What is the Javanese for “with”?
English “with” does many jobs. It says who is together with whom (“I went with my mother”), what a thing is done with (“write with a pencil”), how it is done (“with care”), and what someone has or wears (“the boy with glasses”). It also follows certain verbs and adjectives: “angry with”, “the same as”, “talk with”. Javanese splits these jobs between several words.
- Company, being or doing something together: karo. Aku mangan karo adhiku, “I’m eating with my little brother.” In krama it is kaliyan: Kula késah kaliyan Ibu, “I’m going out with Mother.” - The same karo also joins two nouns as “and”: Bapak karo Ibu, “Father and Mother”. Lan is the plain “and”; karo is the everyday spoken one. - After certain verbs and adjectives karo marks the person or thing they are aimed at: kenal karo, “know, be acquainted with”; nesu karo, “angry with”; padha karo, “the same as”; ngomong karo, “talk to, with”; seneng karo, “fond of, pleased with”. - A tool or means: nganggo, “using”. Tulisen nganggo potlot, “Write it with a pencil.” Nganggo is also the verb “to wear”: bocah sing nganggo kacamata, “the boy with glasses”, literally “the boy who wears glasses”. - Manner: kanthi, as in Lesson 15’s kanthi jujur, “with honesty, honestly”. - Together: bareng, often combined with karo: bareng karo kancané, “together with his friend”.
Older and literary Javanese also has kalawan, “with, and”. The Javanese Bible uses it in Matthew 1:23: Gusti Allah nunggil kalawan kita, “God with us”.
Orthography: this course writes é for the close e, è for the open e and plain e for the neutral vowel (schwa). Everyday writing leaves the accents out: kowe, kancane, melu. Karo, kaliyan, nganggo and kanthi have no accents to lose.
FAQ: How do I say “with” in Javanese?
Q: How do I say “with my friend”? A: Karo kancaku. In krama: kaliyan kanca kula.
Q: How do I ask “Who are you going with?” A: Kowé lunga karo sapa? To an elder: Panjenengan tindak kaliyan sinten?
Q: How do I say “write with a pen”? A: Nulis nganggo pulpèn. Not karo: karo is for people and company, nganggo for tools.
Q: How do I say “the man with the hat”? A: Wong sing nganggo topi, “the man who wears a hat”.
Q: How do I say “the same as”? A: Padha karo: Klambiku padha karo klambimu, “My shirt is the same as yours.”
Key Takeaways:
- “With” in company is karo (krama kaliyan) - Karo also means “and” between two nouns: Bapak karo Ibu - Many verbs and adjectives take karo: kenal karo, nesu karo, padha karo, ngomong karo - A tool or means is nganggo, “using”; a manner is kanthi - English “with” of having or wearing becomes sing nganggo or sing duwé, “who wears, who has”
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karo /karo/ — ka-ro: a clear [a], as in “father”, then a close o, as in French “eau”. The a stays [a] because the next syllable has o, not a.
kaliyan /kalijan/ — ka-li-yan: three light syllables, with no stress to speak of.
nganggo /ŋaŋɡo/ — ng-ang-go: the word begins with the ng of “singer”; the second ng is the ng of “finger”, with the g pronounced.
kanthi /kanʈi/ — kan-thi: retroflex th, with the tongue tip curled back. It is a t sound, never the th of English “thin”.
bareng /barəŋ/ — ba-reng: the e is the neutral vowel of “about”.
kalawan /kalawan/ — ka-la-wan: the last syllable ends in a consonant, so the a’s keep the sound [a].
késah /kesah/ — ké-sah: close é, as in French “été”.
kacamata /kacamɔtɔ/ — ka-ca-ma-ta: the last two a’s are open [ɔ], as in British “hot”; the first two keep [a].
kanca /kɔncɔ/: both a’s are [ɔ] when the word stands alone; with a suffix the a’s return to [a]: kancané /kancane/, kancaku /kancaku/.
Final k is a glottal stop: numpak [numpaʔ], ésuk [esʊʔ], tukokna [tukɔʔnɔ]. Before a consonant it is also glottal: daksilih [daʔsilɪh], dakkenal [daʔkənal].
