What is the Javanese for “but”?
“But” joins two things that pull in different directions: “I am tired, but happy.” “This shirt is nice, but expensive.” Javanese uses nanging. Learners have met it already, in Lessons 11, 12 and 19; this lesson studies it properly, with its partners.
- Nanging is the standard word, in speech and in writing: Aku kesel, nanging seneng, “I am tired, but happy.” - Ning is its short spoken form, heard all the time in quick ngoko: Aku wis sinau suwé, ning durung ngerti, “I’ve studied for a long time, but I still don’t understand.” - Namung is the krama word. Lesson 19 met it as “only” (the krama of mung); in polite speech it also does the work of “but”: Griyanipun tebih, namung marginipun saé, “Their house is far, but the road is good.” Nanging itself does not change at the krama level, and many speakers keep it in krama too (Lesson 19: Kamar kula alit, nanging resik). - Ananging is an older, literary form of nanging, met in books and formal speeches.
Nanging has a second job that English splits between “but” and “but rather”. After a denial it brings in the true alternative: Dudu kopi, nanging tèh, “Not coffee, but tea.” Dudu denies a noun (Lesson 20), ora a verb or adjective, and nanging follows either. The fixed frame ora mung … nanging uga is “not only … but also”.
Etymology: nanging goes back to Old Javanese naṅhiṅ, naṅiṅ, “but”, related to words meaning “limit, end”; Indonesian hingga, “until”, is a cognate.
Orthography: this course writes é for the close e, è for the open e and plain e for the neutral vowel (schwa). Nanging has no e at all, and is written the same everywhere.
FAQ: How do I say “but” in Javanese?
Q: What is the ordinary word for “but”? A: Nanging: Klambi iki apik, nanging larang, “This shirt is nice, but expensive.”
Q: What is ning? A: The short spoken form of nanging. It belongs to relaxed ngoko; in writing and in krama use nanging.
Q: How do I say “but” politely? A: Namung or nanging, with krama words around it: Griyanipun tebih, namung marginipun saé.
Q: How do I say “not this, but that”? A: Dudu (krama sanès) before a noun, ora (krama mboten) before a verb, then nanging: Dudu aku, nanging kucingé, “Not me, but the cat.”
Q: How do I say “not only … but also”? A: Ora mung … nanging uga …: Ora mung Mbah Putri sing teka, nanging uga para putuné.
Key Takeaways:
- “But” is nanging, in ngoko and krama alike; ning is its quick spoken form - Namung, the krama “only”, also serves as “but” in polite speech - After dudu or ora, nanging brings in the true alternative: dudu kopi, nanging tèh - Ora mung … nanging uga is “not only … but also” - Ananging is the literary form of nanging
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nanging /naŋɪŋ/ — na-nging: two syllables, and ng is one sound, [ŋ] as in “singer”, at the start of the second syllable. Say na-nging, not nang-ging: there is no g sound. The i is short and lax, as in “bit”, because the syllable is closed.
ning /nɪŋ/ — one syllable, like English “ning” in “running” without the “run”.
namung /namʊŋ/ — na-mung: the u is short and lax, as in “put”, because the syllable is closed.
ananging /anaŋɪŋ/ — a-na-nging: nanging with a at the front.
dudu /dudu/ — du-du: both u’s full, as in “food”.
sanès /sanɛs/ — sa-nès: the è is open, as in “bed”.
Final k is a glottal stop: apik [apɪʔ], enak [ənaʔ], Bapak [bapaʔ]; but in the suffix -aké the k is a full [k]: mecahaké [məcahake].
