tangan hands dhisik first
12.15b Wis /wɪs/ already wayahé /wajahe/ time-DEF mangan /maŋan/ eat ayo /ajo/ HORT padha /paɖɔ/ PL wisuh /wisʊh/ wash.hands tangan /taŋan/ hand dhisik /ɖisɪʔ/ first
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
12.1 Aku pengin turu. → “I want to sleep.”
12.2 Adhiku seneng maca. → “My little brother likes to read.”
12.3 Aku arep lunga. → “I am going to leave.”
12.4 Aku lali nggawa payung. → “I forgot to bring an umbrella.”
12.5 Kula kepéngin sinau. → “I would like to study.” (polite)
12.6 Bapak lunga menyang pasar tuku beras. → “Father went to the market to buy rice.”
12.7 Aku sinau basa Jawa kanggo ngomong karo simbah. → “I am learning Javanese to talk with my grandmother.”
12.8 Ibu tangi ésuk supaya ora telat. → “Mother gets up early so as not to be late.”
12.9 Aja lali ngombé banyu putih. → “Don’t forget to drink water.”
12.10 Kowé kudu sregep sinau bèn pinter. → “You must study hard to get clever.” (colloquial)
12.11 Nyuwun sèwu, kula badhé nyuwun pirsa. → “Excuse me, I would like to ask something.” (polite)
12.12 Simbah tindak menyang masjid kanggo sembahyang. → “Grandfather goes to the mosque to pray.”
12.13 Aku teka mréné ora kanggo njaluk dhuwit, nanging kanggo nulungi kowé. → “I didn’t come here to ask for money, but to help you.”
12.14 Supaya bisa ngomong basa Jawa, kowé kudu wani nyoba. → “To be able to speak Javanese, you must dare to try.”
12.15 Wis wayahé mangan, ayo padha wisuh tangan dhisik. → “It’s time to eat; come on, everybody wash your hands first.”
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
12.1 Aku pengin turu.
12.2 Adhiku seneng maca.
12.3 Aku arep lunga.
12.4 Aku lali nggawa payung.
12.5 Kula kepéngin sinau.
12.6 Bapak lunga menyang pasar tuku beras.
12.7 Aku sinau basa Jawa kanggo ngomong karo simbah.
12.8 Ibu tangi ésuk supaya ora telat.
12.9 Aja lali ngombé banyu putih.
12.10 Kowé kudu sregep sinau bèn pinter.
12.11 Nyuwun sèwu, kula badhé nyuwun pirsa.
12.12 Simbah tindak menyang masjid kanggo sembahyang.
12.13 Aku teka mréné ora kanggo njaluk dhuwit, nanging kanggo nulungi kowé.
12.14 Supaya bisa ngomong basa Jawa, kowé kudu wani nyoba.
12.15 Wis wayahé mangan, ayo padha wisuh tangan dhisik.
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
These are the grammar rules for “to” before a verb, and for supaya, in Javanese:
1. No infinitive. Javanese verbs do not change for person, number or tense (Lesson 11), and there is no separate infinitive form. When one verb depends on another, the second follows the first with nothing in between: pengin turu, “want to sleep” (12.1); seneng maca, “like to read” (12.2); lali nggawa, “forget to bring” (12.4). This is the commonest case, and in it English “to” is not translated.
2. The verbs that take a bare verb after them include: pengin (krama kepéngin) “want”; arep (krama badhé) “intend, be going to”; seneng (krama remen) “like”; lali “forget”; wani “dare”; kudu (krama kedah) “must”; bisa (krama saged) “can”; coba / nyoba “try”; aja “don’t”. Aja lali ngombé (12.9) strings three of them: “don’t / forget / drink”.
3. The active nasal. The dependent verb normally keeps its active form with the nasal prefix, exactly as it would as a main verb: nggawa (from gawa), ngombé (from ombé), nyoba (from coba), njaluk (from jaluk), ngomong (from omong), nulungi (from tulung + -i). Do not strip the nasal to make an “infinitive”: *lali gawa is wrong. A few common verbs have no nasal form at all: turu, mangan, lunga, tuku, sinau, teka.
4. Motion and purpose. After a verb of going or coming, the purpose follows directly: lunga menyang pasar tuku beras, “went to the market (to) buy rice” (12.6); in Lesson 11, teka ngréwangi, “came to help”. This is the natural way to say it, and adding kanggo here is possible but heavier.