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17.1a Aku I mangan eat karo with adhiku my-younger-brother
17.1b Aku /aku/ 1SG mangan /maŋan/ eat karo /karo/ with adhiku /aɖiku/ younger.sibling-POSS.1SG
17.2a Bapak Father karo and Ibu Mother lagi are lunga out
17.2b Bapak /bapaʔ/ father karo /karo/ and Ibu /ibu/ mother lagi /laɡi/ PROG lunga /luŋɔ/ go.away
17.3a Tulisen write-it nganggo with potlot a-pencil
17.3b Tulisen /tulisən/ write-IMP nganggo /ŋaŋɡo/ AV-use potlot /pɔtlɔt/ pencil
17.4a Kowé you lunga go karo with sapa whom
17.4b Kowé /kowe/ 2SG lunga /luŋɔ/ go.away karo /karo/ with sapa /sɔpɔ/ who
17.5a Kula I késah go-out kaliyan with Ibu Mother
17.5b Kula /kulɔ/ 1SG.KR késah /kesah/ go.away.KR kaliyan /kalijan/ with.KR Ibu /ibu/ mother
17.6a Aku I wis already suwé long kenal acquainted karo with dhèwèké him
17.6b Aku /aku/ 1SG wis /wɪs/ PERF suwé /suwe/ long.time kenal /kənal/ be.acquainted karo /karo/ with dhèwèké /ɖɛwɛke/ 3SG
17.7a Simbah Grandpa mangan eats sega rice nganggo with tangan hand
17.7b Simbah /simbah/ grandparent mangan /maŋan/ eat sega /səɡɔ/ cooked.rice nganggo /ŋaŋɡo/ AV-use tangan /taŋan/ hand
17.8a Klambiku my-shirt padha same karo with klambimu your-shirt
17.8b Klambiku /klambiku/ shirt-POSS.1SG padha /paɖɔ/ same karo /karo/ with klambimu /klambimu/ shirt-POSS.2SG
17.9a Adhiku my-younger-brother nesu angry karo with aku me amarga because bukuné his-book daksilih I-borrowed
17.9b Adhiku /aɖiku/ younger.sibling-POSS.1SG nesu /nəsu/ angry karo /karo/ with aku /aku/ 1SG amarga /amarɡɔ/ because bukuné /bukune/ book-POSS.3 daksilih /daʔsilɪh/ 1.PASS-borrow
17.10a Bu Mrs Guru Teacher nembé is rembagan talking kaliyan with Ibu Mother ing in ngajeng front griya house
17.10b Bu /bu/ mother.VOC Guru /ɡuru/ teacher nembé /nəmbe/ PROG.KR rembagan /rəmbaɡan/ discuss.KR-RECP kaliyan /kalijan/ with.KR Ibu /ibu/ mother ing /ɪŋ/ in ngajeng /ŋaɟəŋ/ front.KR griya /ɡrijɔ/ house.KR
17.11a Dhèwèké he mangkat sets-off kerja to-work numpak riding motor motorbike bareng together karo with kancané his-friend
17.11b Dhèwèké /ɖɛwɛke/ 3SG mangkat /maŋkat/ set.off kerja /kərɟɔ/ work numpak /numpaʔ/ AV-ride motor /motor/ motorbike bareng /barəŋ/ together karo /karo/ with kancané /kancane/ friend-POSS.3
17.12a Bocah boy sing who nganggo wears kacamata glasses kuwi that adhiné the-younger-brother-of Bayu Bayu
17.12b Bocah /bɔcah/ child sing /sɪŋ/ REL nganggo /ŋaŋɡo/ AV-use kacamata /kacamɔtɔ/ glasses kuwi /kuwi/ that.MED adhiné /aɖine/ younger.sibling-POSS.3 Bayu /baju/ Bayu
17.13a Kowé you kudu must ngomong speak karo with ibumu your-mother kanthi with alus gentleness
17.13b Kowé /kowe/ 2SG kudu /kudu/ must ngomong /ŋɔmɔŋ/ AV-talk karo /karo/ with ibumu /ibumu/ mother-POSS.2SG kanthi /kanʈi/ with alus /alʊs/ refined
17.14a Aku I ora not gelem willing lunga go karo with wong person sing whom ora not dakkenal I-know
17.14b Aku /aku/ 1SG ora /ɔrɔ/ NEG gelem /ɡələm/ willing lunga /luŋɔ/ go.away karo /karo/ with wong /wɔŋ/ person sing /sɪŋ/ REL ora /ɔrɔ/ NEG dakkenal /daʔkənal/ 1.PASS-acquainted
17.15a Yèn if kowé you lunga go-out karo with kanca-kanca friends aja don’t lali forget ngabari to-tell ibumu your-mother nganggo by HP mobile-phone
17.15b Yèn /jɛn/ if kowé /kowe/ 2SG lunga /luŋɔ/ go.away karo /karo/ with kanca-kanca /kɔncɔ kɔncɔ/ friend-PL aja /ɔɟɔ/ PROH lali /lali/ forget ngabari /ŋabari/ AV-news-APPL ibumu /ibumu/ mother-POSS.2SG nganggo /ŋaŋɡo/ AV-use HP /ha pe/ mobile.phone
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17.1 Aku mangan karo adhiku. → “I’m eating with my little brother.”