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23.1a Aku I kesel am-tired nanging but seneng happy
23.1b Aku /aku/ 1SG kesel /kəsəl/ tired nanging /naŋɪŋ/ but seneng /sənəŋ/ happy
23.2a Tèhé the-tea panas is-hot nanging but enak nice
23.2b Tèhé /tɛhe/ tea-DEF panas /panas/ hot nanging /naŋɪŋ/ but enak /ənaʔ/ tasty
23.3a Klambi shirt iki this apik is-nice nanging but larang expensive
23.3b Klambi /klambi/ shirt iki /iki/ this.PROX apik /apɪʔ/ nice nanging /naŋɪŋ/ but larang /laraŋ/ expensive
23.4a Griyanipun their-house tebih is-far namung but marginipun the-road saé good
23.4b Griyanipun /ɡrijanipʊn/ house.KR-DEF.KR tebih /təbɪh/ far.KR namung /namʊŋ/ but.KR marginipun /marɡinipʊn/ road.KR-DEF.KR saé /sae/ good.KR
23.5a Dudu not kopi coffee nanging but tèh tea
23.5b Dudu /dudu/ NEG.NOM kopi /kopi/ coffee nanging /naŋɪŋ/ but tèh /tɛh/ tea
23.6a Adhiku my-little-brother wis already gedhé big nanging but isih still seneng likes dolanan playing
23.6b Adhiku /aɖiku/ younger.sibling-POSS.1SG wis /wɪs/ PERF gedhé /ɡəɖe/ big nanging /naŋɪŋ/ but isih /isɪh/ still seneng /sənəŋ/ like dolanan /dolanan/ play-AN
23.7a Udané the-rain deres is-heavy nanging but Bapak Father tetep still lunga goes menyang to sawah the-rice-field
23.7b Udané /udane/ rain-DEF deres /dərəs/ heavy nanging /naŋɪŋ/ but Bapak /bapaʔ/ father tetep /tətəp/ nevertheless lunga /luŋɔ/ go.away menyang /məɲaŋ/ to sawah /sawah/ rice.field
23.8a Aku I wis already sinau studied suwé long ning but durung not-yet ngerti understand
23.8b Aku /aku/ 1SG wis /wɪs/ PERF sinau /sinau/ study suwé /suwe/ long.time ning /nɪŋ/ but.COLL durung /durʊŋ/ not.yet ngerti /ŋərti/ AV-know
23.9a Rina Rina pinter is-good-at masak cooking nanging but ora not seneng likes ngumbahi washing piring dishes
23.9b Rina /rinɔ/ Rina pinter /pintər/ clever masak /masaʔ/ cook nanging /naŋɪŋ/ but ora /ɔrɔ/ NEG seneng /sənəŋ/ like ngumbahi /ŋumbahi/ AV-wash-APPL piring /pirɪŋ/ plate
23.10a Pak Mr Guru teacher ngendika said yèn that ujiané the-exam angèl was-hard nanging but kita we kabèh all lulus passed
23.10b Pak /paʔ/ father.HON Guru /ɡuru/ teacher ngendika /ŋəndikɔ/ say.KI yèn /jɛn/ COMP ujiané /uɟiane/ exam-DEF angèl /aŋɛl/ difficult nanging /naŋɪŋ/ but kita /kitɔ/ 1PL.INCL kabèh /kabɛh/ all lulus /lulʊs/ pass
23.11a Dudu not aku I sing who mecahaké broke gelas glass kuwi that nanging but kucingé the-cat
23.11b Dudu /dudu/ NEG.NOM aku /aku/ 1SG sing /sɪŋ/ REL mecahaké /məcahake/ AV-broken-CAUS gelas /ɡəlas/ glass kuwi /kuwi/ that.MED nanging /naŋɪŋ/ but kucingé /kuciŋe/ cat-DEF
23.12a Sepuré the-train mesthiné should teka arrive jam hour lima five nanging but nganti until saiki now durung not-yet teka arrived
23.12b Sepuré /səpure/ train-DEF mesthiné /məsʈine/ certain-DEF teka /təkɔ/ come jam /ɟam/ hour lima /limɔ/ five nanging /naŋɪŋ/ but nganti /ŋanti/ until saiki /saiki/ now durung /durʊŋ/ not.yet teka /təkɔ/ come
23.13a Nyuwun I-beg pangapunten forgiveness Bu madam kula I sampun already nengga have-waited wiwit since énjing morning namung but bis the-bus dèrèng not-yet dhateng come
23.13b Nyuwun /ɲuwʊn/ request.KR pangapunten /paŋapuntən/ PA-forgive.KR Bu /bu/ mother.VOC kula /kulɔ/ 1.KR sampun /sampʊn/ PERF.KR nengga /nəŋɡɔ/ AV-wait.KR wiwit /wiwɪt/ since énjing /enɟɪŋ/ morning.KR namung /namʊŋ/ but.KR bis /bɪs/ bus dèrèng /dɛrɛŋ/ not.yet.KR dhateng /ɖatəŋ/ come.KR
23.14a Ora not mung only Mbah Grand- Putri -mother sing who teka came nanging but uga also para the putuné her-grandchildren
23.14b Ora /ɔrɔ/ NEG mung /mʊŋ/ only Mbah /mbah/ grandparent Putri /putri/ female sing /sɪŋ/ REL teka /təkɔ/ come nanging /naŋɪŋ/ but uga /uɡɔ/ also para /pɔrɔ/ PL.HUM putuné /putune/ grandchild-POSS.3
23.15a Désa village kuwi that adoh is-far saka from kutha town lan and dalané its-road rusak is-bad nanging but saben every taun year akèh many wong people sing who teka come kanggo to ndeleng see candhiné its-temple
23.15b Désa /desɔ/ village kuwi /kuwi/ that.MED adoh /adɔh/ far saka /sɔkɔ/ from kutha /kuʈɔ/ town lan /lan/ and dalané /dalane/ road-POSS.3 rusak /rusaʔ/ damaged nanging /naŋɪŋ/ but saben /sabən/ every taun /taun/ year akèh /akɛh/ many wong /wɔŋ/ person sing /sɪŋ/ REL teka /təkɔ/ come kanggo /kaŋɡo/ PURP ndeleng /ndələŋ/ AV-look candhiné /canɖine/ temple-POSS.3
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23.1 Aku kesel, nanging seneng. → “I’m tired, but happy.”