5. Kanggo + verb, “(in order) to”. When the purpose needs to be marked, or is contrasted, use kanggo: sinau basa Jawa kanggo ngomong karo simbah (12.7); ora kanggo njaluk dhuwit, nanging kanggo nulungi kowé, “not to ask for money but to help you” (12.13). Kanggo can also take a noun: Kembang kanggo apa?, “What are the flowers for?” (12.18). Krama: kanggé (12.29); krama inggil, of a respected person: kagem.
6. Supaya + clause, “so that, in order to”. Supaya introduces a full clause. It is the only choice when the purpose clause is negative (supaya ora telat, “so as not to be late”, 12.8), has its own subject, or comes first in the sentence (Supaya bisa ngomong basa Jawa, kowé kudu wani nyoba, 12.14). Krama supados (12.30). In the literary language, and in the Bible (Section F), supaya ... aja nganti means “so that ... not, lest”.
7. Bèn, the spoken supaya. In everyday ngoko, bèn often replaces supaya: sinau bèn pinter (12.10). It is too colloquial for writing or for krama.
8. Speech levels. The whole sentence moves to krama together: kula kepéngin sinau (12.5); kula badhé nyuwun pirsa (12.11); kula tumbas kalih bungkus supados cekap (12.30). In 12.12 the verb tindak (“to go”) is krama inggil because the grandparent is respected, while the rest of the sentence is ngoko: the mixture called ngoko alus (Lesson 11).
9. Time to … Wayah or wektu with the suffix -é + verb: wis wayahé mangan, “it’s (already) time to eat” (12.15).
Common Mistakes:
- Looking for a word for “to” in I want to sleep: *Aku pengin kanggo turu. Correct: Aku pengin turu. - Using menyang (directional “to”) before a verb: *Aku lali menyang nggawa payung. Menyang is followed only by a place: menyang pasar. - Using kanggo with a negative clause: *kanggo ora telat. Correct: supaya ora telat. - Dropping the active nasal of the dependent verb: lali gawa, aja lali ombé. Correct: lali nggawa, aja lali ngombé. - Using bèn in polite speech. In krama the word is supados: … supados cekap. - Using arep for “want” in the sense of desire: arep is “intend, be going to” (Aku arep lunga, “I’m going to leave”); for a wish use pengin (Aku pengin lunga, “I’d like to go”).
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
Frequency and register. Supaya is the standard purpose conjunction of written and careful spoken Javanese. In relaxed conversation the shorter bèn is very common. Supados belongs to krama: in speeches, sermons, letters, and when speaking to elders.
Nyuwun sèwu. The polite opening of 12.11, literally “I ask a thousand (pardons)”, is how a Javanese speaker interrupts, asks a question of a stranger, or passes in front of seated people. It is normally followed by badhé + verb: Nyuwun sèwu, kula badhé nyuwun pirsa, “Excuse me, I would like to ask.” Nyuwun pirsa itself is humble: the speaker asks for the other person’s knowledge, using the krama inggil pirsa (“to know”) of the listener.
Nyekar. The dialogue below is set before a grave visit. Nyekar, from sekar, the krama word for “flower” (ngoko kembang), is the custom of visiting the graves of parents and grandparents to clean them, pray, and scatter flowers. It is practised especially in the weeks before the fasting month and at Lebaran. The usual flowers are kembang telon, “three flowers”, from telu, “three”: a mixture such as rose, jasmine and kanthil (white champak), bought in small bundles at the market.
Bargaining. In a traditional market (pasar) a fixed price is rare and bargaining, nawar, is expected. The seller (bakul) often addresses a customer in krama, and a polite customer answers in krama: Pinten reginipun?, “How much is it?” (ngoko: Regané pira?).
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
John 3:16, from the Javanese Bible of the Lembaga Alkitab Indonesia (Kitab Suci basa Jawa, the text published on Bible.com as Kitab Sutji, JAV), the same translation quoted in Lesson 11. The published text omits accents; they are added here in this course’s spelling. The second half of the verse is a long purpose clause introduced by supaya.