17.2 Bapak karo Ibu lagi lunga. → “Father and Mother are out.”
17.3 Tulisen nganggo potlot. → “Write it with a pencil.”
17.4 Kowé lunga karo sapa? → “Who are you going with?”
17.5 Kula késah kaliyan Ibu. → “I’m going out with Mother.” (polite)
17.6 Aku wis suwé kenal karo dhèwèké. → “I’ve known him for a long time.”
17.7 Simbah mangan sega nganggo tangan. → “Grandpa eats his rice with his hand.”
17.8 Klambiku padha karo klambimu. → “My shirt is the same as yours.”
17.9 Adhiku nesu karo aku amarga bukuné daksilih. → “My little brother is cross with me because I borrowed his book.”
17.10 Bu Guru nembé rembagan kaliyan Ibu ing ngajeng griya. → “The teacher is talking with Mother in front of the house.” (polite)
17.11 Dhèwèké mangkat kerja numpak motor bareng karo kancané. → “He rides to work on a motorbike together with his friend.”
17.12 Bocah sing nganggo kacamata kuwi adhiné Bayu. → “That boy with the glasses is Bayu’s little brother.”
17.13 Kowé kudu ngomong karo ibumu kanthi alus. → “You must speak to your mother gently.”
17.14 Aku ora gelem lunga karo wong sing ora dakkenal. → “I won’t go anywhere with someone I don’t know.”
17.15 Yèn kowé lunga karo kanca-kanca, aja lali ngabari ibumu nganggo HP. → “If you go out with your friends, don’t forget to let your mother know by phone.”
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17.1 Aku mangan karo adhiku.
17.2 Bapak karo Ibu lagi lunga.
17.3 Tulisen nganggo potlot.
17.4 Kowé lunga karo sapa?
17.5 Kula késah kaliyan Ibu.
17.6 Aku wis suwé kenal karo dhèwèké.
17.7 Simbah mangan sega nganggo tangan.
17.8 Klambiku padha karo klambimu.
17.9 Adhiku nesu karo aku amarga bukuné daksilih.
17.10 Bu Guru nembé rembagan kaliyan Ibu ing ngajeng griya.
17.11 Dhèwèké mangkat kerja numpak motor bareng karo kancané.
17.12 Bocah sing nganggo kacamata kuwi adhiné Bayu.
17.13 Kowé kudu ngomong karo ibumu kanthi alus.
17.14 Aku ora gelem lunga karo wong sing ora dakkenal.
17.15 Yèn kowé lunga karo kanca-kanca, aja lali ngabari ibumu nganggo HP.
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These are the grammar rules for karo, and for the other ways of saying “with”, in Javanese:
1. Karo, “with”, of company. Karo stands before the person one is with, as English “with” does: mangan karo adhiku, “eat with my little brother” (17.1); lunga karo kanca-kanca, “go out with friends” (17.15). Karo comes after the verb, and the question word sapa can follow it directly: lunga karo sapa?, “go with whom?” (17.4). Javanese has no separate form for “whom”.
2. The speech levels. Ngoko karo; krama kaliyan (17.5, 17.10). Kaliyan is also the word used in krama inggil speech: Panjenengan tindak kaliyan sinten?, “Who are you going with?”, said to an elder. The level is chosen for the listener, as with every word in Lessons 15 and 16.
3. Karo as “and”. Between two nouns, karo means “and”: Bapak karo Ibu (17.2). Lan is the plain “and” of writing and of lists; karo is the commoner one in speech for pairs of people and things. In krama, kaliyan serves in the same way: Bapak kaliyan Ibu.