23.2 Tèhé panas, nanging enak. → “The tea is hot, but it’s good.”
23.3 Klambi iki apik, nanging larang. → “This shirt is nice, but expensive.”
23.4 Griyanipun tebih, namung marginipun saé. → “Their house is a long way off, but the road is good.” (polite)
23.5 Dudu kopi, nanging tèh. → “Not coffee, but tea.”
23.6 Adhiku wis gedhé, nanging isih seneng dolanan. → “My little brother is big now, but he still likes to play.”
23.7 Udané deres, nanging Bapak tetep lunga menyang sawah. → “The rain is heavy, but Father goes to the rice field all the same.”
23.8 Aku wis sinau suwé, ning durung ngerti. → “I’ve studied for a long time, but I still don’t understand.”
23.9 Rina pinter masak, nanging ora seneng ngumbahi piring. → “Rina is a good cook, but she doesn’t like washing the dishes.”
23.10 Pak Guru ngendika yèn ujiané angèl, nanging kita kabèh lulus. → “The teacher said that the exam was hard, but we all passed.”
23.11 Dudu aku sing mecahaké gelas kuwi, nanging kucingé. → “It wasn’t me who broke that glass, it was the cat.”
23.12 Sepuré mesthiné teka jam lima, nanging nganti saiki durung teka. → “The train was supposed to arrive at five, but it still hasn’t come.”
23.13 Nyuwun pangapunten, Bu, kula sampun nengga wiwit énjing, namung bis dèrèng dhateng. → “Excuse me, madam, I have been waiting since the morning, but the bus hasn’t come yet.” (polite)
23.14 Ora mung Mbah Putri sing teka, nanging uga para putuné. → “Not only Grandma came, but also her grandchildren.”
23.15 Désa kuwi adoh saka kutha lan dalané rusak, nanging saben taun akèh wong sing teka kanggo ndeleng candhiné. → “That village is far from town and its road is in poor repair, but every year many people come to see its temple.”
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23.1 Aku kesel, nanging seneng.
23.2 Tèhé panas, nanging enak.
23.3 Klambi iki apik, nanging larang.
23.4 Griyanipun tebih, namung marginipun saé.
23.5 Dudu kopi, nanging tèh.
23.6 Adhiku wis gedhé, nanging isih seneng dolanan.
23.7 Udané deres, nanging Bapak tetep lunga menyang sawah.
23.8 Aku wis sinau suwé, ning durung ngerti.
23.9 Rina pinter masak, nanging ora seneng ngumbahi piring.
23.10 Pak Guru ngendika yèn ujiané angèl, nanging kita kabèh lulus.
23.11 Dudu aku sing mecahaké gelas kuwi, nanging kucingé.
23.12 Sepuré mesthiné teka jam lima, nanging nganti saiki durung teka.
23.13 Nyuwun pangapunten, Bu, kula sampun nengga wiwit énjing, namung bis dèrèng dhateng.
23.14 Ora mung Mbah Putri sing teka, nanging uga para putuné.
23.15 Désa kuwi adoh saka kutha lan dalané rusak, nanging saben taun akèh wong sing teka kanggo ndeleng candhiné.
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These are the grammar rules for nanging, ning and namung, “but”, in Javanese:
1. Position. Nanging stands between the two parts it contrasts, exactly where English puts “but”, and is usually preceded by a comma in writing: Aku kesel, nanging seneng (23.1). It may also open a new sentence, as English “But …” does: Nanging kabèh padha lulus, “But they all passed.”
2. Leaving out what is shared. When both halves have the same subject, Javanese does not repeat it: Rina pinter masak, nanging ora seneng ngumbahi piring (23.9), not *… nanging Rina ora seneng …. With adjectives the second half can be a single word: Klambi iki apik, nanging larang (23.3).
3. Contrast with a different subject. When the subjects differ, both are said: Udané deres, nanging Bapak tetep lunga (23.7). Tetep, “still, all the same”, often follows nanging to stress that the second fact holds in spite of the first; so does isih, “still” (23.6).
4. “Not X but Y”. After a denial, nanging brings in the true alternative. Before a noun or pronoun the denial is dudu: Dudu kopi, nanging tèh (23.5); Dudu aku sing mecahaké gelas kuwi, nanging kucingé (23.11). Before a verb or adjective it is ora (Lesson 12: ora kanggo njaluk dhuwit, nanging kanggo nulungi kowé). In krama dudu becomes sanès and ora becomes mboten.