F.1a Awitdéné for Gusti the-Lord Allah God anggoné in-his-manner-of ngasihi loving marang toward jagad world iku the nganti so-much-that masrahaké he-gave-up Kang the Putra Son ontang-anting only
F.1b Awitdéné /awɪtdene/ because Gusti /ɡusti/ lord Allah /allah/ God anggoné /aŋɡone/ manner-POSS.3 ngasihi /ŋasihi/ AV-love-APPL marang /maraŋ/ to jagad /ɟaɡat/ world iku /iku/ that.MED nganti /ŋanti/ until masrahaké /masrahake/ AV-surrender-CAUS Kang /kaŋ/ the.HON Putra /putrɔ/ son.KR ontang-anting /ɔntaŋ antɪŋ/ only.child
F.2a supaya so-that saben every wong person kang who pracaya believes marang in Panjenengané him
F.2b supaya /supɔjɔ/ so.that saben /sabən/ every wong /wɔŋ/ person kang /kaŋ/ REL pracaya /pracɔjɔ/ believe marang /maraŋ/ to Panjenengané /paɲɟənəŋane/ 3SG.HON
F.3a aja not nganti come-to nemu meet karusakan destruction nanging but nduwènana may-have urip life langgeng eternal
F.3b aja /ɔɟɔ/ PROH nganti /ŋanti/ until nemu /nəmu/ find karusakan /karusakan/ NMLZ-ruin-NMLZ nanging /naŋɪŋ/ but nduwènana /nduwɛnanɔ/ AV-have-APPL.IRR urip /urɪp/ life langgeng /laŋɡəŋ/ eternal
Awitdéné Gusti Allah anggoné ngasihi marang jagad iku nganti masrahaké Kang Putra ontang-anting, supaya saben wong kang pracaya marang Panjenengané aja nganti nemu karusakan, nanging nduwènana urip langgeng.
For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
Awitdéné Gusti Allah anggoné ngasihi marang jagad iku nganti masrahaké Kang Putra ontang-anting, supaya saben wong kang pracaya marang Panjenengané aja nganti nemu karusakan, nanging nduwènana urip langgeng.
The verse has two linked purposes. The first half states God’s act, joined to its cause by nganti, “so much that”: God loved the world nganti masrahaké, “to the point of giving up”, his only Son. The second half, introduced by supaya, states what the act was for. Where English needs “that … should not perish”, Javanese uses supaya with a full clause, which has its own subject (saben wong kang pracaya, “everyone who believes”) and its own negative.
Aja nganti, literally “do not come to”, is the regular Javanese way to say “lest, so as not to”. After supaya it is stronger than plain ora: supaya … aja nganti nemu karusakan, “so that they should by no means meet destruction”. The positive half, nanging nduwènana urip langgeng, uses nduwènana, the wishing (irrealis) form of nduwèni, “to possess”, which Lesson 11 derived from duwé. The suffix -i becomes -ana in this form, and é opens to è before it, as in Lesson 11.
Two further forms deserve attention. Kang, the literary equivalent of sing, appears twice: once as the honorific article before Putra (Kang Putra, “the Son”), once as the relative pronoun (wong kang pracaya, “the one who believes”). Masrahaké is built on pasrah, “to surrender”, with the nasal prefix replacing initial p by m and the causative suffix -aké. Panjenengané, the honorific pronoun of Lesson 9 with the suffix -é, is “him” of a person of the highest respect. The register of the whole is the formal ngoko of the Bible, with honorific words for God.
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
Rara and her friend Dimas go to the market to buy flowers for a grave visit. Between the two friends the conversation is in ngoko; with the flower seller it moves into krama (12.27–12.30).