4. Verbs and adjectives that take karo. Many words are followed by karo where English uses “with”, “to”, “as” or no preposition at all:
- kenal karo — “know, be acquainted with” (17.6; Lesson 16, 16.16) - padha karo — “the same as” (17.8) - beda karo — “different from” - nesu karo — “angry with” (17.9) - ngomong karo — “talk to, talk with” (17.13) - seneng karo — “fond of, pleased with” (17.21, 17.30) - nawar karo — “haggle with” (17.28)
Learn the pairs as wholes. English chooses among “with”, “to”, “as” and “from”; Javanese uses karo for all of these.
5. Bareng karo, “together with”. Bareng, “together, at the same time”, is often placed before karo to stress the company: numpak motor bareng karo kancané, “ride a motorbike together with his friend” (17.11). Bareng alone can stand after a plural subject: mangan bareng, “eat together” (Lesson 15, 15.25). Bebarengan is the fuller form.
6. Nganggo, “with, using”: the tool or means. Nganggo is the active form of anggo, “use”, and is used where English “with” names an instrument: tulisen nganggo potlot, “write it with a pencil” (17.3); mangan nganggo tangan, “eat with one’s hand” (17.7); ngabari nganggo HP, “let someone know by phone” (17.15); mbayar nganggo dhuwit saka Simbah, “pay with the money from Grandma” (17.29). Karo is never used for a tool: *nulis karo potlot is wrong.
7. Nganggo, “wearing”: English “with” of description. English describes a person with “with”: “the boy with glasses”, “the woman with the red hat”. Javanese uses a sing clause with a verb: bocah sing nganggo kacamata, “the boy who wears glasses” (17.12). For what a person has rather than wears, sing duwé, “who has”, does the same work.
8. Kanthi, “with”: the manner. Kanthi before an adjective or noun gives the manner of an action, like English “with care” or “-ly”: ngomong kanthi alus, “speak gently” (17.13); nawar kanthi sabar, “haggle patiently” (17.28). See Lesson 15, kanthi jujur.
9. Dak- and sing: “someone I don’t know”. Wong sing ora dakkenal, “a person who is not known by me” (17.14), uses the dak- passive of Lessons 14 and 15 inside a sing clause, as Apa waé sing koklakoni did in Lesson 15. The same dak- appears in bukuné daksilih, “his book was borrowed by me” (17.9).
10. Kalawan, the literary “with”. Older and literary Javanese, and the Javanese Bible, use kalawan for “with” and “and”: nunggil kalawan kita, “one with us, with us” (Matthew 1:23; see Section F). Learners should recognise kalawan in reading but use karo and kaliyan in speech.
Common Mistakes:
- Using karo for a tool: *nulis karo pulpèn. Correct: nulis nganggo pulpèn. - Translating “the boy with glasses” word for word: *bocah karo kacamata. Correct: bocah sing nganggo kacamata. - Using karo in krama: *Kula késah karo Ibu. Correct: Kula késah kaliyan Ibu. - Leaving karo out after kenal, padha, nesu: *Klambiku padha klambimu. Correct: Klambiku padha karo klambimu. - Using karo for manner: *ngomong karo alus. Correct: ngomong kanthi alus.
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Karo sapa? “Who with?” is one of the first questions asked in Javanese about any outing. Kowé lunga karo sapa?, “Who are you going with?” (17.4), comes from parents, grandparents and neighbours alike. Going somewhere alone, especially for a young person, invites concern; going with someone known is the expected thing. Sentence 17.15 is the kind of advice a Javanese parent gives every child.
Eating with the hand. Mangan nganggo tangan (17.7) is not careless. Many Javanese, especially of the older generation and in villages, eat rice with the right hand, and some say food tastes better that way. The right hand is used; the left hand is not used for eating or for giving and receiving things.
Bareng: togetherness. Doing things together is a strong Javanese value, which Lesson 15 met in kerja bakti and gotong royong. Mangan bareng, “eating together”, and lunga bareng, “going together”, are part of everyday courtesy: to set off alone when others are going the same way can look aloof.
Speaking gently. Ngomong kanthi alus (17.13): alus, “refined, smooth, gentle”, is one of the central words of Javanese manners. Its opposite is kasar, “coarse, rough”. A child who speaks to a parent in a raised voice, or in ngoko where krama is expected, is called ora alus.
The market. The dialogue below takes place at a pasar, the traditional market, where prices are agreed by bargaining. Lurik, the striped hand-woven cotton cloth of Central Java and Yogyakarta, is still sold there, and is a fitting present for a grandmother.
