berapa umurmu?
The English phrase "how old are you?" is translated into Indonesian as berapa umurmu?
This phrase is a question used to ask someone about their age.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase berapa umurmu? is composed of berapa (how many/how much), umur (age) and the suffix -mu (your).
Which one should you use?
Using usia instead of umur as in berapa usiamu? makes the question slightly more formal or literary.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The form berapa umurmu? is informal and should only be used with peers, friends or people younger than you. For more formal situations, you can use Berapa usia Anda? or Umur berapa Anda? to ask "What is your age?" or "How old are you?" The informal variant Berapa umur kamu? is also used to ask "What is your age?"
How does it change in a sentence?
To make the question polite and suitable for strangers or elders, you can replace the suffix -mu with the formal pronoun Anda, resulting in berapa umur Anda?
Did you know?
- Indonesians often avoid asking for age directly and instead use social cues or titles like Kakak or Pak to determine a person's relative age and status.
- The word berapa is inherited from Malay and was formed by combining the prefix ber- and the word apa, which means 'what'.
- In many Indonesian social circles, asking Berapa umur Anda? can be considered a bit too direct or even blunt. It is often more polite to ask about someone's life stage or school year rather than a specific number.
Examples in context
- Selamat pagi, Pak. Berapa usia Anda?Good morning, sir. How old are you?
- Hai, teman! Berapa umur kamu?Hey, friend! How old are you?
- Berapa umurmu?How old are you?
- Maaf, boleh saya tahu berapa umurmu?Sorry, may I know how old you are?
Example conversation
Two students meeting for the first time at school.
- SariHai, aku Sari. Berapa umurmu?Hi, I am Sari. How old are you?
- RianAku Rian, umurku lima belas tahun.I am Rian, I am fifteen years old.
- SariOh, kita seumur!Oh, we are the same age!
- RianIya, benar sekali.Yes, that is exactly right.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries berapa, CC BY-SA 4.0.