5. “Not only … but also”. The fixed frame is ora mung … nanging uga …: Ora mung Mbah Putri sing teka, nanging uga para putuné (23.14). Uga, “also”, stands right after nanging.
6. Ning. In everyday ngoko speech nanging is clipped to ning: Aku wis sinau suwé, ning durung ngerti (23.8). It means exactly the same, but it is casual; do not use it in krama or in careful writing.
7. Namung. The krama word for “only” (Lesson 19: namung sepuluh menit) is also the usual krama “but”: Griyanipun tebih, namung marginipun saé (23.4); … namung bis dèrèng dhateng (23.13). The two senses are close: “the house is far, only the road is good”. Nanging, which has no separate krama form, is equally correct in krama (Lesson 19: Kamar kula alit, nanging resik).
8. The levels around it. The conjunction is the smallest part of politeness; the words around it carry the level:
- omah → griya, “house” - adoh → tebih, “far” - dalan → margi, “road” - apik, becik → saé, “good” - durung → dèrèng, “not yet” - teka → dhateng, “come” - dudu → sanès, “not (a noun)” - mung → namung, “only”
9. Other words of contrast. Malah is “on the contrary, instead”: Ora mudhun, malah mundhak, “It didn’t go down; it went up instead.” Kajaba is “except, all but”: kabèh kajaba aku, “all but me”. Éwadéné is “even so, nevertheless”, at the head of a sentence. They are noted here so that the learner does not mistake them for nanging; each has its own lesson.
Common Mistakes:
- Using ora instead of dudu before a noun: *Ora kopi, nanging tèh. Correct: Dudu kopi, nanging tèh. - Pronouncing nanging as nang-ging. There is no g: na-nging [naŋɪŋ]. - Using ning in krama: *Griyanipun tebih, ning marginipun saé. Correct: namung or nanging. - Repeating the subject when it is the same: *Rina pinter masak, nanging Rina ora seneng …. Say … nanging ora seneng …. - Putting uga before nanging: *ora mung … uga nanging …. Correct: ora mung … nanging uga ….
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The soft “but”. Javanese manners prefer not to refuse or contradict outright. A request is often met with Inggih, nanging …, “Yes, but …”, and what follows nanging is the real answer. The learner who hears inggih and stops listening will misunderstand: the “but” matters more than the “yes”.
Bargaining. In a traditional market the price is not fixed, and the conversation of bargaining (nawar, “to make an offer”) runs on “but”: the cloth is fine, but the price is high; the price is lower now, but still too much. It is a polite game, played with smiles, and the buyer may walk away without offence.
Batik. Batik is cloth patterned with wax before dyeing. Batik tulis, “written batik”, is drawn by hand with a small spouted tool, the canting, and takes weeks; batik cap, “stamped batik”, is printed with a copper stamp and is far cheaper. Indonesian batik was inscribed by UNESCO on its list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009. Pasar Klewer, beside the palace in Surakarta (Solo), is one of the great batik markets of Java. The shoppers, the seller and their conversation below are invented for the lesson.
Dhukun. In the citation below Jesus says that the sick need a dhukun. A dhukun is a traditional healer, herbalist or healer by prayer, and the word stands for any “physician” in older Javanese. Today a doctor is dokter.
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Mark 2:17, from the Javanese Bible published by alkitab.mobi as version “Jawa”, the version quoted in Lessons 20 to 22. The text is given exactly as printed, without accents. The Pharisees ask why Jesus eats with tax collectors and sinners. He answers with two sentences, and each turns on nanging: the first after dudu, the second after ora.