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Matthew 28:20 (second half), from the Javanese Bible of the Lembaga Alkitab Indonesia (version “Jawa”), as published by alkitab.mobi. The published text omits accents; this course adds the one this verse needs, in kowé. These are the last words of the Gospel of Matthew: the risen Jesus has sent his disciples out to all nations (verse 19), and ends with a promise.
F.1a Lah behold Aku I tansah always nunggal am-one karo with kowé you
F.1b Lah /lah/ INTERJ Aku /aku/ 1SG tansah /tansah/ always nunggal /nʊŋɡal/ AV-one karo /karo/ with kowé /kowe/ 2SG
F.2a nganti until tumeka reaching ing at wekasaning the-end-of jaman the-age
F.2b nganti /ŋanti/ until tumeka /tuməkɔ/ arrive.AV ing /ɪŋ/ at wekasaning /wəkasanɪŋ/ end-GEN jaman /ɟaman/ age
Lah, Aku tansah nunggal karo kowé, nganti tumeka ing wekasaning jaman.
“And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Lah, Aku tansah nunggal karo kowé, nganti tumeka ing wekasaning jaman.
The verse ends the Gospel on this lesson’s word. Nunggal karo kowé is “one with you, together with you”. Nunggal is tunggal, “one, single”, made into a verb with the nasal prefix: “to be one, to be united”. Aku karo kowé on its own would be read as “I and you” (Section D, rule 3); the verb nunggal makes it “I am with you”, with more weight than the English “be”.
Aku is written with a capital A because the speaker is Jesus, as Dak- was in Lesson 15’s John 13:7. The verse is in ngoko, the level in which the Javanese Bible gives Jesus’ speech to his disciples, and kowé here is plural, “you all”: earlier in the same verse Jesus speaks of what he has commanded marang kowé kabeh, “to all of you”, the eleven disciples.
Tansah, “always, constantly”, stands before the verb, as lagi and wis do. Nganti, “until”, is followed by tumeka, “arriving, coming to”, an old verb form built on teka, “come”, with the infix -um-. Wekasaning jaman is wekasan, “the end”, with -ing, a literary “of”: “the end of the age”.
The same translation uses the literary kalawan at the beginning of the Gospel. Matthew 1:23 explains the name Emanuel: tegesé: Gusti Allah nunggil kalawan kita, “which means: God with us”. The Gospel thus opens and closes with the same promise, the first time with kalawan and kita, “we, us (including you)”, the last time with karo and kowé. Nunggil is a variant of nunggal.
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Two friends, Ayu and Rina, plan a Saturday trip to the market; then Ayu asks her grandmother’s leave. The people are invented for the lesson. The girls speak ngoko to each other; Ayu speaks krama to her grandmother, who answers in ngoko.
17.16a Ayu Ayu Rin Rin Setu Saturday ésuk morning kowé you arep are-going menyang to pasar market karo with sapa whom
17.16b Ayu /aju/ Ayu Rin /rɪn/ Rina.VOC Setu /sətu/ Saturday ésuk /esʊʔ/ morning kowé /kowe/ 2SG arep /arəp/ FUT menyang /məɲaŋ/ to pasar /pasar/ market karo /karo/ with sapa /sɔpɔ/ who
17.17a Rina Rina Karo with ibuku my-mother Kowé you mèlu come-along ya won’t-you
17.17b Rina /rinɔ/ Rina Karo /karo/ with ibuku /ibuku/ mother-POSS.1SG Kowé /kowe/ 2SG mèlu /mɛlu/ join ya /jɔ/ yes
17.18a Ayu Ayu Iya yes aku I mèlu will-come Aku I arep want tuku to-buy kain cloth kanggo for Simbah Grandma
17.18b Ayu /aju/ Ayu Iya /ijɔ/ yes aku /aku/ 1SG mèlu /mɛlu/ join Aku /aku/ 1SG arep /arəp/ FUT tuku /tuku/ buy kain /kain/ cloth kanggo /kaŋɡo/ for Simbah /simbah/ grandparent
17.19a Rina Rina Ibuku my-mother numpak rides motor motorbike karo with adhiku my-younger-brother Aku I numpak ride motor motorbike karo with kowé you waé then ya all-right
