PERSONAL PRONOUN

PERSONAL PRONOUN


Personal pronouns are pronouns which refer to people. They reflect social relations between people.

Person	Singular	Plural
Pertama First Kedua Second Ketiga Third	saya, aku I, me, my engkau, kau, kamu, anda you, your ia, dia, beliau he/she, his/her, it/its	kita, kami we, us kalian, kamu (sekalian) you, all of you mereka, nya they, them, their

Personal pronouns should be used carefully

a.       Both saya and aku mean I or me. But aku is only used when speaking to intimate friends only.

b.      Kita means we where the person being spoken to is included, that is I and you.

Kami means we where the person being spoken to is not included, that is I and others but not you.

c.      Aku, engkau, kau, kamu, kalian, are intimate forms, used to children and between equals who have a close relationship with each other. They are sometimes used to younger adults although this always conveys a suggestion of social superiority on the part of the speaker.

Anda is confined to impersonal situations, such as addressing strangers of the same age as or younger than the speaker. It is not widely used in addressing individuals because it does not convey respect. It can not be used by a junior to a senior. It is mostly used in advertisements, public announcements, conferences, and people in gatherings.

Example :

             Kenakan sabuk pengaman selama anda duduk.
             Fasten your seatbelt while you are seated.

             Apakah mesin cuci anda mencemari lingkungan?
             Does your washing machine pollute the environment?

d.       Ia and dia mean he or she. Like saya and aku, they are used when speaking to intimate friends only

Beliau carries social connotation, referring to people who are held in high respect.

Reference:
Indonesian Reference Grammar by James Neil Sneddon, 1996.