bagaimana
In Indonesian, the word for how is bagaimana.
bagaimana is used to ask about the manner or condition of something. For example, Bagaimana cara melakukannya? means "How to do it?" and Bagaimana kalau… is a standard way to make a suggestion, equivalent to "How about…" or "What if…". You can also use Bagaimana dengan… to ask for an opinion or to bring up a specific subject, such as "How about the price?" Note that while bagaimana asks about manner or condition, it is distinct from apa (what) and mengapa (why). Additionally, if you want to convey emphasis or intensity (similar to the English "how"), use betapa instead of bagaimana. To ask about frequency, use the phrase seberapa sering (how often).
Meaning: in what manner (adv)
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
bagaimana is the most common translation for how in formal Indonesian. In everyday spoken Indonesian, the colloquial contraction gimana is very common and is considered slang.
Did you know?
- The word bagaimana is a compound formed from bagai meaning 'like' and mana meaning 'which'. Literally, asking 'how' in Indonesian is like asking 'like which'.
- When asking 'how are you', the phrase bagaimana kabar Anda focuses on the 'news' or 'report' of the person's state rather than their physical feeling.
- To ask 'how much' or 'how many', Indonesian does not use bagaimana but instead uses berapa, which is a distinct word specifically for quantities.
Examples in context
- Bagaimana cara jalan kuda?How does the knight move?This sentence is useful for asking about a specific manner of movement using bagaimana.Tatoeba #11160615 by HAGNi, translation #9947874 by carlosalberto
- Bagaimana kabarmu hari ini?How are you today?This sentence is useful for asking about a person's condition using bagaimana.Tatoeba #12981758 by HAGNi, translation #388255 by Dorenda
- Bagaimana kamu bisa terluka?How did you get hurt?This sentence is useful for asking about the cause of an event using bagaimana.Tatoeba #5243313 by Bilmanda, translation #1885926 by CK
- Bagaimana cara Anda pergi ke kantor?How do you go to the office?
- Betapa indahnya pemandangan ini!How beautiful this view is!
- Gimana kabarnya?How are you?
- Kok bisa begitu?How could that happen?
- Seberapa sering dia berolahraga?How often does he exercise?
- 127 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Indah and Dimas are discussing a new recipe at home.
- IndahDimas, bagaimana rasa masakan ini?Dimas, how does this dish taste?
- DimasRasanya sangat enak, Indah.It tastes very delicious, Indah.
- IndahApakah bumbunya terlalu kuat?Is the seasoning too strong?
- DimasTidak, rasanya sudah pas.No, the flavor is just right.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “how” translations and entries bagaimana, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bagaimana, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