F.1a Gusti the-Lord Yesus Jesus mireng heard lan and banjur then ngandika said marang to wong-wong the-people mau those
F.1b Gusti /ɡusti/ lord Yesus /jesʊs/ Jesus mireng /mirəŋ/ hear.KR lan /lan/ and banjur /banɟʊr/ then ngandika /ŋandikɔ/ say.KI marang /maraŋ/ to wong-wong /wɔŋ wɔŋ/ RED-person mau /mau/ aforesaid
F.2a Kang who butuh needs dhukun a-healer iku that dudu is-not wong people waras healthy nanging but wong people lara sick
F.2b Kang /kaŋ/ REL.LIT butuh /butʊh/ need dhukun /ɖukʊn/ healer iku /iku/ that.DIST dudu /dudu/ NEG.NOM wong /wɔŋ/ person waras /waras/ healthy nanging /naŋɪŋ/ but wong /wɔŋ/ person lara /lɔrɔ/ ill
F.3a TekaKu my-coming iki this ora not arep is-meant ngundang to-call wong people sampurna perfect nanging but wong people dosa sinful
F.3b TekaKu /təkaku/ come-POSS.1 iki /iki/ this.PROX ora /ɔrɔ/ NEG arep /arəp/ FUT ngundang /ŋundaŋ/ AV-invite wong /wɔŋ/ person sampurna /sampurnɔ/ perfect nanging /naŋɪŋ/ but wong /wɔŋ/ person dosa /dɔsɔ/ sin
Gusti Yesus mireng, lan banjur ngandika marang wong-wong mau: "Kang butuh dhukun iku dudu wong waras, nanging wong lara. TekaKu iki ora arep ngundang wong sampurna, nanging wong dosa." (Mark 2:17)
Jesus heard it, and said to them: “It is not the healthy who need a physician, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Gusti Yesus mireng, lan banjur ngandika marang wong-wong mau: "Kang butuh dhukun iku dudu wong waras, nanging wong lara. TekaKu iki ora arep ngundang wong sampurna, nanging wong dosa."
Dudu … nanging. Kang butuh dhukun iku dudu wong waras, nanging wong lara, “those who need a healer are not the healthy, but the sick” (rule 4). Wong waras and wong lara are nouns, so the denial is dudu. The sentence is built like 23.11: first the thing that is true of someone (kang butuh dhukun, “the one who needs a healer”), marked off by iku, then who it is not, then nanging and who it is.
Ora … nanging. TekaKu iki ora arep ngundang wong sampurna, nanging wong dosa, “my coming is not to call the perfect, but sinners”. Here the denial falls on a verb, ngundang, so it is ora; nanging then supplies the true object, and the verb is not repeated (rule 2). The two halves of the verse thus show both denials that nanging can follow.
Words. Mireng is the krama of krungu, “hear” (Lesson 22), used here of Jesus out of respect; ngandika is the honorific “say”, which this course spells ngendika (Lesson 22): both spellings are in use. Kang is the literary form of sing. TekaKu is teka, “come”, with -ku, “my”: the coming of Jesus. The capital K marks a pronoun that refers to God, as the Javanese Bible does. Sampurna, “perfect, complete”, is the translator’s word for “the righteous”; wong dosa, literally “sin people”, is “sinners”.
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Dewi and her friend Sari are looking at batik in Pasar Klewer, the cloth market of Surakarta. The friends speak ngoko to each other and say nanging or ning; Dewi speaks krama to the seller, an older woman, and the seller answers in krama: both say namung. The people are invented for the lesson.
23.16a Dewi Dewi Sari Sari batik batik iki this apik is-beautiful nanging but larang expensive banget very
23.16b Dewi /dewi/ Dewi Sari /sari/ Sari batik /batɪʔ/ batik iki /iki/ this.PROX apik /apɪʔ/ nice nanging /naŋɪŋ/ but larang /laraŋ/ expensive banget /baŋət/ very
23.17a Sari Sari Iya yes nanging but kainé the-cloth alus is-fine Coba try takon asking regané its-price
23.17b Sari /sari/ Sari Iya /ijɔ/ yes nanging /naŋɪŋ/ but kainé /kaine/ cloth-DEF alus /alʊs/ fine Coba /cɔbɔ/ try takon /takɔn/ ask regané /rəɡane/ price-POSS.3
23.18a Dewi Dewi Nyuwun I-beg sèwu a-thousand Bu madam Batik batik punika this saé fine sanget very namung but reginipun the-price awis is-high
23.18b Dewi /dewi/ Dewi Nyuwun /ɲuwʊn/ request.KR sèwu /sɛwu/ thousand Bu /bu/ mother.VOC Batik /batɪʔ/ batik punika /punikɔ/ this.KR saé /sae/ good.KR sanget /saŋət/ very.KR namung /namʊŋ/ but.KR reginipun /rəɡinipʊn/ price.KR-DEF.KR awis /awɪs/ expensive.KR
23.19a Bakul Seller Inggih yes Mbak miss awis expensive namung but punika this batik batik tulis hand-drawn sanès not batik batik cap stamped