17.19b Rina /rinɔ/ Rina Ibuku /ibuku/ mother-POSS.1SG numpak /numpaʔ/ AV-ride motor /motor/ motorbike karo /karo/ with adhiku /aɖiku/ younger.sibling-POSS.1SG Aku /aku/ 1SG numpak /numpaʔ/ AV-ride motor /motor/ motorbike karo /karo/ with kowé /kowe/ 2SG waé /wae/ just ya /jɔ/ yes
17.20a Ayu Ayu Ya yes wis already Jam hour enem six aku I mampir call-in ing at omahmu your-house terus then mangkat set-off bareng together karo with ibumu your-mother
17.20b Ayu /aju/ Ayu Ya /jɔ/ yes wis /wɪs/ PERF Jam /ɟam/ hour enem /ənəm/ six aku /aku/ 1SG mampir /mampɪr/ drop.in ing /ɪŋ/ at omahmu /omahmu/ house-POSS.2SG terus /tərʊs/ then mangkat /maŋkat/ set.off bareng /barəŋ/ together karo /karo/ with ibumu /ibumu/ mother-POSS.2SG
17.21a Rina Rina Aja don’t lali forget nggawa to-bring dhuwit money cilik small Bakul the-sellers ora not seneng pleased karo with dhuwit money gedhé big
17.21b Rina /rinɔ/ Rina Aja /ɔɟɔ/ PROH lali /lali/ forget nggawa /ŋɡawɔ/ AV-carry dhuwit /ɖuwɪt/ money cilik /cilɪʔ/ small Bakul /bakʊl/ market.seller ora /ɔrɔ/ NEG seneng /sənəŋ/ pleased karo /karo/ with dhuwit /ɖuwɪt/ money gedhé /ɡəɖe/ big
17.22a Ayu Ayu Mbah Grandma Setu Saturday énjing morning kula I badhé am-going dhateng to peken market kaliyan with Rina Rina
17.22b Ayu /aju/ Ayu Mbah /mbah/ grandparent.VOC Setu /sətu/ Saturday énjing /enɟɪŋ/ morning.KR kula /kulɔ/ 1SG.KR badhé /baɖe/ FUT.KR dhateng /ɖatəŋ/ to.KR peken /pəkən/ market.KR kaliyan /kalijan/ with.KR Rina /rinɔ/ Rina
17.23a Simbah Grandma Karo with sapa whom manèh else
17.23b Simbah /simbah/ grandparent Karo /karo/ with sapa /sɔpɔ/ who manèh /manɛh/ again
17.24a Ayu Ayu Kaliyan with ibunipun the-mother-of Rina Rina Mbah Grandma
17.24b Ayu /aju/ Ayu Kaliyan /kalijan/ with.KR ibunipun /ibunipʊn/ mother-POSS.3.KR Rina /rinɔ/ Rina Mbah /mbah/ grandparent.VOC
17.25a Simbah Grandma Ya yes wis already Tukokna buy-for Simbah Grandma kain cloth lurik striped sing that werna colour biru blue
17.25b Simbah /simbah/ grandparent Ya /jɔ/ yes wis /wɪs/ PERF Tukokna /tukɔʔnɔ/ buy-BEN.IMP Simbah /simbah/ grandparent kain /kain/ cloth lurik /lurɪʔ/ striped.weave sing /sɪŋ/ REL werna /wərnɔ/ colour biru /biru/ blue
17.26a Ayu Ayu Inggih yes Mbah Grandma Mangké later kula I pilih will-choose kaliyan with Rina Rina
17.26b Ayu /aju/ Ayu Inggih /ɪŋɡɪh/ yes.KR Mbah /mbah/ grandparent.VOC Mangké /maŋke/ later.KR kula /kulɔ/ 1SG.KR pilih /pilɪh/ choose kaliyan /kalijan/ with.KR Rina /rinɔ/ Rina
17.27a Setu Saturday ésuk morning Ayu Ayu lan and Rina Rina mlaku-mlaku walked-around ing in pasar market bareng together karo with ibuné the-mother-of Rina Rina
17.27b Setu /sətu/ Saturday ésuk /esʊʔ/ morning Ayu /aju/ Ayu lan /lan/ and Rina /rinɔ/ Rina mlaku-mlaku /mlaku mlaku/ RED-walk ing /ɪŋ/ in pasar /pasar/ market bareng /barəŋ/ together karo /karo/ with ibuné /ibune/ mother-POSS.3 Rina /rinɔ/ Rina
17.28a Ibuné the-mother-of Rina Rina nawar bargained karo with bakul the-seller kain cloth kanthi with sabar patience
17.28b Ibuné /ibune/ mother-POSS.3 Rina /rinɔ/ Rina nawar /nawar/ AV-bargain karo /karo/ with bakul /bakʊl/ market.seller kain /kain/ cloth kanthi /kanʈi/ with sabar /sabar/ patient
17.29a Ayu Ayu mbayar paid-for kain cloth kuwi that nganggo with dhuwit money saka from Simbah Grandma
17.29b Ayu /aju/ Ayu mbayar /mbajar/ AV-pay kain /kain/ cloth kuwi /kuwi/ that.MED nganggo /ŋaŋɡo/ AV-use dhuwit /ɖuwɪt/ money saka /sɔkɔ/ from Simbah /simbah/ grandparent
17.30a Simbah Grandma seneng pleased banget very karo with kain cloth lurik striped kuwi that
17.30b Simbah /simbah/ grandparent seneng /sənəŋ/ pleased banget /baŋət/ very karo /karo/ with kain /kain/ cloth lurik /lurɪʔ/ striped.weave kuwi /kuwi/ that.MED
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17.16 Ayu: “Rin, Setu ésuk kowé arep menyang pasar karo sapa?” → Ayu: “Rin, who are you going to the market with on Saturday morning?”