12.16a Dimas Dimas Ra Ra kowé you arep intend lunga to-go menyang to ngendi where
12.16b Dimas /dimas/ Dimas Ra /rɔ/ Rara.VOC kowé /kowe/ 2SG arep /arəp/ FUT lunga /luŋɔ/ go menyang /məɲaŋ/ to ngendi /ŋəndi/ where
12.17a Rara Rara Aku I arep intend menyang to pasar market tuku to-buy kembang flowers
12.17b Rara /rɔrɔ/ Rara Aku /aku/ 1SG arep /arəp/ FUT menyang /məɲaŋ/ to pasar /pasar/ market tuku /tuku/ buy kembang /kəmbaŋ/ flower
12.18a Dimas Dimas Kembang flowers kanggo for apa what
12.18b Dimas /dimas/ Dimas Kembang /kəmbaŋ/ flower kanggo /kaŋɡo/ PURP apa /ɔpɔ/ what
12.19a Rara Rara Kanggo to nyekar scatter-flowers ing at makam grave simbah grandparent
12.19b Rara /rɔrɔ/ Rara Kanggo /kaŋɡo/ PURP nyekar /ɲəkar/ AV-flower ing /ɪŋ/ at makam /makam/ grave simbah /simbah/ grandparent
12.20a Ibu mother ngongkon told aku me tuku to-buy kembang flowers telon three-kinds
12.20b Ibu /ibu/ mother ngongkon /ŋɔŋkɔn/ AV-order aku /aku/ 1SG tuku /tuku/ buy kembang /kəmbaŋ/ flower telon /təlɔn/ three-NMLZ
12.21a Dimas Dimas Aku I mèlu come-along ya yes Aku I uga also pengin want tuku to-buy jajan snacks pasar market
12.21b Dimas /dimas/ Dimas Aku /aku/ 1SG mèlu /mɛlu/ join ya /jɔ/ TAG Aku /aku/ 1SG uga /uɡɔ/ also pengin /pəŋɪn/ want tuku /tuku/ buy jajan /ɟajan/ snack pasar /pasar/ market
12.22a Rara Rara Ayo come-on Nanging but aja don’t lali forget nggawa to-bring dhuwit money
12.22b Rara /rɔrɔ/ Rara Ayo /ajo/ HORT Nanging /naŋɪŋ/ but aja /ɔɟɔ/ PROH lali /lali/ forget nggawa /ŋɡɔwɔ/ AV-bring dhuwit /ɖuwɪt/ money
12.23a Dimas Dimas Tenang calm waé just aku I wis already nyiapaké prepared dhuwit money kanggo to tuku buy jajan snacks
12.23b Dimas /dimas/ Dimas Tenang /tənaŋ/ calm waé /wae/ just aku /aku/ 1SG wis /wɪs/ already nyiapaké /ɲiapake/ AV-ready-CAUS dhuwit /ɖuwɪt/ money kanggo /kaŋɡo/ PURP tuku /tuku/ buy jajan /ɟajan/ snack
12.24a Rara Rara Awaké our-body dhéwé self kudu must mangkat set-out saiki now supaya so-that ora not kesusu rushed
12.24b Rara /rɔrɔ/ Rara Awaké /awaʔe/ body-DEF dhéwé /ɖewe/ self kudu /kudu/ must mangkat /maŋkat/ set.out saiki /saiki/ now supaya /supɔjɔ/ so.that ora /ɔrɔ/ NEG kesusu /kəsusu/ in.a.hurry
12.25a Dimas Dimas Kowé you bisa can nawar bargain Aku I ora not wani dare nawar to-bargain
12.25b Dimas /dimas/ Dimas Kowé /kowe/ 2SG bisa /bisɔ/ can nawar /nawar/ AV-bargain Aku /aku/ 1SG ora /ɔrɔ/ NEG wani /wani/ dare nawar /nawar/ AV-bargain
12.26a Rara Rara Bisa can Simbah grandmother biyèn long-ago mulang taught aku me nawar to-bargain ing at pasar market
12.26b Rara /rɔrɔ/ Rara Bisa /bisɔ/ can Simbah /simbah/ grandparent biyèn /bijɛn/ formerly mulang /mulaŋ/ AV-teach aku /aku/ 1SG nawar /nawar/ AV-bargain ing /ɪŋ/ at pasar /pasar/ market
12.27a Bakul seller Badhé would-like tumbas to-buy menapa what Mbak miss
12.27b Bakul /bakʊl/ seller Badhé /baɖe/ FUT.KR tumbas /tumbas/ buy.KR menapa /mənɔpɔ/ what.KR Mbak /mbaʔ/ elder.sister.VOC
12.28a Rara Rara Kula I badhé would-like tumbas to-buy kembang flowers telon three-kinds Bu madam Pinten how-much reginipun its-price
12.28b Rara /rɔrɔ/ Rara Kula /kulɔ/ 1SG.KR badhé /baɖe/ FUT.KR tumbas /tumbas/ buy.KR kembang /kəmbaŋ/ flower telon /təlɔn/ three-NMLZ Bu /bu/ mother.VOC Pinten /pintən/ how.much.KR reginipun /rəɡinipʊn/ price.KR-DEF.KR
12.29a Bakul seller Sedasa ten èwu thousand Mbak miss Kanggé for nyekar grave-visiting nggih yes
12.29b Bakul /bakʊl/ seller Sedasa /sədɔsɔ/ ten.KR èwu /ɛwu/ thousand Mbak /mbaʔ/ elder.sister.VOC Kanggé /kaŋɡe/ PURP.KR nyekar /ɲəkar/ AV-flower nggih /ŋɡɪh/ yes.KR
12.30a Rara Rara Inggih yes Kula I tumbas buy kalih two bungkus bundles supados so-that cekap enough
12.30b Rara /rɔrɔ/ Rara Inggih /ɪŋɡɪh/ yes.KR Kula /kulɔ/ 1SG.KR tumbas /tumbas/ buy.KR kalih /kalɪh/ two.KR bungkus /buŋkʊs/ bundle supados /supadɔs/ so.that.KR cekap /cəkap/ enough.KR
