How to Say "My" in Indonesian

saya

/ˈsaja/

The English word "my" is translated into Indonesian as saya.

In Indonesian, the word for "I" (saya) is placed after the noun to function as the possessive adjective "my".

Meaning: belonging to me (det)

Is it said differently in some regions?

The informal forms punya gue and punya aku are primarily spoken in Jakarta and other parts of Java Island.

The suffix -ku can be used as a shortened, informal version of saya to mean "my" when attached to a noun.

/ˈsaja/

If you want to sound extremely polite or humble when saying 'my', you might use the word hamba, which historically refers to a servant or slave.
The word saya actually traces its roots back to the Sanskrit word sahāya, which originally meant 'companion' or 'friend'.
While saya is considered polite, using it in a very casual group of friends can actually make you sound cold or distant.

Nama saya bukan Tom.
My name isn't Tom.
This sentence shows how to use saya to indicate a name.
Tatoeba #11595617 by Pacific, translation #2396297 by CK
Ayah saya sudah tua.
My father is old.
This sentence demonstrates using saya after a noun to mean "my father".
Tatoeba #12131149 by Pacific, translation #12130235 by sundown
Ayam saya ada di sini
My chicken is here.
This sentence shows how to use saya after a noun to mean "my chicken".
Tatoeba #1106221 by Archangelix, translation #1106209 by atc
Buku itu milik saya.
That book is mine.
Rumah itu punya saya.
That house is mine.
Tas ini punya aku.
This bag is mine.
335 more sentences on Tatoeba

Adi and Indah are sitting in a cafe.

Sources

Wiktionary, “my” translations and entries saya, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
Word origins: Wiktionary entries saya, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.

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