SEE THE PATTERNSSundanese Grammar Basics: Place Words, Negation, and Verb Forms
Sundanese grammar becomes manageable when you learn a few small patterns in full sentences. Start with the place words di, ka, and ti, the negatives teu, lain, and acan, and the way verbs change between active and passive.
Related guides: How to learn Sundanese, Sundanese speech levels, and Basic Sundanese phrases.
Learn di, ka, and ti first
Three small words describe most place relationships: di (in or at), ka (to), and ti (from). Longer forms dina, kana, and tina point to a more specific position, direction, or origin, and they are common with things, tools, and containers rather than places.
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| di | in; at | di imah (at home) |
| ka | to (a place) | ka pasar (to the market) |
| ti | from (a place) | ti Bandung (from Bandung) |
| dina | on; in a specific position | dina méja (on the table) |
| kana | to (a thing or object) | kana mobil (done to the car) |
| tina | from or made of (a thing) | tina cai (made of water) |
Say where things are
Combine di with a position word to say inside, outside, above, below, or in front. Polite speech often uses different position words from casual speech, so learn them as pairs.
| Casual | Polite | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| di jero | di lebet | inside |
| di luar | di luar | outside |
| di gigir | di gédéng | beside |
| di luhur | di luhur | above |
| di handap | di handap | below |
| di tukang | di pengker | behind |
| di hareup | di payun | in front |
Negate with teu, lain, and acan
Use teu, or the fuller polite henteu, before verbs. Use lain in casual speech or sanés in polite speech to say something is not a particular thing. Acan means not yet, and moal means will not.
Active and passive verbs
Many active verbs begin with a nasal prefix in speech. Roots that start with a vowel take ng-, so inum becomes nginum, and some roots take nga-, so dahar can become ngadahar. The passive uses di- plus ku for the person who does the action.
Make plurals with ar
Sundanese often marks a plural by inserting ar after the first consonant of the word. Budak (child) becomes barudak (children), and the same infix can describe plural subjects with adjectives. When the word starts with a vowel, ar becomes a prefix.
Sundanese grammar basics FAQ
Is Sundanese word order the same as English?
The basic order is subject, verb, object, as in English. Small particles such as mah and téh then signal topic and emphasis, so learn them inside full sentences.
How do you say not in Sundanese?
Use teu (casual) or henteu (polite) before verbs, lain (casual) or sanés (polite) before nouns, and acan for not yet.
Does Sundanese have tenses?
Verbs do not change for tense. Time words and particles such as geus (already), keur (currently), and arék or badé (will) show when something happens.
References and free Sundanese resources
Use this article as a practical starting point, then verify vocabulary, explore the grammar in depth, and compare what you hear from proficient speakers in your community.