23.19b Bakul /bakʊl/ seller Inggih /ɪŋɡɪh/ yes.KR Mbak /mbaʔ/ elder.sister.HON awis /awɪs/ expensive.KR namung /namʊŋ/ but.KR punika /punikɔ/ this.KR batik /batɪʔ/ batik tulis /tulɪs/ write sanès /sanɛs/ NEG.NOM.KR batik /batɪʔ/ batik cap /cap/ stamp
23.20a Sari Sari Batik batik tulis hand-drawn pancèn is-indeed larang expensive ning but awèt it-lasts
23.20b Sari /sari/ Sari Batik /batɪʔ/ batik tulis /tulɪs/ write pancèn /pancɛn/ indeed larang /laraŋ/ expensive ning /nɪŋ/ but.COLL awèt /awɛt/ durable
23.21a Dewi Dewi Kula I remen like werninipun its-colours namung but arta money kula my mboten not cekap enough
23.21b Dewi /dewi/ Dewi Kula /kulɔ/ 1.KR remen /rəmən/ like.KR werninipun /wərninipʊn/ colour.KR-DEF.KR namung /namʊŋ/ but.KR arta /artɔ/ money.KR kula /kulɔ/ 1.KR mboten /mbotən/ NEG.KR cekap /cəkap/ enough.KR
23.22a Bakul Seller Mangga very-well Mbak miss kula I kirangi will-lower-it sekedhik a-little namung but mboten not saged can kathah much
23.22b Bakul /bakʊl/ seller Mangga /maŋɡɔ/ please Mbak /mbaʔ/ elder.sister.HON kula /kulɔ/ 1.KR kirangi /kiraŋi/ less.KR-APPL sekedhik /səkəɖɪʔ/ a.little.KR namung /namʊŋ/ but.KR mboten /mbotən/ NEG.KR saged /saɡəd/ can.KR kathah /kaʈah/ much.KR
23.23a Sari Sari Dewi Dewi rega the-price iki this wis already luwih more murah cheap nanging but isih still larang expensive kanggo for awaké ourselves dhéwé own
23.23b Sari /sari/ Sari Dewi /dewi/ Dewi rega /rəɡɔ/ price iki /iki/ this.PROX wis /wɪs/ PERF luwih /luwɪh/ more murah /murah/ cheap nanging /naŋɪŋ/ but isih /isɪh/ still larang /laraŋ/ expensive kanggo /kaŋɡo/ for awaké /awake/ body-DEF dhéwé /ɖewe/ self
23.24a Dewi Dewi Aku I ora not tuku will-buy sing the-one gedhé big nanging but sing the-one cilik small waé just
23.24b Dewi /dewi/ Dewi Aku /aku/ 1SG ora /ɔrɔ/ NEG tuku /tuku/ buy sing /sɪŋ/ REL gedhé /ɡəɖe/ big nanging /naŋɪŋ/ but sing /sɪŋ/ REL cilik /cilɪʔ/ small waé /wae/ just
23.25a Dewi Dewi Bu madam kula I mboten not tumbas will-buy ingkang the-one ageng big namung but ingkang the-one alit small
23.25b Dewi /dewi/ Dewi Bu /bu/ mother.VOC kula /kulɔ/ 1.KR mboten /mbotən/ NEG.KR tumbas /tumbas/ buy.KR ingkang /ɪŋkaŋ/ REL.KR ageng /aɡəŋ/ big.KR namung /namʊŋ/ but.KR ingkang /ɪŋkaŋ/ REL.KR alit /alɪt/ small.KR
23.26a Bakul Seller Ingkang the-one alit small langkung more mirah cheap namung but motifipun the-pattern sami same
23.26b Bakul /bakʊl/ seller Ingkang /ɪŋkaŋ/ REL.KR alit /alɪt/ small.KR langkung /laŋkʊŋ/ more.KR mirah /mirah/ cheap.KR namung /namʊŋ/ but.KR motifipun /motifipʊn/ pattern-DEF.KR sami /sami/ same.KR
23.27a Dewi Dewi Saé good Bu madam Kula I tumbas buy setunggal one namung but nyuwun please dipunbungkus have-it-wrapped
23.27b Dewi /dewi/ Dewi Saé /sae/ good.KR Bu /bu/ mother.VOC Kula /kulɔ/ 1.KR tumbas /tumbas/ buy.KR setunggal /sətuŋɡal/ one.KR namung /namʊŋ/ but.KR nyuwun /ɲuwʊn/ request.KR dipunbungkus /dipʊnbuŋkʊs/ PASS.KR-wrap
23.28a Sari Sari Aku I ora not tuku buy apa-apa anything nanging but aku I seneng enjoyed ndeleng looking-at batik-batik batiks iki these
23.28b Sari /sari/ Sari Aku /aku/ 1SG ora /ɔrɔ/ NEG tuku /tuku/ buy apa-apa /ɔpɔ ɔpɔ/ RED-what nanging /naŋɪŋ/ but aku /aku/ 1SG seneng /sənəŋ/ like ndeleng /ndələŋ/ AV-look batik-batik /batɪʔ batɪʔ/ RED-batik iki /iki/ this.PROX
23.29a Bakul Seller Matur I-say nuwun thank-you Mbak miss Mboten not punapa-punapa anything namung but sanès another dinten day mangga please mampir drop-in malih again
23.29b Bakul /bakʊl/ seller Matur /matʊr/ say.HUM nuwun /nuwʊn/ request Mbak /mbaʔ/ elder.sister.HON Mboten /mbotən/ NEG.KR punapa-punapa /punɔpɔ punɔpɔ/ RED-what.KR namung /namʊŋ/ but.KR sanès /sanɛs/ other.KR dinten /dintən/ day.KR mangga /maŋɡɔ/ please mampir /mampɪr/ drop.in malih /malɪh/ again.KR
23.30a Dewi Dewi Batiké the-batik larang was-expensive nanging but aku I ora not getun regret-it
23.30b Dewi /dewi/ Dewi Batiké /batiʔe/ batik-DEF larang /laraŋ/ expensive nanging /naŋɪŋ/ but aku /aku/ 1SG ora /ɔrɔ/ NEG getun /ɡətʊn/ regret
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23.16 Dewi: “Sari, batik iki apik, nanging larang banget.” → Dewi: “Sari, this batik is beautiful, but very expensive.”