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
12.16 Dimas: “Ra, kowé arep lunga menyang ngendi?” → Dimas: “Rara, where are you off to?”
12.17 Rara: “Aku arep menyang pasar, tuku kembang.” → Rara: “I’m going to the market to buy flowers.”
12.18 Dimas: “Kembang kanggo apa?” → Dimas: “What are the flowers for?”
12.19 Rara: “Kanggo nyekar ing makam simbah.” → Rara: “To put on my grandmother’s grave.”
12.20 “Ibu ngongkon aku tuku kembang telon.” → “Mum told me to buy kembang telon.”
12.21 Dimas: “Aku mèlu, ya? Aku uga pengin tuku jajan pasar.” → Dimas: “Can I come along? I want to buy some market snacks too.”
12.22 Rara: “Ayo. Nanging aja lali nggawa dhuwit.” → Rara: “Come on, then. But don’t forget to bring money.”
12.23 Dimas: “Tenang waé, aku wis nyiapaké dhuwit kanggo tuku jajan.” → Dimas: “Don’t worry, I’ve got money ready to buy snacks.”
12.24 Rara: “Awaké dhéwé kudu mangkat saiki, supaya ora kesusu.” → Rara: “We must set off now, so as not to be in a hurry.”
12.25 Dimas: “Kowé bisa nawar? Aku ora wani nawar.” → Dimas: “Can you bargain? I don’t dare to bargain.”
12.26 Rara: “Bisa. Simbah biyèn mulang aku nawar ing pasar.” → Rara: “Yes. My grandmother taught me to bargain at the market long ago.”
12.27 Bakul: “Badhé tumbas menapa, Mbak?” → The seller: “What would you like to buy, miss?”
12.28 Rara: “Kula badhé tumbas kembang telon, Bu. Pinten reginipun?” → Rara: “I would like to buy kembang telon, madam. How much is it?”
12.29 Bakul: “Sedasa èwu, Mbak. Kanggé nyekar, nggih?” → The seller: “Ten thousand, miss. For a grave visit, is it?”
12.30 Rara: “Inggih. Kula tumbas kalih bungkus, supados cekap.” → Rara: “Yes. I’ll take two bundles, so that there is enough.”
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
Tuku Kembang Kanggo Nyekar
12.16 Dimas: “Ra, kowé arep lunga menyang ngendi?”
12.17 Rara: “Aku arep menyang pasar, tuku kembang.”
12.18 Dimas: “Kembang kanggo apa?”
12.19 Rara: “Kanggo nyekar ing makam simbah.”
12.20 “Ibu ngongkon aku tuku kembang telon.”