17.17 Rina: “Karo ibuku. Kowé mèlu, ya?” → Rina: “With my mum. You’ll come along, won’t you?”
17.18 Ayu: “Iya, aku mèlu. Aku arep tuku kain kanggo Simbah.” → Ayu: “Yes, I’ll come. I want to buy some cloth for Grandma.”
17.19 Rina: “Ibuku numpak motor karo adhiku. Aku numpak motor karo kowé waé, ya?” → Rina: “My mum’s going on the motorbike with my little brother. I’ll ride with you, then, all right?”
17.20 Ayu: “Ya wis. Jam enem aku mampir ing omahmu, terus mangkat bareng karo ibumu.” → Ayu: “All right. I’ll call at your house at six, and then we’ll set off together with your mum.”
17.21 Rina: “Aja lali nggawa dhuwit cilik. Bakul ora seneng karo dhuwit gedhé.” → Rina: “Don’t forget to bring small change. The sellers don’t like big notes.”
17.22 Ayu: “Mbah, Setu énjing kula badhé dhateng peken kaliyan Rina.” → Ayu: “Grandma, on Saturday morning I’m going to the market with Rina.”
17.23 Simbah: “Karo sapa manèh?” → Grandma: “Who else is going?”
17.24 Ayu: “Kaliyan ibunipun Rina, Mbah.” → Ayu: “Rina’s mother, Grandma.”
17.25 Simbah: “Ya wis. Tukokna Simbah kain lurik sing werna biru.” → Grandma: “All right. Buy me some lurik cloth, a blue one.”
17.26 Ayu: “Inggih, Mbah. Mangké kula pilih kaliyan Rina.” → Ayu: “Yes, Grandma. Rina and I will choose it together.”
17.27 Setu ésuk Ayu lan Rina mlaku-mlaku ing pasar bareng karo ibuné Rina. → “On Saturday morning Ayu and Rina walked round the market together with Rina’s mother.”
