Are you unsure about the differences between berdua, kedua, and keduanya? We got you covered!
These three words can be translated into “both” in English, but we use each word differently in a sentence. In addition, berdua and kedua have other meanings as well. Let’s learn them one by one.
The meaning of Berdua
According to the official Indonesian dictionary, berdua has two meanings:
- Together (two people)
Examples:
Saya suka mandi berdua
(I like to take a bath (two people) together)
Kami makan berdua, tapi dia kenyang sendiri
(We eat together (two of us), but he is full by himself)
Mereka di rumah berdua
(They are at home together (two people))
As you may notice form the sentences above, the word “berdua” is placed after an action or a situation. Its function is to state that there are two people involve in the action or the situation.
2. Both
Examples:
Kami berdua dari Sumatera. (We both are from Sumatera)
Mereka berdua kerja di tempat yang sama. (They both work at the same place)
Kedua
Kedua also has two meanings: second (ordinal number) and both. The first one is very easy. Here are some examples:
Saya anak kedua (I am a second child)
Dia mau yang kedua (He wants the second one)
Kedua that means “both” is the same as berdua, but it is placed before nouns. Look at some examples below:
Kedua anjing itu milik Amanda. (Both dogs belong to Amanda.)
Kedua turis itu tinggal di Canggu. (Both tourists live in Canggu)
Saya mau beli kedua tas. (I want to buy both bags)
Keduanya
The most accurate translation for this word is “both of them”. When you use the word “keduanya”, you don’t need to add nouns before or after the word as “nya” refers to nouns. For example, we can change the previous examples using keduanya.
Keduanya milik Amanda. (Both dogs belong to Amanda.)
Keduanya tinggal di Canggu (Both tourists live in Canggu)
Saya mau beli keduanya (I want to buy both bags)
Wrap Up
As you notice from the explanation above, berdua and kedua have two meanings. However, all three words can mean “both”. To use these words naturally, just remember to use kedua before nouns, berdua after pronouns (mereka, kami, kita), and keduanya without any nouns or pronouns. For example:
Kedua teman saya suka nasi goreng.
Keduanya suka nasi goreng.
Mereka berdua suka nasi goreng.
(Both of my friends like fried rice)
Exercise:
Now that you know the difference of each word. Complete the sentences below with either berdua, kedua, or keduanya. You might need a dictatory to do this exercise.
- Johan dan Mira suka olahraga. ____________ main bulu tangkis setiap minggu.
- ___________ orang itu pernah datang ke rumah saya.
- Kamu harus pilih antara laptop atau sepeda. Kamu tidak boleh ambil _____________.
- Saya dan Sumi ketemu setiap hari. Kami ___________ kerja di tempat yang sama.
- Mereka ___________ bukan orang Bali. Mereka dari Jawa.
- _________ mobil mewah itu punya Pak Joko. Dia orang terkayak di desa ini.
- Risma tinggal di Denpasar sendiri. __________ orang tuanya pindah ke kota Surabaya.
- Bapak suka susu, dan ibu lebih suka teh. Saya suka ___________.
- Meskipun Pera dan Agus tidak banyak uang, mereka __________ selalu membantu orang lain.
- ____________ murid itu belajar di Jembatan Bahasa.
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