23.17 Sari: “Iya, nanging kainé alus. Coba takon regané.” → Sari: “Yes, but the cloth is fine. Try asking the price.”
23.18 Dewi: “Nyuwun sèwu, Bu. Batik punika saé sanget, namung reginipun awis.” → Dewi: “Excuse me, madam. This batik is very fine, but the price is high.”
23.19 Bakul: “Inggih, Mbak, awis, namung punika batik tulis, sanès batik cap.” → Seller: “Yes, miss, it is dear, but this is hand-drawn batik, not stamped.”
23.20 Sari: “Batik tulis pancèn larang, ning awèt.” → Sari: “Hand-drawn batik is expensive, it’s true, but it lasts.”
23.21 Dewi: “Kula remen werninipun, namung arta kula mboten cekap.” → Dewi: “I love the colours, but I haven’t enough money.”
23.22 Bakul: “Mangga, Mbak, kula kirangi sekedhik, namung mboten saged kathah.” → Seller: “Very well, miss, I’ll take a little off, but I can’t take off much.”
23.23 Sari: “Dewi, rega iki wis luwih murah, nanging isih larang kanggo awaké dhéwé.” → Sari: “Dewi, that price is lower now, but it’s still too dear for us.”
23.24 Dewi: “Aku ora tuku sing gedhé, nanging sing cilik waé.” → Dewi: “I won’t buy the big one, just the small one.”
23.25 Dewi: “Bu, kula mboten tumbas ingkang ageng, namung ingkang alit.” → Dewi: “Madam, I won’t take the big one, but the small one.”
23.26 Bakul: “Ingkang alit langkung mirah, namung motifipun sami.” → Seller: “The small one is cheaper, but the pattern is the same.”
23.27 Dewi: “Saé, Bu. Kula tumbas setunggal, namung nyuwun dipunbungkus.” → Dewi: “Good, madam. I’ll buy one, but please wrap it for me.”
23.28 Sari: “Aku ora tuku apa-apa, nanging aku seneng ndeleng batik-batik iki.” → Sari: “I’m not buying anything, but I enjoyed looking at these batiks.”
23.29 Bakul: “Matur nuwun, Mbak. Mboten punapa-punapa, namung sanès dinten mangga mampir malih.” → Seller: “Thank you, miss. Never mind, but do drop in again another day.”
23.30 Dewi: “Batiké larang, nanging aku ora getun.” → Dewi: “The batik was expensive, but I don’t regret it.”
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Tuku Batik
23.16 Dewi: “Sari, batik iki apik, nanging larang banget.”
23.17 Sari: “Iya, nanging kainé alus. Coba takon regané.”
23.18 Dewi: “Nyuwun sèwu, Bu. Batik punika saé sanget, namung reginipun awis.”
23.19 Bakul: “Inggih, Mbak, awis, namung punika batik tulis, sanès batik cap.”
23.20 Sari: “Batik tulis pancèn larang, ning awèt.”
23.21 Dewi: “Kula remen werninipun, namung arta kula mboten cekap.”
23.22 Bakul: “Mangga, Mbak, kula kirangi sekedhik, namung mboten saged kathah.”
23.23 Sari: “Dewi, rega iki wis luwih murah, nanging isih larang kanggo awaké dhéwé.”
23.24 Dewi: “Aku ora tuku sing gedhé, nanging sing cilik waé.”
23.25 Dewi: “Bu, kula mboten tumbas ingkang ageng, namung ingkang alit.”
23.26 Bakul: “Ingkang alit langkung mirah, namung motifipun sami.”
23.27 Dewi: “Saé, Bu. Kula tumbas setunggal, namung nyuwun dipunbungkus.”
23.28 Sari: “Aku ora tuku apa-apa, nanging aku seneng ndeleng batik-batik iki.”
23.29 Bakul: “Matur nuwun, Mbak. Mboten punapa-punapa, namung sanès dinten mangga mampir malih.”
23.30 Dewi: “Batiké larang, nanging aku ora getun.”
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Two levels, one idea. Every line of the conversation has a “but”. The two friends use nanging (23.16, 23.17, 23.23, 23.24, 23.28, 23.30) and, once, the quick ning (23.20). Dewi and the seller speak krama to each other and use namung (23.18, 23.19, 23.21, 23.22, 23.25, 23.26, 23.27, 23.29). This is rules 6 and 7 of Section D at work.
