As one of the most common words, Ada in Indonesian is an important word to learn. However, many of our learners are sometimes confused with ada meaning in Indonesian so in this blog post, we will discuss this Indonesian grammar point. In general, there are three uses of ada: existence (like there is, there are), to be at a place, and to have.
If you prefer a video, please watch our YouTube video. If not, keep scrolling.
Ada in Indonesian can mean ‘there is/there are’
Ada warung kecil di jalan itu – There is a small warung on that road.
Di Bali ada banyak turis – In Bali, there are many tourists.
To make a negative sentence, just add “tidak” before ada.
Di Indonesia tidak ada salju – In Indonesia there is no snow.
Tidak ada makanan di toko ini – There is no food in this shop.
To ask questions like “is there any/are there any”, simply put ada in front and adjust the intonation of your voice.
Ada pompa bensin dekat sini? – Is there a gas station near here?
Ada kelas bahasa Indonesia malam ini? Is there an English class tonight?
Ada can mean ‘to be at a place’
Bapak saya ada di Jakarta sekarang – My father is in Jakarta now.
Komang tidak ada di rumah – Komang is not at home.
Pak Bayu ada? – Is Mr. Bayu in?
Ada can mean ‘to have’
Saya ada uang kecil – I have small money (change).
Dia tidak ada rumah di Denpasar – He doesn’t have a house in Denpasar.Kamu ada teman di Ubud? – Do you have a friend in Ubud?
Ok, let’s practice now. Look at sentences below and decide which meaning each sentence belong to
- Ketut tidak ada di pasar.
- Di Badung, ada banyak sekolah international.
- Saya tidak ada mobil.
- Andi ada sepeda motor metik.
- Jim ada di Amerika sekarang.
- Ada banyak sapi di sawah.
- Saya mau bicara dengan Pak Budi. Bapaknya ada?
- Ada warung dekat sini? Saya mau makan.
We hope you understand the meaning of ada in Indonesian now. If you have any questions about ada meaning or other topics related to studying Indonesian, please let us know.
If you prefer a video lesson, please click here to watch the use of ada in Bahasa Indonesia.
