adalah

Indonesian

Alternative forms

• adl (abbreviation)

Etymology

From Malay adalah, from Classical Malay اداله (adalah). Equivalent to ada +‎ -lah.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈadalah/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: a‧da‧lah
• Rhymes: -alah, -lah, -ah

Verb

adalah

1. to be identical to

   Synonyms: itu, tuh, merupakan

   Pancasila adalah falsafah bangsa Indonesia.

   Pancasila is the philosophy of the Indonesian nation.

   Kata adalah bagian terkecil dari bahasa.

   Word is the smallest part of language.

   Menteri adalah menteri yang menyelenggarakan....

   Minister means a minister administering....

2. to have the same meaning as

   Desember adalah bulan kedua belas.

   December is the twelfth month.

3. to be included in a group

   Saya adalah pengagum Dipa.

   I am an admirer of Dipa.

   Dia adalah seorang mahasiswa.

   He/she is a university student.

Particle

adalah

1. a connector between two pieces of sentence that confirms the details or explanation of the first part

   Synonym: (third person) ialah

   Antonym: bukan

   Yang perlu dikerjakan sekarang adalah membawa korban ke rumah sakit.

   What needs to be done now is to take the victims to the hospital.

   Kerjanya adalah menarik mahasiswa.

   His/her job is to attract university students.

Usage notes

In Indonesian, "to be" can be expressed by juxtaposing words, but "adalah" is used to clarify or emphasize the meaning.

Examples:

• Kerjanya menarik mahasiswa.

  His/her job attracts university students.

• Kerjanya adalah menarik mahasiswa.

  His/her job is to attract university students.

• Menjadi guru impianku

  Becoming the teacher of my dreams

• Menjadi guru adalah impianku.

  Becoming a teacher is my dream.

However, when it comes after another verb such as auxilliary verbs, or is in an imperative sentence, the "to be" must be translated into "menjadi" (lit. "become") instead of "adalah", "merupakan" and so forth. In imperative sentences, the "to be" is translated into "jadilah".

Examples:

• Dia boleh menjadi guru pengganti kita. (not: Dia boleh adalah guru pengganti kita.)

  He/she can be our replacement teacher.

• Saat aku dewasa, aku akan menjadi seorang dokter. (not: Saat aku dewasa, aku akan merupakan seorang dokter.)

  When I grow up, I will be a doctor.

• Jadilah orang baik maka kamu akan disukai.

  Be a kind person surely you will be favoured.

Further reading

• “adalah”, in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia [Great Dictionary of the Indonesian Language] (in Indonesian), Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016

Malay

Etymology

Affixation of ada +‎ -lah.

Pronunciation

• (schwa-variety) IPA^(key): [a.də.lah]
• (Baku) IPA^(key): [a.da.lah]
• Rhymes: -lah, -ah
• Hyphenation: a‧da‧lah

Particle

adalah (Jawi spelling اداله)

1. (formal, copula) To be.

   Ini adalah benar.

   This is true.

2. (obsolete) In fact.

   Synonym: sesungguhnya

Usage notes

• As a copula, adalah is an optional connector word which is often used like the English verb “to be”.
• In their Tatabahasa Dewan, the DBP prescribe that it can be used only before preposition and adjective phrases in contrast to ialah, which has the same meaning but is prescribed to only be used before noun phrases.

Example where the predicate, besar (big) is an adjective phrase:

• Ini besar. ― This is big.
• Ini adalah besar. ― This is big.

Contrast that with this sentence where the predicate, buku (book) is a noun phrase:

• Ini buku. ― This is a book.
• Ini ialah buku. ― This is a book.

• Despite the DBP's prescriptions, it is still very common for speakers to use adalah before noun phrases, as in the song lyrics below where adalah appears in front of bapa kita semua (everyone's father), a noun phrase:
  • 2016, Faizal Tahir, “Adam”, in 25 Rasul:

    Adam adalah bapa kita semua

    Adam is everyone's father

Related terms

• ialah