The same sentence at two levels. Dewi says the same thing to her friend and to the seller: Aku ora tuku sing gedhé, nanging sing cilik waé (23.24) and Bu, kula mboten tumbas ingkang ageng, namung ingkang alit (23.25). Every word moves: aku → kula, ora → mboten, tuku → tumbas, sing → ingkang, gedhé → ageng, nanging → namung, cilik → alit. In 23.25 namung could also be heard as “only”: “I’ll take only the small one.” The two senses meet, and the meaning is the same.
Sanès. In 23.19 sanès is the krama of dudu: batik tulis, sanès batik cap, “hand-drawn batik, not stamped” (rule 4). In 23.29 it means “other, another”: sanès dinten, “another day”. Ngoko uses liya for this second sense.
Mbak and Bu. The seller calls the young women Mbak, “elder sister”, the polite word for any young woman; they call her Bu, “mother”, the polite word for an older woman (Lesson 22).
Other words: banget, “very” (krama sanget); iya, “yes” (krama inggih); kain, “cloth”; alus, “fine, smooth”; coba, “try, go on”; takon, “ask”; rega, “price” (krama regi); nyuwun sèwu, “excuse me”, literally “I ask a thousand (pardons)”; awis, “expensive” (krama of larang); pancèn, “indeed, admittedly”; awèt, “durable”; werni, “colour” (krama of warna); arta, “money” (krama of dhuwit); cekap, “enough” (krama of cukup); kirangi, “lower, reduce” (krama of kurangi); sekedhik, “a little” (krama of sithik); kathah, “much, many” (krama of akèh); murah, “cheap” (krama mirah); waé, “just”; langkung, “more” (krama of luwih); motif, “pattern”; sami, “the same” (krama of padha); setunggal, “one” (krama of siji); dipunbungkus, “be wrapped” (krama passive of bungkus); matur nuwun, “thank you”; mboten punapa-punapa, “it doesn’t matter” (krama of ora apa-apa); mampir, “drop in”; malih, “again” (krama of manèh); getun, “regret”.
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Nanging. [naŋɪŋ], two syllables, na-nging. Javanese ng is always a single sound [ŋ], wherever it stands: at the start of a word (ngerti [ŋərti]), between vowels (nanging, kirangi [kiraŋi]) and at the end (larang [laraŋ]). Where a g is heard after it, it is written: mangga [maŋɡɔ], nengga [nəŋɡɔ], setunggal [sətuŋɡal].
Ning and namung. [nɪŋ] and [namʊŋ]. The vowel of a closed final syllable is lax: i as in “bit”, u as in “put”.
The a’s. Final a is [ɔ]: lunga [luŋɔ], saka [sɔkɔ], kutha [kuʈɔ], mangga [maŋɡɔ], and the a before it in an open syllable is rounded too: lara [lɔrɔ], saka [sɔkɔ]. Before a suffix the a is clear again: teka [təkɔ] but tekaKu [təkaku]; rega [rəɡɔ] but regané [rəɡane].
The three e’s. é /e/ is close (gedhé, suwé, saé, waé, dhéwé, énjing, Désa, and the suffix in tèhé, udané, kucingé), è /ɛ/ is open (tèh, angèl, kabèh, akèh, pancèn, awèt, sèwu, sanès, dèrèng), and plain e is the neutral vowel /ə/ (kesel, seneng, enak, tebih, deres, tetep, rega, remen, cekap, sekedhik, saged, getun, ndeleng). Everyday writing prints them all as e.
Retroflex dh and th. Gedhé [ɡəɖe], adhiku [aɖiku], candhiné [canɖine], dhateng [ɖatəŋ], dhukun [ɖukʊn], sekedhik [səkəɖɪʔ]; kutha [kuʈɔ], kathah [kaʈah], mesthiné [məsʈine]: curl the tongue tip back.
Final k is a glottal stop: apik [apɪʔ], enak [ənaʔ], batik [batɪʔ], cilik [cilɪʔ], rusak [rusaʔ], and before a suffix: batiké [batiʔe]. The k of the suffix -aké, however, is a full [k]: mecahaké [məcahake].
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 23 Javanese complete — nanging, namung (but)
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