12.21 Dimas: “Aku mèlu, ya? Aku uga pengin tuku jajan pasar.”
12.22 Rara: “Ayo. Nanging aja lali nggawa dhuwit.”
12.23 Dimas: “Tenang waé, aku wis nyiapaké dhuwit kanggo tuku jajan.”
12.24 Rara: “Awaké dhéwé kudu mangkat saiki, supaya ora kesusu.”
12.25 Dimas: “Kowé bisa nawar? Aku ora wani nawar.”
12.26 Rara: “Bisa. Simbah biyèn mulang aku nawar ing pasar.”
12.27 Bakul: “Badhé tumbas menapa, Mbak?”
12.28 Rara: “Kula badhé tumbas kembang telon, Bu. Pinten reginipun?”
12.29 Bakul: “Sedasa èwu, Mbak. Kanggé nyekar, nggih?”
12.30 Rara: “Inggih. Kula tumbas kalih bungkus, supados cekap.”
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
Three ways to say “to” in one conversation. The dialogue uses all of them. The bare verb: arep lunga (12.16), pengin tuku (12.21), lali nggawa (12.22), wani nawar (12.25), mulang aku nawar, “taught me to bargain” (12.26), ngongkon aku tuku, “told me to buy” (12.20). After verbs of telling and teaching, the person comes first and the verb follows bare, just as in English “told me to buy” but without “to”. The purpose word kanggo: kanggo nyekar (12.19), kanggo tuku jajan (12.23), krama kanggé nyekar (12.29). And supaya with a negative clause: supaya ora kesusu (12.24), krama supados cekap (12.30).
Motion + purpose without a linking word: menyang pasar, tuku kembang, “to the market, to buy flowers” (12.17). The comma in writing marks only a small pause.
Kanggo apa? (12.18), “for what?”, is the everyday way to ask the purpose of something: “What is it for?”
Awaké dhéwé (12.24), literally “our own body”, is the usual colloquial ngoko for “we”, including the person spoken to.
Krama in the market. The seller speaks krama to a customer she does not know, and Rara answers in krama: badhé tumbas (ngoko arep tuku), menapa (apa), pinten (pira), reginipun (regané: rega becomes regi in krama, and the suffix -é becomes -ipun), sedasa (sepuluh), kalih (loro), cekap (cukup), supados (supaya). Kanggé is the krama of kanggo. Èwu, “thousand”, is the same in both levels.
Mbak and Bu. Mbak, “elder sister”, is the polite address for a young woman; Bu, “mother”, for an older one. A market seller is normally addressed as Bu, whatever her age relative to the customer.
Nyekar is formed with the nasal prefix ny- on sekar, the krama word for “flower”: literally “to flower (a grave)”. Note that the everyday word for the flowers themselves stays kembang, even in krama speech in the market (12.28).
Jajan pasar (12.21), “market snacks”, are the small traditional cakes of rice flour, cassava, coconut and palm sugar sold in every Javanese market.
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
The three e’s. é /e/ is close (kanggé, ésuk, mréné, badhé), è /ɛ/ is open (bèn, mèlu, biyèn, nduwènana), and plain e is the neutral vowel /ə/ (pengin, seneng, menyang, telat, sregep, kembang). Accents are usually left out in everyday writing (kangge, ben, mrene, ngombe), and the Javanese Bible prints none; this course writes them.
Final a as [ɔ]. In supaya [supɔjɔ], maca [mɔcɔ], basa Jawa [bɔsɔ ɟɔwɔ], pracaya [pracɔjɔ], aja [ɔɟɔ], the last two a’s are both [ɔ]. In supados [supadɔs] the closed final syllable keeps the preceding a as [a].
o and ɔ. Javanese o is close [o] at the end of words such as kanggo [kaŋɡo], karo [karo], ayo [ajo], and open [ɔ] in closed syllables (ngomong [ŋɔmɔŋ], ngongkon [ŋɔŋkɔn], supados [supadɔs]) and before a final [ɔ] (nyoba [ɲɔbɔ], nggawa [ŋɡɔwɔ]).
Nasal onsets. ng-, ngg-, ny-, nj-, nd-, mb- at the start of a word are single onsets: ngombé, nggawa, nyoba, njaluk, nduwènana, Mbak. Do not say “en-jaluk” or “um-bak”.
Retroflex dh. Adhiku, dhuwit, dhisik, dhéwé, badhé all have the retroflex [ɖ]: curl the tongue tip back.
Glottal k. Final k is a glottal stop: ésuk [esʊʔ], njaluk [ɲɟalʊʔ], dhisik [ɖisɪʔ], Mbak [mbaʔ], tindak [tindaʔ]. Before a suffix vowel it is also glottal: awaké [awaʔe].
IPA in this lesson is broad. It does not mark the slack (breathy) voice of b, d, dh, g, j, nor stress, which in Javanese is weak and not contrastive. The palatal stops c and j are written [c] and [ɟ].
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
✓ Lesson 12 Javanese complete — supaya (to, in order to)
---
Course Index: [latinum.substack.com/p/index](https://latinum.substack.com/p/index)