17.28 Ibuné Rina nawar karo bakul kain kanthi sabar. → “Rina’s mother bargained patiently with the cloth seller.”
17.29 Ayu mbayar kain kuwi nganggo dhuwit saka Simbah. → “Ayu paid for the cloth with Grandma’s money.”
17.30 Simbah seneng banget karo kain lurik kuwi. → “Grandma was delighted with the lurik cloth.”
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Menyang Pasar Bareng
17.16 Ayu: “Rin, Setu ésuk kowé arep menyang pasar karo sapa?”
17.17 Rina: “Karo ibuku. Kowé mèlu, ya?”
17.18 Ayu: “Iya, aku mèlu. Aku arep tuku kain kanggo Simbah.”
17.19 Rina: “Ibuku numpak motor karo adhiku. Aku numpak motor karo kowé waé, ya?”
17.20 Ayu: “Ya wis. Jam enem aku mampir ing omahmu, terus mangkat bareng karo ibumu.”
17.21 Rina: “Aja lali nggawa dhuwit cilik. Bakul ora seneng karo dhuwit gedhé.”
17.22 Ayu: “Mbah, Setu énjing kula badhé dhateng peken kaliyan Rina.”
17.23 Simbah: “Karo sapa manèh?”
17.24 Ayu: “Kaliyan ibunipun Rina, Mbah.”
17.25 Simbah: “Ya wis. Tukokna Simbah kain lurik sing werna biru.”
17.26 Ayu: “Inggih, Mbah. Mangké kula pilih kaliyan Rina.”
17.27 Setu ésuk Ayu lan Rina mlaku-mlaku ing pasar bareng karo ibuné Rina.
17.28 Ibuné Rina nawar karo bakul kain kanthi sabar.
17.29 Ayu mbayar kain kuwi nganggo dhuwit saka Simbah.
17.30 Simbah seneng banget karo kain lurik kuwi.
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Karo and kaliyan side by side. Ayu asks Rina karo sapa? in ngoko (17.16); her grandmother asks the same, Karo sapa manèh? (17.23), and Ayu answers her in krama, Kaliyan ibunipun Rina (17.24). The level follows the listener, not the person one goes with.
Karo alone as an answer. Rina’s Karo ibuku, “With my mum” (17.17), and Ayu’s Kaliyan ibunipun Rina (17.24) are complete answers: as in English, the verb of the question is not repeated.
Four kinds of “with” in one story. Company: karo ibuku (17.17), karo kowé (17.19), kaliyan Rina (17.22, 17.26). Together: bareng karo ibumu (17.20), bareng karo ibuné Rina (17.27). Means: nganggo dhuwit saka Simbah (17.29). Manner: kanthi sabar (17.28). And after an adjective or verb: seneng karo (17.21, 17.30), nawar karo (17.28).
Lan in the narration. Ayu lan Rina (17.27) uses lan, “and”, the usual word in narration and writing; the girls’ speech uses karo.
Tukokna, “buy (it) for”. Tuku, “buy”, with the imperative suffix -kna, “do it for someone”: Tukokna Simbah kain lurik, “Buy Grandma some lurik cloth” (17.25). The u of tuku becomes o before the suffix. Simbah speaks of herself as Simbah, as Javanese elders often do in place of aku.
Mangké kula pilih, “I will choose it later” (17.26), is the krama dak- passive of Lesson 15 (kula lampahi): the thing chosen, the cloth, is understood.
Krama words in the dialogue: énjing (ngoko ésuk) “morning”; badhé (arep) “will, be going to”; dhateng (menyang) “to”; peken (pasar) “market”; kaliyan (karo) “with”; -nipun (-né) “his, her”; inggih (iya) “yes”; mangké (mengko) “later”. Setu, “Saturday”, and pilih, “choose”, are the same in both levels.
Other words: mampir, “to call in, drop in on the way”; mlaku-mlaku, “to stroll, walk around”, the doubled form of mlaku, “walk”; bakul, “a market seller”, usually a woman; dhuwit cilik and dhuwit gedhé, “small and large money”, that is, small and large notes; werna biru, “blue in colour”.
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The vowel of karo. Karo [karo] keeps a clear [a], because the vowel of the next syllable is o. A written a that closes a word is [ɔ], and an a in the syllable before it becomes [ɔ] too: lunga [luŋɔ], kanca [kɔncɔ], sapa [sɔpɔ].
The o of karo is close, as in nganggo [ŋaŋɡo] and kanggo [kaŋɡo]. Do not confuse it with the open [ɔ] of potlot [pɔtlɔt] or ngomong [ŋɔmɔŋ].
Two kinds of ng in nganggo. The first ng [ŋ] stands alone, as in “singer”; the second is followed by a pronounced g, as in “finger”: [ŋaŋɡo]. The same contrast is heard in kanggo [kaŋɡo] and inggih [ɪŋɡɪh].
Retroflex th and dh. Kanthi [kanʈi] has the retroflex t; adhiku, dhuwit, gedhé, dhateng, badhé, dhèwèké have retroflex dh [ɖ]. Curl the tongue tip back.
The three e’s. é /e/ is close (kowé, késah, suwé, bukuné, waé, gedhé, mangké, énjing), è /ɛ/ is open (mèlu, manèh, yèn, dhèwèké), and plain e is the neutral vowel /ə/ (bareng, kenal, nesu, sega, enem, peken, seneng). Everyday writing prints them all as e.
Glottal k. Final k is a glottal stop: numpak, ésuk, cilik, lurik, Bapak. Before a consonant it is also glottal: daksilih [daʔsilɪh], dakkenal [daʔkənal], tukokna [tukɔʔnɔ].
HP is read as two letters, as in Indonesian: [ha pe], from handphone, the usual Indonesian and Javanese word for a mobile phone.
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].
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✓ Lesson 17 Javanese complete — karo (with)
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