datang
/ˈdataŋ/
The English phrase 'come' is translated into Indonesian as datang.
datang is a verb used to mean to arrive or to appear.
Meaning: to arrive, to appear (verb)
Which one should you use?
While datang means to come (moving toward the speaker or a destination), pergi is used for 'to go' (moving away from the speaker). Additionally, tiba can be used as a more formal synonym for datang when specifically emphasizing the moment of arrival.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb datang is intransitive and does not require a prefix like 'me-' in most common, everyday spoken contexts.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈdataŋ/
Did you know?
- In Indonesia, the word datang can be used to describe the arrival of a menstrual period, using the phrase datang bulan which literally means 'the moon comes'.
- The word datang is a cognate of many other terms in the Austronesian language family, meaning it shares a common ancestor with words for 'come' in languages as far away as Madagascar and the Philippines.
- In certain formal or poetic Indonesian contexts, the prefix 'ber-' can be added to create berdatangan, which describes a large, flowing crowd of people arriving all at once.
Examples in context
- Aku akan datang juga.I'll come, too.Tatoeba #9977349 by HAGNi, translation #2361855 by CK
- Aku tidak mau datang.I do not want to come.Tatoeba #13735861 by HAGNi, translation #4643529 by saluyot
- Ia akan segera datang.She will come soon.Tatoeba #4568598 by Bilmanda, translation #310985 by adjusting
- Tolong datang ke rapat besok pagi.Please come to the meeting tomorrow morning.
- 127 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Putri and Adi are waiting for a friend at a cafe.
- PutriKapan teman kita akan datang?When will our friend arrive?
- AdiDia bilang sebentar lagi datang.He said he will arrive shortly.
- PutriLihat, dia sudah datang!Look, he has arrived!
- AdiSyukurlah, akhirnya dia sampai.Thank goodness, he finally made it.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry datang, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries datang, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
